THE KNOWLEDGE THE PRACTICE THE BUSINESS THE EVIDENCE

The enduring fight Tackling violence The high stakes of Safety-critical systems
against asbestos in the workplace OSH at live events and virtual reality

1 Cover_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 1 17/04/2023 09:46

p02.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 2 17/04/2023 17:09
 W ELC OM E
OSH’s
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF
common
The Institution of Occupational Safety
and Health (IOSH) is the world’s leading
agenda
professional body for people responsible
for safety and health in the workplace. very human on the planet We must address daily challenges.

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effectively resourced and planned
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EDITOR safe outcomes. Throughout the lifecycle for variance, and enabling people to
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about their daily lives with the expectation We must collaborate with all
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Sally Hales, Carina Bailey those risks are effectively controlled, with stakeholders to cut through the
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in the public’s perception. This is one of coherence around a range of policy
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Craig Bowyer new strategy. framework that is equitable in its
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source. What does a common OSH agenda The OSH community must coalesce
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look like? With a safe and healthy work around values and goals that identify the
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adhere to the British Code of Advertising Practice.
and right at work, all OSH stakeholders aspirations. Activate 2028 fills me with
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reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted across the globe have an obligation to hope and pride that our members will be
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical
or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the close the gap between grand gestures at the forefront of this change. It’s a bold
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and business. I hope you can see how,
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THE VALUE OF THE OSH a critical part to play in the delivery of
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PROFESSION IN THE Stuart Hughes
PUBLIC’S PERCEPTION P RESIDENT- ELECT, IOSH

IOSH MAGAZINE 3

3 Welcome_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 3 17/04/2023 09:47

 Contents
CONTENTS MAY/JUN E 2023

SAF E T Y, HE ALT H AN D W E L L BE I N G I N T HE WO R LD O F WO R K

T HE K NOW L E D G E
6 THINGS YOU
NEED TO KNOW
The latest stats and
facts, news and views

10 INSIDE THE REPORTS

A look at psychological injury
and digital monitoring

12 INTERVIEW 26 THE WIDER VIEW

Jessy Gomes on working Online highlights, including
towards gender equality webinars and videos

15 OPINION 29 IOSH STRATEGY

David Smith discusses The Institution reveals
mental health first aid more about Activate 2028

17 INTERVIEW
Mavis Nye on her
asbestos campaigning

38
18 READERS’ SURVEY
We reveal what you think
of IOSH magazine

20 LEGAL
The latest law updates PRACTICE MEETS PERFECT
22 PROSECUTIONS ‘Perfectionists soon begin
Recent court cases
to feel overwhelmed by
the constant pressure to
be perfect... and their
work su ers’
4 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

4-5 Contents_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 4 18/04/2023 09:21

 44
THE E VIDENCE
71 ROUNDUP

THE PRACTICE
32 72
Safety critical
An overview of recent
research and reports

DEEP DIVE

44 WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
CE
TH E VA LU E Research: in depth

Striking back OF SAFETY A closer look at two

new papers and
Breaking down the resultss What is good OSH their findings
oll
of the latest World Risk Poll really worth?
47 COMMUNICATION
How to have diųcult
THE LAST WORD
conversations
74 PROOF POSITIVE
Andy Hooke’s advice on
How to be the best
approaching tricky topicss
FCC Environment
shares the secrets of
50 CLIMATE CRISIS
Breath of life five-star audit status
We explore the OSH impact THE B USIN E SS
of worsening air quality
58 EVENT SAFETY
54 CASE STUDY Support act
Pushing back on MSDs We look at how the sector
How Hamburg Airport is tackling new challenges
improved the health of
ground-handling staff 62 PPE
Fit for the future
An exploration of how
the market is changing

66 INVESTIGATIONS
Beyond blame
The importance of looking
further than human error

47
69 SOCIAL MEDIA
Fear and loathing online
How can we protect social
media professionals
from harm?
58
IOSH MAGAZINE 5

4-5 Contents_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 5 17/04/2023 09:51

 KNOWLEDGE
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS ISSUE

1 . WHIST LEBLOWIN G

FRAMEWORK
REVIEW INITIATED
The UK government has launched a review of the
whistleblowing framework to gather evidence on
the effectiveness of the current regime in enabling
workers to speak up about wrongdoing and protect
those who do so.
The review will cover central topics key to the
whistleblowing framework, such as:
• Who is covered by whistleblowing protections
• The availability of information and guidance
for whistleblowing purposes
• How employers and prescribed persons respond
to whistleblowing disclosures, including best practice.
The evidence-gathering stage of the review will
conclude in autumn 2023.

For expert opinions on the review, visit

ioshmagazine.com/whistleblowing-review

6 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

6-9 The Knowledge_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 6 17/04/2023 09:55

 2. IN N UMB ER S

‘Whistleblowing AI’s growing

is a vital tool in infl uence in
tackling economic the UK
crime and
unsafe working
conditions... This
[review] will take
stock of whether 3RD
in the world
the whistleblowing The UK’s global ranking for the
framework implementation of AI.

is operating
effectively’
KEVIN HOLLINRAKE MP, PARLIAMENTARY
UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE AT THE

50,000+
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS AND TRADE

The number of people already

working within the UK’s AI industry.

£3.7BN
AI’s worth to the UK’s economy today.

12 MONTHS
The time period within which
regulators are expected to issue
practical guidance and resources
– such as risk assessment
PHOTOG RAPHY: ISTOCK

templates – to organisations,
setting out how to use AI.

D epa r tm en t fo r S ci en c e, I nnov at i on and Te c h nol og y, 2 0 2 3

IOSH MAGAZINE 7

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THE KNOW LED G E T H IN G S YOU N EED TO K N OW T H IS ISSUE

4. CASE ST UDY

Collaboration
improves risk
3. CA S E LAW management
Ambulance worker’s on worksites
job was ‘greatest A Belfast-based risk and
compliance software provider

risk’, rules coroner has been collaborating with the GB

A coroner has concluded that an ambulance
worker in Wales who caught COVID-19 while
attending to an infected patient died from an
industrial disease.
Coroner Paul Bennett said 59-year-old Alan
Haigh’s employment as an emergency medical
technician during the pandemic presented the
‘greatest risk’ to his health.
The full story is available at
ioshmagazine.com/alan-haigh
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
and construction giant, Costain, as part
of an ongoing project to unlock artificial
intelligence’s potential to improve the management
of risks on worksites.
AuditComply recently completed a three-month pilot that aims to
deliver ‘better evidence-based management of common safety risks’, such
as work at height and utility strikes, by comparing HSE data collated from
returns under RIDDOR, with risk assessments and method statements
supplied by Costain.

5. I O S H N E WS
President-elect to
present in Japan
IOSH president-elect Stuart
Hughes will take part in a
roundtable discussion
during the Wellbeing
Tech International
2023 conference in
Osaka, Japan.
Stuart will be joined
by representatives from
organisations such as
6. OPIN ION
the International Labour
Organization and the World Striking a reasonable balance
PHOTOG RAPHY: ISTOCK / SHUTT ERSTOCK

Health Organization to discuss

the main challenges and strategic responses to
wellbeing at work. This forms part of the build-up
to the global Expo 2025 in Osaka.
The conference is being held from 10 to 12 May.
Safety interventions should be practicable and cost-effective, but too
much of an imbalance towards safety does not make economic sense
for employers, argues Geoff Vaughan in an article at ioshmagazine.
com/reasonable-balance; he suggests ‘gross disproportion’ provides a
practical limit.

