Occupational Health

Wednesday 18th November 2009, Guoman Charing Cross Hotel, London, 08:30 - 14:00 (half day)

Occupational Health: Creating Healthier, Safer Workplaces

“Great Britain has one of the best health and safety records in the world. However, although the rates of death, injury and work-related ill health have declined for most of the past 35 years, the rate of decline has noticeably slowed”

The Health and Safety of Great Britain: Be Part of the Solution, p5, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (June 2009)

Overview

Whether you are aged 18 or 80; a full-time, part-time, or home-worker; unemployed, self-employed, employer, or employee and regardless of your profession, or occupation, working conditions - health and safety conditions– affect every worker and their families.

During 2007/08, 229 workers were killed at their place of work; 136,771 people were seriously injured, and approximately 2.1 million people were suffering from an illness that they claim was caused, or made worse by their current or past work.

In spite of Britain having one of the best health and safety records in the world, 34 million working days were lost during 2007/08 as a consequence of accidents at work and work-related ill-health. With the economic costs to society of sickness absence and worklessness associated with working age ill-health put at over £100 billion a year, health and safety is a pressing concern for the Government.

Following the publication of Professor Dame Carol Black’s review into the health of Britain’s working-age population, “Working for a Healthier Tomorrow” in November 2008, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published its new strategy in June 2009. The strategy advocates greater partnership working between organisations to improve the regulatory system and to integrate health, well being and safety into everyday practice. The HSE also calls on organisations to demonstrate leadership in health and safety matters through better risk management by raising the competence levels of those responsible for the management health and safety. Finally, the HSE strongly promotes the greater involvement and training of workers in health and safety matters.

All workers have a fundamental right to work in an environment where health and safety risks are properly controlled, and where the risk-maker – whether employer, self-employed, manufacturer, supplier – bears ultimate responsibility for managing the risk.

Agenda

Delegates attending this forum will have the opportunity to question experts in their field, examine both the strategic issue of risk management and, through case studies, learn how to translate goals into policy, procedures and everyday practice to improve occupational health and safety.

08:50	Registration and Coffee
09:25	Chair’s Welcome Address Natasha Freeman, President, Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (CONFIRMED)
09:35	Healthier, Safer Workplaces Policy context: European Health and Safety Strategy Be part of the solution: GB health and safety record; HSE strategy: Targets, goals and performance measurement Work-related stress: improve the health and well being of workers – occupational health service; mental health needs Section 18 – improving competence of HSE teams Corporate responsibility: risk management strategies Occupational long latency disease Pandemic planning Driving for work: reduce number of deaths and serious injuries Ensuring healthier and safer working environments through better partnership working, leadership training and competence frameworks Shattered Lives: further, targeted information campaigns Robust regulatory environment: improve inspection and enforcement system Better understanding of responsibilities and the implications of failing to fully comply with regulations Reducing the likelihood of high impact major incidents: Energy sector: nuclear energy; oil and gas sector; emerging energy technologies Importance of spatial planning: Buncefield; building on flood plains Manufacturing; chemical (CRD); agricultural; construction (Working Well Together) sectors Peter Brown, Head, Health and Work Division, Health and Safety Executive (CONFIRMED)
10:05	Health, Safety and Wellbeing Challenges for Local Government and some Possible Solutions Drivers for change Challenges including sickness absence Possible responses Wellbeing initiatives Good practice case studies Steve Sumner OBE, National, Health and Safety Policy Adviser, LGE Employers(CONFIRMED)
10:30	Improving the Working Environment LSC: planning and funding body to deliver training Widening participation in learning: duty to meet health and safety needs of all learners Risk assessment: raise standards and competence levels of trainers Safe Learner - IAG: improve the understanding and knowledge of health and safety matters by students Cause of accidents due to inadequate: Planning; supervision; training; risk assessment Health and safety training essential to maximize learning opportunities Chrissy Falck, Head of Learner Health and Safety, Learning and Skills Council (CONFIRMED)
10:55	Questions and Answers Session
11:25	Coffee and Networking
11:55	Achieving Health and Safety Outcomes Through Partnership Councils as co-regulators with HSE, regulating businesses together Better regulation of businessses today - what does it look like? Improving the co-regulatory partnership - what has been achieved and why it is important? Partnership as a part of the HSE strategy "be part of the solution" Section 18: working towards 2011 Rejecting the trivialisation of health and safety: building a commonsense approach to health and safety enforcement Mark Du Val, Director of Policy, LACoRS (CONFIRMED)
12:20	Working for a Healthier Tomorrow Worklessness agenda: the role of work and its relationship with good health Key findings: Prevention of illness and promotion of health and well-being Early intervention for those who develop a health condition Pathways to Work: improving the health of those out of work so they may return to work What can I do? Fitness notes, and information and guidance Community health: retraining GPs to be able to offer advice to patients on the roles their current health status will allow them to do Good line management can lead to good health, well-being and improved performance Changing mind sets and behaviours: national occupational health service incorporating specialist mental health services Professor Dame Carol Black, National Director, Health, Work and Well-being (CONFIRMED)
12:45	Questions and Answers Session
13:05	Lunch and Networking
14:00	Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Audience

Delegates will include heads and directors of health divisions, human resource heads and directors, health and safety teams, absence managers, welfare and well-being teams, risk managers, heads of training, heads of operations, occupational health managers, contact centre managers, public central government departments and agencies, local authorities, criminal justice, health and education sectors, insurance companies, legal practices and advocacy organisations, businesses and employers, academia, the third sector and the private sector.