Providing Essential Information on Occupational Health

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11 March 2016 | Updated 01 January 1970

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has launched a major initiative on occupational health in collaboration with the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) and Constructing Better Health.

The collaboration has already begun with a health and safety survey undertaken across the building engineering services sector and the project aims to provide essential information and support on occupational health.

The decision follows the construction industry's recent Occupational Health Summit which was attended by CEOs and directors of construction firms and trade bodies, including senior representatives of the building engineering services sector.

“The construction environment is among the most demanding to work in, and the health of those involved is a crucial consideration,” explained Tim Rook, Technical Director, BESA. “The results of the survey will help us to target and promote best practice among both on-site operatives and managers. I would encourage everyone to take part as fully and honestly as they can, so as to maximise the value of the initiative to the sector, wider industry and their own businesses.”

Putting the ECA perspective, Paul Reeve, Director of Business Services, believed that there were “numerous examples” of effective occupational health provision in the sector. Managed properly, he felt this delivered business benefits and the career health of many thousands of engineering employees but while there have been major sector-wide improvements in workplace safety, many contractors still struggled with occupational health.

“Our survey aims to find out much more about the current situation, to give us an informed baseline for helping contractors to engage with both physical and mental health issues,” said Reeve. “We urge all building services contractors to complete this short, confidential questionnaire, so we have the best possible information to help the sector move forward with cost effective occupational health management.”

Cloudy perceptions

The view of Constructing Better Health (CBH) which is part of the latest drive is that the collaborative survey will help to further demystify what can seem to be, in the words of Bob Blackman, its Chairman terms, “cloudy perceptions about occupational health and target those areas where all our members and industry colleagues aren’t making the most of the resources at hand. The most important message to share is that occupational health management exists to ensure that your job doesn’t affect your health negatively. Ill health has an impact on physical and economic wellbeing, so utilise all occupational health services available to you.”

The deadline for response is Wednesday, 13 April and the survey findings will be shared with key interested parties across the industry in the second quarter of the year.

Picture: The initiative by BESA, ECA and Constructing Better Health (CBH) should to demystify cloudy perceptions about occupational health, according to CBH’s Bob Blackman

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 11 March 2016

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