8 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

6-9 The Knowledge_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 8 17/04/2023 09:58

 7. G LO BA L SURVEY
Sustainability
drops down
corporate
priority list
An annual survey of global CEOs
has revealed that sustainability
‘takes a back seat to commercial
objectives’ when the business faces
an economic downturn. 8. GLOBAL SURVEY
The research, published in a white
paper by Software AG, asked
about the balance between digital
4 ways to be a sleep leader
transformation and sustainability
We all have a few sleepless nights from time to time, but research by Nuffield
projects. It found that although 95%
Health from its 2022 Healthier Nation Index suggests tossing and turning is on
of companies rated sustainability as
the rise, with nearly three-quarters of its respondents reporting poorer sleep that
a top or high priority, 84% admitted
year. This is especially concerning given it was revealed 10% of respondents only
it was pushed down the priority list
get between two and four hours of sleep each night.
when there was economic turbulence.
The sleep habits of an employee may not seem like a business priority, but
those who aren’t sleeping well won’t potentially perform at their best in the
workplace – or at their safest.

Read our top tips to be a sleep leader at ioshmagazine.com/sleep-leader

95%
of companies rated sustainability
as a top or high priority
9. CON ST RUCT ION
HSE campaign
calls on industry
to prepare for new
safety regime
The GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

84%
admitted it was pushed down
the priority list when there was
economic turbulence
is reminding those responsible for high-rise
residential buildings in England that they have just
six months to register with the new Building Safety
Regulator by law.
Under the Building Safety Act, high-rise residential buildings
(18 metres (59 feet) tall or higher, or at least seven storeys, with two or more
residential units) must be registered, with a named person responsible for
maintaining their safety. Owners and managers who fail to comply by October
2023 may face prosecution.

For full results, go to

More at ioshmagazine.com/bsr-register
ioshmagazine.com/software-ag

IOSH MAGAZINE 9

6-9 The Knowledge_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 9 17/04/2023 10:01

THE KNOW LED G E ANALYSIS

Inside the
reports
Bridget Leathley explores recent
OSH developments to reveal the
takeaways and challenges for practice.
V I O LE N C E A N D H ARASSMENT Of these, 74,364 employed respondents Addressing the issue is crucial in
were included in the final analysis. guaranteeing decent work. Those

PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURY Although the report makes no distinction

MOST COMMON
WORKPLACE HARM
More than one in five people have
experienced psychological violence
and harassment at work, according to a
recent global survey by the International
Labour Organization (ILO).
It was the most reported form
of harassment and violence in the
Experiences of violence and harassment
at work survey, published in December
2022. Overall, psychological violence
and harassment were more commonly
reported by women than by men, but in
Africa and Asia more men reported it
between ‘harassment’ and ‘violence’,
examples were given to promote
consistency across countries.
The survey’s global nature resulted
in compromises. Questions on sexual
violence and harassment were not asked
in Saudi Arabia, Iraq or the UAE, and
other questions were excluded or modified
in China. The report does not consider
whether male-female differences are
the result of different
employment styles for
women in different
economies.
What are
the challenges?
Human resources
discriminated against because of
their ethnic group, skin colour,
religion, gender or disability status
are nearly three times as likely
to experience violence and
harassment at work.
The survey should prompt us to
review the situation. In section 3, the
most common reason people gave for
not disclosing workplace violence and
harassment is that they thought it
would be a waste of time. What would
people say in your organisation?
The ILO published an updated guide
for employers, with advice on how
to tackle violence and harassment in the
workplace, in October 2022. See this and
other references at ioshmagazine.com/

PHOTOG RAPHY: ISTOCK

than women. Physical harassment and
violence includes hitting or spitting,
psychological includes insults or
threats, and sexual includes comments
and emails, as well as touching.
The survey found that sexual
harassment was the least common
form of workplace harassment, with
one in 15 people in employment
experiencing it during their working
life. Physical harassment was more
common (one in 10), and was higher for
men than women, the report suggests.
Almost 125,000 people were
interviewed across 121 countries.
ITR-ILO-violence-harassment. To read the
departments are often
original research, visit bit.ly/ILO-violence-
responsible for dealing
harassment. For more on how to tackle
with workplace violence
the issue, see page 44.
and harassment, but with
a fifth of the workforce
possibly being
affected, OSH
professionals should
try to influence how it is
managed. ‘Decent work’ is a key
element of the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goal 8, and
as such falls under the
sustainability heading in the
IOSH competency framework.

10 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

10-11 Behind the headlines_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 10 17/04/2023 10:02

 D I GI TAL MONI TORI NG
‘EQUITABLE AND PARTICIPATORY’
APPROACH IS NEEDED
Companies need to ensure
digital monitoring systems
are part of an ‘equitable
and participatory approach’
and apply the hierarchy of
control, according to a new
two-part report from the
European Agency for Safety
and Health (EU-OSHA).
The report, Smart digital
monitoring systems for
occupational safety and
health (EU-OSHA, 2023),
looks at the benefits
and challenges of using
smart digital monitoring
systems to improve OSH
in the workplace.
It identifies the problem
of distinguishing between
systems designed to
oversee and improve OSH,
and those that monitor
individual performance.
Focusing on the benefits
of the former, it promotes
the use of digital technology
to collect and analyse
data to identify and assess
risks, reduce harm and
promote OSH.
The report includes
most of the technologies I
would expect to see given
the topic, such as radio
frequency identification tags
on clothing or vehicles to
detect proximity or on PPE
to monitor appropriate use,
and wearable sensors for air
quality. Previous attempts
to assess posture during
10-11 Behind the headlines_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 11
handling tasks or production
line operations relied on
wearable technology
sensing orientation
or muscle activity.
Computer vision
supported by artificial
intelligence (AI) can
achieve more reliable
results without the need for
people to wear a device.
The technology raises
issues of privacy and
consent, which the report
covers in some detail.
The analysis suggests
vendors’ information
on this lacks detail,
and advice is needed
from independent
sources. In particular,
knowledge-sharing within
industry sectors could
support a more participatory
approach between
employers and employees.
In places, the report’s
authors stray into uses
that, as described, have no
sensing element – such as
the use of smart glasses to
display instructions. They
are also unrealistic about
the technology’s current
abilities – for example,
suggesting that ‘AI-based
CCTV solutions allow
behaviour recognition
through facial expressions’.
Ciaran O’Mara, chief
technology officer of AI-
based computer vision
company ProtexAI, tells us
that this claim is ‘farcical
and far-fetched’, explaining
that ‘if CCTV resolution
was sufficient to see facial
expressions, which it isn’t,
even an experienced
manager would be unable
to predict future behaviour
from a facial expression’.
What are the challenges?
While the report strongly
concludes new OSH
monitoring systems should
not be seen as ‘ends in
themselves’, some of its
suggestions seem to be
solutions that are looking
for problems. For example,
rather than using a sensing
system to measure
teleworkers’ eye strain,
resources would be
better used further up
the hierarchy to reduce
hazards at source.
Digital monitoring
systems show great promise
in the management of OSH,
provided organisations
identify potential negative
impacts on safety and
privacy, and put measures
in place to eliminate
or manage these. The
report includes a useful
summary of how to
adopt digital monitoring
systems, emphasising
worker involvement and
applying the ‘human in
control’ principle. Humans,
not algorithms, remain
responsible for decisions.
To read the original
research, visit
bit.ly/digital-monitoring
IOSH MAGAZINE 11
17/04/2023 10:02
THE KNOW LED G E IN T ERV IEW

