Obesity is a complex public health issue that has only recently been acknowledged as having multiple factors including physical, psychological and genetic causes. The relationship between obesity and work is complex. Routines and behaviours at work can influence eating and exercising habits, which will impact a person’s lifestyle and wellbeing, generally. There is also the…
There are over 425 million people worldwide living with diabetes and this is estimated to rise to 592 million by 2035. In 2013 there were 3.2 million people with diabetes in the UK with this estimated to rise to 5 million by 2025. This currently equates to 1 in 17 people living with diabetes in…
Do you know what your cholesterol level is? Do you have high cholesterol or are you at risk of having high cholesterol? What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy substance/fat found in blood and cells and form an important part of our cell membranes. Cholesterol is also needed to make certain hormones (oestrogen, testosterone, progesterone,…
Sunday 2nd October marks the start of Dyslexia Awareness Week which this year is accompanied by the hashtag #positivedyslexia if you want to get involved on social media. The week of events coincides with World Dyslexia Day on Thursday 5th October and aims to cover a number of different themes including how workplaces can make reasonable…
The danger of noise and its impact on health doesn’t generally figure highly on most people’s list of workplace hazards. Many don’t realise there are Noise at Work Regulations that all companies need to comply. Neither do they understand that prolonged exposure to certain levels of noise can cause irreparable hearing damage. The following statistics…
Our lungs are complex and fragile organs. Responsible for getting oxygen into our blood stream, they are composed of millions of air sacs and hundreds of miles of capillaries. We have come to recognise in recent times the problems posed by poor air quality but many people are exposed to potentially dangerous situations in their…
It is still general practice for HR managers to write to GPs to access information concerning an employee’s absence, especially when putting together a return to work plan. This can be an inefficient and expensive way to handle sickness and absence, not only because each report costs between £90 and £180 but also the length…
Business and industry have long paid more attention to the safety aspect of health and safety. The construction industry has seen a cultural shift in safety that has led to an 80% reduction in workplace fatalities over the last 40 years. There has been no such progress in Occupational Health. Organisations including the Health and…
Hand-arm vibration injuries are caused by using machinery or tools that can, over time, lead to damage to the fingers, hands or arms. It can, for instance, be caused by using power tools or operating heavy machinery such as concrete breakers and pedestal grinders. Whether you are at risk of HAVS depends on how often…
The retail sector is one of the biggest employers in the UK, providing jobs for over 3 million staff. The type of occupational health service that retail outlets need can vary considerably, ranging from support with sickness absence management and pre-placement health checks to more specific issues such as moving and handling, particularly for areas…