hen Jessy Gomes embarked on

W her OSH career at the age of

24, she felt like a fish out of
water. Having moved to the
UK from France, her English was ‘really
poor’, and she joined the construction
sector where ‘the team was mainly made
up of men in their 50s’.
‘It was a really intimidating environment
because there was a disproportionate
number of men. Coming from abroad and
being so young, it was a new world for me,’
she recalls. But determined to succeed and
prove her worth, Jessy persevered and used
the opportunity to her advantage.
‘It pushed my boundaries as a person,
and I became much more confident. This
is important for young people joining the
profession who might think: “I just can’t
do it.” You really have to get stuck into this
type of environment. And because I had the
opportunity to work with people who were
much older than me, I could soak up a lot of
information from them and learn very fast.’

Sense of empowerment
Her experience in a male-dominated
sector helped Jessy to find her voice – not
just as a professional, but as a woman.
‘Sometimes I would feel like I couldn’t say
things: “Do I say that what he did made
me uncomfortable? Should he have been

Brick by
speaking to me in that way?” It can create
a lot of anxiety for women.
‘Now it’s changing, but 10 or more years
ago women may not have had all the tools to
be able to speak up. But now I’m much more
confident when I see things. I intervene
when something is not right.’
It’s a shift Jessy has observed among
other women in the sector. ‘I see
women owning that it’s not acceptable
brick
to be belittled. But it’s more a sense of We speak to Jessy Gomes CMIOSH, technical
empowerment, with various committees safety systems lead at University College London,
supporting women. It’s not about men
versus women – but I think it’s important England, about being a role model for women
that women support each other.’ in OSH.
Reflecting on her own experience of
gaining IOSH chartership, Jessy says many
people – not only women – have helped INTERVIEW HELEN BIRD

12 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

12-13 121_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 12 17/04/2023 10:03


her along the way. But it’s often women
who champion other women to progress
in OSH, she adds, because they are still in
the minority. ‘Unfortunately, the statistics
are there, and even though you don’t want
to pitch men against women, there are not
enough of us at a leadership level.’
The parent trap
The picture is improving slowly, it seems,
but there is still work to do. ‘More needs
to be done for people who choose to have
children. This is crucial, because when you
decide to take the leap and have children
– now I have two – if you don’t have a really
PHOTOG RAPHY: GET TY
supportive manager and co-workers, you
could really end up with mental health
issues from stress and anxiety.’
12-13 121_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 13
BUILDING THE WORKPLACE
OF T HE FUT URE
Jessy shares some
words of wisdom
for making
workplaces
kinder, more
equal and more
ambitious:
• Be empathetic,
listen to people
and be attentive to
behaviour. Sometimes
women watch themselves and
don’t say how they feel in a
professional setting. We need men
to use their emotional intelligence
to gauge if something is not right.
• Kindness is underrated in the
workplace. It can be a cut-throat
environment for women, which
is why so many working mothers
leave and young people don’t
join – they don’t feel welcome.
I was tempted to quit many
times in my early career when
I felt intimidated.
• It’s healthy to reassess what
you want to do in life. I constantly
reinvent myself if I feel I’m being
overlooked or not taken seriously.
There’s no way I could stay in a
job where I’m not valued.
• Everybody’s human in the
workplace. Some people overlook
instincts, but I’m always using my
emotions to feel if I’m in the right
situation. It’s just being human.
• What keeps me going is
always learning and expanding
my network.
Jessy also mentions menopause – ‘some
women are really leading this conversation
and I’m listening and supporting it’ – as
well as chronic conditions that many suffer
from, such as endometriosis. ‘Employers
need to look at all the natural, biological
milestones of women and be able to
accommodate them, because
they doesn’t last forever.’
Another move that employers
could make is reporting the
gender pay gap. ‘Provide your
report, find out the data and
rectify any pay gaps that are
currently in place. This is an
immediate action that employers
could take.
‘Another one is looking at what the
organisation is doing to support women
– and I don’t mean just sending them onto
a leadership programme and then forgetting
about them. It’s about providing them with
ongoing support, coaching, mentoring
and sponsorship.’
Role model
Jessy has used her platform over the years
to advocate for women and young people
in OSH, and her eight-year tenure at IOSH
was no exception. ‘Being a committee
member in my early career helped me to
gain confidence, which meant I was able to
support people when they came to meetings
at the branch. We’d have CPD sessions
supporting anybody wanting to go further
with their career, supporting them in
looking for jobs.’
And this admirable level of dedication
has earned Jessy many accolades, including
being named one of the Top 20 Health
and Safety Influencers 2022 by Safety and
Health Practitioner, as well as winning Best
Woman in Health and Safety at the Women
in Construction and Engineering Awards
2021. What do these wins mean to her?
‘They gave me the desire to do more,
and the confidence to continue using my
voice. It kept me on my toes and reminded
me that this is important, and that people
are listening.’
IOSH MAGAZINE 13
17/04/2023 10:04
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I GET AHEAD
n 2018, the GB Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) commissioned a report
on the effectiveness of mental health first
aid (MHFA) training in the workplace
(HSE, 2018). It found that only a small
number of published occupational studies
had addressed MHFA, and that these had
design and quality limitations.
Among other things, the report found
limited evidence that the content of
MHFA training had been adapted for
workplace circumstances. It did find
consistent evidence that the training
raises employees’ awareness of mental ill
health conditions. However, there
was little evidence that it leads
to sustained improvement in the
ability of those trained to help
colleagues who are experiencing
mental ill health, and there was
no evidence that it improved
organisational management of
mental health in workplaces.
Appointing workplace mental
health first aiders is not a quick-
fix solution for the 914,000
workers who suffer from work-
related stress, depression or
anxiety, as reported in the latest
HSE (2022) statistics – just as
physical first aiders at work do
not prevent work-related injuries,
and spill kits do not prevent spills.
Organisations, of course, should always
seek to prevent issues arising rather
than looking to cure an issue that is
already at large.
Along with asking colleagues ‘How
are you?’ (and then asking again), senior
management should be asking themselves
‘Are we doing enough?’, and then asking the
workforce the same question.
May’s annual Mental Health Awareness
Week is a great initiative if used as a
key platform to review mental health
performance and plan strategies and
objectives, rather than holding one-off
ILLUSTRATION: IKON
events before carrying on as before.
Organisations need to develop robust
and sustained mental health policies and
15 Opinion_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 15
WITH MHFA
Mental health first aid should be part of
a workplace’s strategy, not its mainstay,
David Smith CMIOSH suggests.
There was no
evidence that mental
health first aid
training improved
management of
mental health
initiatives that include MHFA training as
an element but not the be-all and end-all.
Unfortunately, I see a lot of gesturing
within some businesses in response to
stress and mental health. The objective
often appears to be generating evidence
of a work-related stress or mental health
THE KNOW LED G E OP IN ION
commitment to be used in the event of an
external intervention or internal claim. This
is often done by producing a simple, generic
risk assessment that purports to cover the
mental health risk to all employees, without
considering that they are all individuals
with different pressures and perspectives.
A good starting point for businesses that
want to commit to a senior-management-
driven, workforce-focused mental health
policy would be the HSE Talking Toolkit
series, which provides a basis for individual
work-related stress assessments. However,
these businesses must be willing to take a
good hard look at themselves and be open
to change – or even transformation.
Remember that the appointment of
mental health first aiders is a start – it is not
enough on its own. The bottom line is that
companies should ask whether their work-
related mental health or work-related stress
policy is ‘suitable and sufficient’, and then
ask again.
David Smith is chartered in health and
safety and quality management (CMIOSH
and CQP MCQI) and holds a counselling
diploma and teaches MHFA courses.
For relevant findings on the IOSH-funded
MENTOR study on MHFA at work, see
bit.ly/IOSH-MENTOR. For the HSE’s Talking
Toolkit series, visit hse.gov.uk/stress/talking-
toolkit.htm. To view references for this article,
visit ioshmagazine.com/david-smith-mhfa
IOSH MAGAZINE 15
17/04/2023 10:05
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p16.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 16 17/04/2023 17:13


P ASBESTOS:
eople are complacent about
asbestos exposure. Although the
rules and regulations are there,
they’re not always adhered to. It
doesn’t hit straight away so people are very
complacent. It lies in your lungs or in your
body tissues, festering away. There is a long
latency period of 20 to 40 years – in my case
48. So you wake up one day and you can’t
breathe. You’ve got pains in your chest and
seven litres of fluid in your lungs.
I want to keep tradespeople safe. When
they go to a job, sometimes the asbestos
survey isn’t there or isn’t up to date. Even
if the survey is there for them to look at, it
can be locked away somewhere. That’s why
I back the UK National Asbestos Register’s
SMART system, where you will be able to
access all the up-to-date surveys from a
QR code on the front of the building.
Asbestos is so hidden. My son is a fire
alarm engineer, and he has to go down
lift shafts, which probably haven’t been
surveyed. He can’t wait for the SMART
system to be rolled out everywhere. He
sees that I’m trying to keep today’s people
safe because there are regulations in place,
but they should be used properly.
Tackling asbestos is still very much
a man’s world. There
are women working
We just didn’t
with the asbestos and
picking it out. But, for know that
example, there are no
locks on where they
the dust had
go to shower. Colette asbestos fibres in
Willoughby, who is
it that were going
director of Asbestos
Compliance Limited to kill me
and is also on the
British Safety Council, is working hard to
get locks on the decontamination unit.
Immunotherapy has slowed the
growth of my mesothelioma, but it is
growing again very slowly. Decades ago, you
just didn’t know the dangers of asbestos.
I saw the dust. I used to brush it off my
husband Ray and laugh. We just didn’t know
that the dust had asbestos fibres in it that
were going to kill me later down the line.
17 Opinion_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 17
THE KNOW LED G E CA MPA IG N A G A IN ST A SBESTOS
EXPOSING
THE DANGERS
Since exposure left her with
mesothelioma, Mavis Nye has
campaigned hard on the issue.
She tells us about her work and
how women are joining the fight.
INTERVIEW HELEN BIRD
How can the aim to eliminate
asbestos in 40 years happen when
it’s in cement? There are so many old
buildings containing asbestos, but at least
in London they’re rebuilding much of the GUIDANCE
old city – taking out all the old and putting
in the new. That’s one way How to
to solve the problem. stay safe
I tell my story – even
in Parliament as I’m in an
Mavis offers the following
advice to protect yourself
asbestos working group,
so I’m getting it through to
and those in your organisation
from the dangers of asbestos:
the MPs and getting them
involved. I will carry on • Make sure you wear PPE and
and share my journey with respect it – keep it clean and
mesothelioma and stories look after it.
about asbestos. • If you’ve got a beard
I received a British Empire Medal or stubble, shave it.
in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in • Respect the fact that asbestos
kills. Don’t think it’s an old man’s
2021, among other accolades. The
disease – it’s not. We’ve got
awards are nice but they’re not the
people in their 20s and 30s
whole story. I’d rather get on and raise
suffering from mesothelioma,
donations for the charity and help people and more women are suffering
who have mesothelioma. from it now too.
• The rules around asbestos
For more on Mavis Nye’s foundation, are there for a reason, so abide
visit mavisnyefoundation.com by them.
IOSH MAGAZINE 17
17/04/2023 10:06
THE KNOW LED G E DID YOU KNOW?

What you
think!
Key highlights
The results of the 2022-23
IOSH magazine survey are
in. Here’s what you told us.

‘An excellent
tool and good
CPD content’

87%
think IOSH
magazine is

½
use the an important
magazine benefit of their
as their membership
main
source of
health and
safety news

use the
⅔
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website to
keep up to
date with use the
digital issue
health and
safety news

. 5
2 EOPLE
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18 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM relaunch in 2020 than those
who say they are spending less

18-19 Reader survey_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 18 17/04/2023 10:07

 ‘The magazine provides
nice reading material
to help broaden my Key benefits
industry knowledge’

77%
of readers think the
magazine is excellent
or above average

73%
think the page layouts
are eye-catching
9 IN 10
83%
Almost 9 in 10 (87%) think IOSH
magazine is an important benefit
of their membership

More than 4 in 5 say it is THE SUBJECTS Court cases

easy to find the content MEMBERS ARE MOST
they want to read INTERESTED IN:
Skills and
competence

OSH knowledge and

its management
visit the

72%
website at
least once a Professional
month – 41% development
at least once
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Good

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and When
IOSH masked why th
content agazin
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‘The content is now more
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For CP
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) relevant, and it is more
reader-friendly’
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inspirati ness advice,
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18-19 Reader survey_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 19 17/04/2023 10:07

THE KNOW LED G E LEG A L
CA S E LAW
Builder claimed
client was liable for
his accident over
CDM duty failings
Robert Lewin brought a claim against Nicholas Gray
following an incident that left him paraplegic.
elf-employed builder Lewin was
S contracted by the defendant,
Gray, a self-employed farmer,
to undertake work installing
guttering on a barn roof. The roof was
known by both parties to be fragile and, in
January 2018, while working on the roof, the
claimant lost his balance and fell through,
landing on the barn floor and suffering
catastrophic injuries. His legal team claimed
that Gray was liable for negligence, at least in
part, for the accident. And they alleged that
he at least shared liability for the incident
owing to breaches of his duties under the
Occupiers Liability Act 1957.
There are also alleged breaches of
duties owed by the defendant under the
Construction (Design and Management)
Regulations 2015 (CDM Regulations), in
relation to the client’s duty to manage the
project, safe places of construction and
stability of structures.
Evidence provided by both the claimant
and defendant acknowledged that neither
of them had heard about these regulations
before the accident; however, ignorance
is no defence. It was beyond doubt that
neither the claimant nor the defendant
complied with their obligations under these
regulations. The question for the court was
whether the failure of the defendant to
20 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
20-21 Legal_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 20
LEW
IN V
[202 GRAY
3]
comply with his obligations gave rise to
any action by the claimant.
The judge cited section 47 of the Health
and Safety at Work Act and stated that,
on the face of it, a breach of any of the
regulations does not in itself give rise to
a cause of action in damages. Based on
the evidence in the case, the judge ruled
that claims concerning the selection
of a suitable contractor and contractor
supervision weren’t tenable. The claimant
was experienced, had carried out roof work
without incident in the past and knew the
farm from having worked there previously.
In terms of a possible breach of duty
by the defendant under the Occupiers
Liability Act, ‘to take such care as in all the
circumstances of the case is reasonable
to see that the visitor will be reasonably
safe’, it was reasonable for the defendant to
expect that the claimant would appreciate
the risks in his work and guard against
them in performing the guttering work.
This meant the only allegation that could
demonstrate a failure on the defendant’s
behalf concerned the failure to request a
construction phase plan from the claimant.
The defendant was classed as a
commercial client under the CDM
Regulations and as such was obligated to
ensure that the contractor (the claimant)
drew up a construction phase plan before
the work was undertaken. However, as this
was a small project, the scope of the plan
would have been limited.
The claimant argued that had he been
requested to provide a written plan, this
would have caused him to ask the defendant
to make available the Mapro or JCB to be
positioned and used as a safety crash deck,
which would have prevented the accident.
The judge ruled that they did not believe
this would have been the case and stated
that there was no justification for a common
law obligation for the defendant to ensure
that a competent contractor produced a
construction phase plan.
The GB Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) saw no reason to instigate criminal
proceedings against the defendant for any
breach of duty under the CDM Regulations,
so the judge ruled that it would be unfair
and unjust to find civil liability in this case
considering the facts. The claimant had
PHOTOG RAPHY: ALAMY
failed to establish that the defendant was
liable for the consequences of his accident
and consequently the claim failed.
17/04/2023 10:08
 This sponsored content has been provided by
Cedrec Information Systems, available at cedrec.com
NEW L EGI SL ATI ON, GUI DANC E AN D CON SULTAT ION
BUILDINGS
Consultation on
building control
profession and
approved inspectors
The Department for
Levelling Up, Housing and
Communities has published
a consultation on changes
to the building control
profession and the building
control process for approved
inspectors (to be known as
registered building control
approvers). Views are sought
on the detailed requirements
needed to implement
changes brought about by
the Building Safety Act 2022
to establish a regulated
building control profession.
The Building Safety
Regulator will oversee this
profession and there will be
competence requirements
for individual building
control professionals that
will be common for public
sector (local authorities)
and private sector (currently
approved inspectors).
cedr.ec/8t5
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Consultation on
managing radioactive
substances and nuclear
decommissioning
The Department for Energy
Security and Net Zero has
launched a consultation
seeking views on policy
proposals for managing
radioactive substances and
nuclear decommissioning.
20-21 Legal_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 21
It is proposing to update
and consolidate the policies
of the UK government and
devolved administrations
to create a single UK-
wide policy framework
on managing radioactive
substances and nuclear
decommissioning. This will
create consistent policy
objectives across the UK and
will facilitate speedier, cost-
effective decommissioning
and radioactive waste
management, as well as
maintain high standards
of safety, security and
environmental protection.
cedr.ec/8t7
BUILDINGS
New draft higher-
risk buildings
regulations 2023
These draft regulations
are part of the reforms the
government are taking
forward under the Building
Safety Act 2022 and
introduce new requirements
on those responsible for
higher-risk buildings to
provide the Building Safety
Regulator with key building
information. This will enable
the regulator to carry
out an initial triage of the
potential risk levels in the
existing 13,000 higher-risk
residential buildings.
The regulator will require
building assessment
certificate applications as
a priority for the buildings
where, based on the
information provided
and other sources of
intelligence from other
regulators, the regulator
assesses the building’s
potential for a building
safety risk materialising
to be higher than others.
cedr.ec/8t6
RISK MANAGEMENT
HSA publishes
information pack
on managing
workplace hazards
The Health and Safety
Authority in Ireland has
published information sheets
offering practical advice on
managing the most common
workplace hazards and harm
prevention. It gives advice on
carrying out risk assessments
on topics including working
at height/falling objects; slips,
trips and falls; and chemicals.
cedr.ec/8ta
MACHINERY
HSE NI issues
safety alert
The Health and Safety
Executive for Northern
Ireland has issued a safety
alert to raise awareness of
the associated risks from
the use of emery cloth near
rotating machinery. Emery
cloth is often used to polish
or deburr a wide range of
metal components while they
are within the rotating chuck
jaws of a lathe. This can cause
serious accidents when hand-
held cloth becomes entangled
in the rotating parts and can
drag the operator into the
danger zone, causing injuries
or even fatalities.
The safety alert covers
acceptable and unacceptable
methods of use of emery cloth
in machinery and additional
controls that both employers
and operators should adopt.
cedr.ec/8tb
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
EU publishes proposal
on revised exposure
limits for lead
The European Commission
has published a proposal for
a directive that is intended to
amend Directive 98/24/EC on
the protection of the health
and safety of workers from
the risks related to chemical
agents at work. It would also
change Directive 2004/37/EC
on the protection of workers
from the risks related to
exposure to carcinogens or
mutagens at work, regarding
exposure limits to lead and
its compounds.
The proposal is to revise
the existing occupational
exposure limit values for lead
by lowering it to 0.03mg/m3 as
an eight-hour time-weighted
average (TWA), and to
introduce time limit values
for diisocyanates of 6 g/m3 as
an eight-hour TWA or 12 g/m3
for short-term exposure.
cedr.ec/8tc
IOSH MAGAZINE 21
18/04/2023 09:22
THE KNOW LED G E P ROSEC UT ION S
E P I L E P SY
Morrisons fined £3.5m
after death of employee
with epilepsy
Supermarket retailer Morrisons has been
fined £3.5m after it was found guilty of four
health and safety failings following the death
of one of its workers.
The incident
Matthew Gunn died 12 days after falling on
the staff staircase at Morrisons’ Ashchurch
Road store in Tewkesbury in September
2014. Matthew had worked for the company
for 10 years and had suffered from epilepsy
since the age of four.
The 27-year-old was moved to the
grocery department on the ground floor
from the canteen upstairs following an
epileptic seizure.
A week before his fatal fall, Matthew
had suffered a seizure in the warehouse,
and his mother had been called to take him
home. He subsequently suffered what was
described as an ‘absence’ while retrieving
some of his belongings.
On the day of his fall, Matthew was
‘trying to access his locker on the first floor’,
according to the judge. He was discovered
unconscious at the foot of the staff stairs by
two colleagues. The post mortem report
said he died of a traumatic head injury.
The investigation
The inquest heard that a seizure may have
caused the fall, although it was not possible
to determine that with any certainty.
However, the inquest jury’s conclusion
also said: ‘An absence of a structured
process and ownership in relationship to
managing a person with epilepsy, a lack of
communication, no personal risk assessment
22 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
22-25 Prosecutions_May-June 2023_IOSH2.indd 22
or the monitoring thereof, and insufficient
reporting all led to missed opportunities
that may have contributed to Matt’s death.’
Morrisons said that it had measures in
place to record any epileptic episodes in
store, either in the employee’s personnel
file if the episode required first aid
treatment, or in the company’s accident
book and/or reported to the local authority
or GB Health and Safety Executive if the
epileptic event caused an accident or was
RIDDOR reportable.
Prosecution and sentencing
The supermarket chain was charged with
the following three health and safety
breaches, which it denied. These were
failure to:
• Ensure the health and safety of an
employee who had epilepsy
• Carry out a suitable and sufficient
assessment of the risks to the employee
who had epilepsy
• Review risks to which an employee with
epilepsy might be exposed.
Morrisons admitted a fourth charge
of failing to supply Tewkesbury Borough
Council with requested information
relating to the death of the employee.
After a three-week trial at Cirencester
Courthouse, the jury found Morrisons
guilty on all four charges.
The judge said: ‘The jury decided that
using the stairs for the amount of times he
did [at least eight times a day for his breaks
and to access his locker] was a contributory
factor to his death.
‘Morrisons fell short of the standards
expected for somebody suffering from
epilepsy... The company failed to treat
[Matthew] as an individual and make
appropriate changes.’
Council comments
Following sentencing, Peter Tonge,
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s head of
community services, said: ‘This was a
long and difficult investigation... Matthew
was extremely vulnerable to health and
safety risks in his workplace due to his
severe epilepsy.
P HOTOGRAPHY: HS E / S HUTTERSTOCK / ALAMY
‘Despite being aware of the risks,
Morrisons failed to put in place a number
of simple measures which could have kept
Matthew safe at work.’
Find out more at
ioshmagazine.com/morrisons-gunn
18/04/2023 09:24
 T R A N SPORT
SIEMENS TO PAY £1.4M
FOR FATAL CRUSH
What happened
Siemens plc has been fined
£1.4m after a self-employed
contractor died at its Train Care
Facility in White City, London.
Technician Ian Parker was
fatally crushed when a 650kg
traction motor he was preparing
for removal from a Heathrow
Express train fell on him in
June 2017. He died at the scene.
The investigation
Office of Rail and Road (ORR)
investigators found that each
650kg motor was connected to
the train’s bogie frame by four
mounting bolts and mounting
sleeves held them in place.
Two safety plates below the
motor prevented it falling if
the mounting bolts failed.
Training and procedures
In the lead-up to the incident,
the self-employed 58-year-old
22-25 Prosecutions_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 23
removed the mounting bolts,
mounting sleeves and safety
plates before the motor had
been supported by the crane.
He was in an inspection pit
underneath the motor when
it fell.
The investigation determined
that the task was not unusually
specific or complex. However,
it was hazardous work and
required technical skill.
Umar Ali, ORR principal
inspector, told IOSH magazine
the White City depot didn’t
routinely remove traction
motors. The work was normally
undertaken at Siemens’
Northampton site.
‘On this occasion, they
were asked to do the work for
Northampton because they didn’t
have capacity to do it,’ he said.
Read more at ioshmagazine.
com/siemens-parker
IN BRIEF
FUMES
LEV testing firm
held to account
The instincts of an HSE inspector has
led to a local exhaust ventilation (LEV)
company being held to account.
Rose Leese-Weller was inspecting a
laser cutting company when she found
fumes from the process that didn’t seem
to be controlled by the LEV.
The Thorough Examination and Test
(TExT) company it employed – Airtec
Filtration Ltd – said the LEV was working
adequately. However, when Rose
returned to check compliance, the
fumes still weren’t controlled.
She visited other firms that employed
Airtec and found its employees were
not adequately trained. The company
has since stopped carrying out thorough
examination and testing.
ioshmagazine.com/airtec
CONSTRUCTION
Worker suŬered
brain damage in
pump incident
A concrete pumping operator
has been fined £175,000
after a worker suffered
serious head injuries.
An employee of Singh
Will Mix It was cleaning the
pump’s hose after it had been
used to pump concrete for a ground-
floor extension at a domestic property in
Crouch End, London. The pump became
blocked, leading to a sudden release of
pressure, causing the hose to whip and
strike the worker in the head. The pump
operator was not qualified to operate the
machine. He suffered brain trauma and
continues to have difficulties with his
speech, memory and movement.
ioshmagazine.com/concrete-singh
IOSH MAGAZINE 23
17/04/2023 10:10
THE KNOW LED G E P ROSEC UT ION S
LO G I ST I C S
Pallet firm fined
£94k after load fall
In September 2016, Andrew Potts
was working for United Pallet
Network (UPN) at its hub in Lichfield,
Staffordshire, when a lorry carrying four
unsecured pallets of glass arrived. The
pallets fell out of the trailer onto the
58-year-old as he tried to adjust them,
breaking his neck in five places and leaving
him permanently disabled.
GB Health and Safety Executive inspector
Andrew Johnson said the accident was a
‘tragic and entirely avoidable accident’.
‘If your job is to load and unload lorries,
you need to be absolutely sure that what
you are doing is safe. There should be no
ambiguity about how you achieve that: you
should have clear instructions and training
so that you feel confident that, even if there
is a shifted load, you know how to deal with
it,’ he added.
‘The fact that there was a trial-and-error
element to the way UPN staff went about
24 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
22-25 Prosecutions_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 24
CORPORAT E MA N S L A UG HT ER
WASTE FIRM
MUST PAY £700K
OVER DEATH
OF WORKER
WHAT?
A waste firm has been found
guilty of corporate manslaughter
and its director has been
prosecuted following the death
of Yamal Mohamed, who was
fatally injured at a site run by FDS
PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK / ISTOCK
Waste Services in Dorset in 2018.
WHY?
The 39-year-old was working
as a ‘totter’ – pulling out bigger
pieces of waste by hand which
this is very concerning. It has to be crystal
clear what the risk is and what needs to be
done to keep staff safe.
‘More broadly, the lesson to take is:
get the basic and obvious things right
first. If you’re a business that specialises
in something specific, make sure you get
everything to do with that specific element
right first.
‘So think about what it is that you
actually do as a business and the risks in
your business that make you different to
other firms. On this occasion, UPN just
didn’t get the basics right.’
At Stafford Crown Court, more than six
years after the incident occurred, UPN
(UK) pleaded guilty to section 2(1) of the
Health and Safety at Work Act. It was fined
£94,667 and ordered to pay costs of £7590.
To read more, go to
ioshmagazine.com/UPN-johnson
17/04/2023 10:11

might get stuck in machinery. At the
same time, heavy vehicles would
be operating in the yard, pushing
the waste into the shed for sorting.
Yamal was struck by a lorry that was
missing glass from one of its wing
mirrors and the reversing camera
was not switched on. He died at
the scene.
AGGREGATING FACTORS
A second incident just six months
later left an employee with
broken ribs and other injuries
when he became trapped in
a large mechanical conveyor
after climbing in to remove a
blockage. Investigators focused
on allegations that the company
had failed to put in place sufficient
working practices to safeguard
22-25 Prosecutions_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 25
A ROUN D T HE G LOBE
its employees, including failing to
ensure employees were segregated
BAKERY BUSINESS
from moving vehicles during waste CONVICTED OVER
sorting. It was also found that
the company failed to provide its HAND DISFIGUREMENTS
employees with adequate training, A bakery business in West Auckland
monitoring and supervision to that didn’t properly safeguard its
prevent vehicle collisions in the yard. machinery has been sentenced over
two incidents in which workers’
IN COURT hands were disfigured.
Following a four-week trial, the In January 2021, a worker
company was found guilty of at Bakeworks Ltd had four
corporate manslaughter. It was also fingers severed when her hand
convicted of two offences of failing was caught in a seed-grinding
to discharge its duty under the machine – which she had
Health and Safety at Work Act. The never previously used, nor received
company was ordered to pay fines any training on operating.
of £640,000, and costs of £60,000. In June 2021, another worker had her
fingertip sliced off while using a dough-
Find out more at dividing machine. There was no inspection
ioshmagazine.com/fds-waste or maintenance undertaken, and this victim
was also inadequately trained – just like
her colleague.
Bakeworks, which makes gluten-free
products, was fined NZ$36,000 (£18,400)
at Waitakere District Court.
MORE PENALTIES
FOR AMAZON
OVER SAFETY FAILINGS
The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA)
in the US recently inspected
Amazon warehouses in New
York, Colorado and Idaho and
found that workers faced a higher
risk of lower back injuries and other
musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
OSHA said the risk to workers resulted
from frequently lifting heavy packages and
working long hours to fulfil quotas.
The announcement came just weeks
after OSHA said it had fined Amazon about
$60,000 (£49,000) over identical issues at
three other US warehouses.
ioshmagazine.com/amazon-MSDs
IOSH MAGAZINE 25
17/04/2023 10:11
THE KNOW LED G E ON T H E WEB

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ioshmagazine.com/videos/trust

WO M E N I N SAF ETY

In the latest episode of the IOSH magazine

podcast, we spoke to two female members of
IOSH’s Future Leaders Steering Group about
their experience of being a woman in the
safety profession.
We discussed barriers to entering the sector;
operational challenges of being a woman
in OSH, or a woman in a male-dominated
industry (for example PPE, career progression
and challenges women in particular face); and
the benefits of being a woman in safety.

Listen at ioshmagazine.com/
podcast/FL-women-in-safety

26 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

26-27 Wider View_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 26 17/04/2023 10:14

 view
Opinion
S P R I N G BU D GET AND
O C C U PAT I O N AL H EALTH
1 The UK’s Spring Budget
highlighted the need to better
support workers through improved
access to flexible working and
OH services – this now needs
to be translated into urgent and
lasting action through adequate
investment, training and regulation.
ioshmagazine.com/
opinion/spring-budget
M OVE M O RE AS W E
S P R I N G I N TO SUM M ER
2 Jo Frape, OSH content
developer at IOSH, addresses
sedentary lifestyles in her latest
opinion piece. ‘Sitting for long
periods of time can make us feel
sluggish and stiff, causing a loss in
motivation and increasing feelings
of painful joints and muscles,’ she
writes. As we move towards summer,
now is the time to encourage our
workforces to get moving.
ioshmagazine.com/
opinion/move-more
G OV E R N M E N T H AS
M A J O R RE T H INK OVER
R E TA I N E D E U BI L L
3 The UK government has begun
retreating from its Brexit bill
plan to ditch EU laws, according
26-27 Wider View_May-June 2023_IOSH_2.indd 27
to media reports. Given the bill’s
potentially harmful health and
safety impacts, the government
rethink is extremely welcome,
writes Richard Jones CFIOSH.
ioshmagazine.com/opinion/
eu-retained-bill-rethink
I S COM M ON SEN SE
A F L AW ED CON CEPT?
4 ‘The phrase “common sense”
has always been a problem for
me,’ writes Angela Gray, technical
lead at IOSH, in her latest opinion
piece at ioshmagazine.com.
‘What seems outstandingly
obvious to me will not be so
obvious to others. This is
because we have all built up
our “sense” under our own
unique circumstances: our past
experiences, our social and
economic backgrounds, the
skills we have and knowledge
we have developed over time.’
ioshmagazine.com/
opinion/common-sense
I SO 45001 – FIVE YEARS ON
5 The five-year anniversary
of ISO 45001:2018, the
first truly international OSH
management system standard,
is an ideal opportunity to reflect
on its impact and plan for a
climate-affected future.
ioshmagazine.com/
opinion/iso-45001
Webinars
EXPERT AN ALYSIS OF HSE
STATS IN MANUFACTURING
EcoOnline’s in-house experts
reflected on the 2021-22 GB
Health and Safety Executive
2834
registrations
statistics in our recent webinar. We
took a closer look at what the new figures
mean compared with those of previous years.
You can catch up here: ioshmagazine.com/
webinars/hse-stats
HOW TO ACHIEVE A RET URN ON S A F ET Y
IN VEST MEN T TO IN T ERN AL STA KEHO L D ER S
Why watch?
As all safety professionals know, a strong safety
programme is extremely valuable. However, this may
not be so obvious to others within an organisation.
EcoOnline’s team of safety experts spoke with more
than 1300 EHS leaders and gathered some valuable
insights regarding support on new safety initiatives,
the obstacles they faced, and how to overcome
them when presenting their case for the value and
implementation of a strong safety programme.
What will I learn?
Watch this IOSH magazine webinar to gain more
insight and understanding on:
• How to remove initial barriers to success
• Discovering a framework for understanding
the return on safety investment
• How to achieve your EHS objectives
• Tracking the return on safety.
Where to watch
ioshmagazine.com/webinars/ecoonline-ROI
Issue archive
You can access all the previous issues of
IOSH magazine at ioshmagazine.com/issues
Don’t miss out
Sign up to receive our award-winning twice-weekly
eNewsletter at ioshmagazine.com/e-newsletter
IOSH MAGAZINE 27
18/04/2023 09:24
 Training

Ask for IOSH

There’s never been a better time to prioritise safety

and protect your workforce. Join over 70,000 managers
who choose our Managing Safely course every year.

For informative and flexible learning that delivers,

ask for Managing Safely. Ask for IOSH.
BS2042.3/310323/IM

iosh.com/managingsafely

p28.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 28 17/04/2023 17:35


A IOSH has announced
good strategy defines clear
purpose, sets objectives, and
charts paths to achieve these
using resources and influence
to best effect. It serves identified needs,
delivering measurable, meaningful results
over time while leaving room to adapt
to changing situations. It’s a shared and
shareable enterprise.
Activate 2028 has been developed
collaboratively with all this in mind, for
IOSH members, the OSH profession
and the working world. It builds on the
accomplishments and momentum of
IOSH’s previous strategy, WORK 2022, but
will go further to cement IOSH’s role as a
leading authority in global OSH. Above all,
it’s a strategy for everyone and we need to
work together to guide its success.
For you and for us
When IOSH announced our new strategy,
it made clear that together we can all
PHOTOG RAPHY: ISTOCK
play key roles. You are a vital link to the
wider professional community, allied
professionals, and the world of work
29-30 IOSH Strategy_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 29
Activate 2028, our
new five-year strategy.
With members and
volunteers vital to
its success, here’s
how we can all work
together to achieve it.
across sectors, regions and time zones.
Activate 2028 is about how we achieve
and reach our shared goals together. It
reflects how our profession is one of action,
positive energy and a desire to make things
better. It champions you as you work to
enable safe and healthy workplaces, and it
strives to elevate the OSH profession and
its influence.
Your dedication as OSH professionals,
members and volunteers is what gives IOSH
life and makes our Institution relevant and
valuable to workplaces worldwide.
THE KNOW LED G E IOSH ST RAT EGY
Right here, right now
In an ever-changing world that shapes the
work we do, Activate 2028 takes account
of technological innovations that could
realign how people relate to work, the
drive toward a more inclusive, sustainable
and regenerative economy, and a safe and
healthy working environment becoming a
fundamental principle and right at work.
These inform its objectives.
The OSH profession can and should
play an influential part in this. We need to
embrace change proactively and influence
the future of work positively for a more
equitable future.
Activate 2028 shines new light on the
importance of being safe and feeling
safe at work. It promotes dedicating
intent and action to enabling inclusive
workplaces where employees can bring
their whole selves to work without fear
of discrimination or intimidation.
It upholds the highest professional
standards and investments in personal
and collective professional development,
peer support and mentoring, learning,
IOSH MAGAZINE 29
17/04/2023 10:19
THE KNOW LED G E IOSH ST RAT EGY
training and awareness-raising – and
it builds opportunities to improve
OSH capabilities.
Beyond the vital work of preventing
accidents and illnesses caused by work,
OSH professionals have great potential
and capacity to be change enablers,
helping organisations adapt and thrive
in turbulent times.
Making a diŬerence
There’s a lot you can do, practically, to join
us on our journey over the next five years
and commit to the Activate 2028 mission,
which is focused on realising our vision of
a safe and healthy world of work.
First of all, get to know Activate
2028 by visiting iosh.com/strategy.
Watch the short film, read the strategy
narrative, learn about the values for the
OSH profession and the public benefit
statements that explain IOSH’s charitable
objects. Next, begin to explore the many
ways in which IOSH membership and
your professional journey supports the
vision and mission.
If you’re a volunteer…
You’re well placed to facilitate
understanding and coordinate activities
that help wider groups of members
engage with IOSH’s new strategy and
get behind it. A new networks vision
will begin to improve opportunities
for you to do this.
30 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
29-30 IOSH Strategy_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 30
MISSION
It’s
threefold
• We build excellence in
a profession dedicated
to the protection of all
workers, everywhere.
• We drive action from
everyone who can influence
and prioritise OSH standards
around the world.
• We commit to a better future
for all by putting people at the
heart of social sustainability.
You can request a presentation
for your branch, district, section or
group to communicate our vision to
your network members, talk with
your members, and consider how you
advocate for health and safety at
work and everything it represents.
Identify opportunities in your
sector or region for IOSH to build
relationships, and work with your
regional or relationship manager to
develop those. Welcome new people
to virtual or face-to-face meetings and
encourage them to connect with IOSH,
contributing to extending the reach of
IOSH and the profession.
Think about how to promote safety and
health as a career of choice. Use and promote
IOSH Blueprint to support capability and
competence development across your
network. Keep mentoring and supporting
professionals at all stages of their careers.
Pack your next annual programme
with plenty of learning opportunities
for your members. Work with the IOSH
Networks Team to update information and
resources at meetings which refer to our
old vision, and consider other ways you can
champion change.
Unlocking potential
This isn’t just IOSH’s strategy – it’s a
strategy for everyone, and we need to
work together to achieve our shared
vision and objectives.
IOSH will continue to support the
profession through its policy and influence,
advice and guidance, and connected
professional communities worldwide.
The OSH profession can support by:
• Pushing for good practice in all
organisations, standing up, being heard and
making visible the benefits of good OSH
• Continuing to evolve and progress skills
and competencies, celebrating our own
achievements and those of others in
the profession
• Challenging ourselves to identify and
address ways in which our contributions
can support sustainability in the workplace
and promote a more sustainable future
• Connecting with diverse professionals
and creating an environment for greater
equity and inclusion in whichever industry
or organisation we are working in.
Activate 2028 is our strategy. Together
we can all be a key part of launching it
and spreading the word. It’s our call to
action to play our part in reaching our
vision of a safe and healthy world of work.
Our commitments are clear and more
actionable, and we can increase our impacts
advocating for good work everywhere.
17/04/2023 10:19
 Our health,
safety and
wellbeing
services help
organisations
seize new
opportunities
to thrive.
Find out more:
T. +44 (0)20 3510 3510
www.britsafe.org

Registered Charity No. 1097271 and OSHCR No. SC037998. MC231

p31.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 31 17/04/2023 17:20

THE B I G STORY VA LUE OF SA F ET Y

There’s more value in safety interventions

than avoiding accidents, and measuring it is
becoming ever more important – but it’s hard.
We explore why.
WORDS NICK WARBURTON

32 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

32-36 Price on Safety_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 32 17/04/2023 10:23

 B
usinesses that foster a good
safety culture and invest to
prevent injuries and fatalities
are usually rewarded with a
positive return on investment,
reflected in the organisation’s
avoidance of harm and
costly prosecutions.
But there is greater value
to be gained from OSH
investments. A safe working environment
contributes to better mental health and
physical wellbeing, which can mean higher
productivity due to fewer days lost to
PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD G LEE D
sickness or injury, lower staff turnover
– and a better bottom line.
Decision-makers, however, don’t always
make the connection between OSH and
improved business performance because
32-36 Price on Safety_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 33
these greater ‘values’ can be difficult to
measure and quantify.
A project funded by the Lloyd’s Register
Foundation is exploring ways to determine
the ‘Value of Safety’ – including its definition
– with the aim of creating standardised
measurements demonstrating value to
employers and driving return on investment.
Researchers at Delft University of
Technology in the Netherlands assessed ‘the
status and effectiveness of current methods
to value safety’ and explored opportunities
for improvements. Their findings (Yang
et al, 2022) have provided the foundation
for part two of the project, which is being
undertaken by the US National Safety Council
(NSC). The end goal is a ‘modern model’
that ‘standardises safety terminology’ to
encourage ‘better knowledge-sharing and
integration’ (see New valuation of safety and
health on page 34).
As John Dony, senior director of
thought leadership at the NSC, wrote, the
models of safety researchers have used
in the past covered the economic value
of avoiding incidents and quantifying the
‘unquantifiables’, such as productivity,
culture, morale, community engagement
and reputation (Dony, 2022).
IOSH MAGAZINE 33
17/04/2023 10:23
THE B I G STORY VA LUE OF SA F ET Y
F U T U RE VI EW
New valuation
of safety
and health
The US National Safety Council
(NSC) has been collaborating
with others to develop a ‘modern
model’ of OSH that reflects
broader strands of safety value
for part two of the Value of
Safety project.
The NSC’s work aims to close
significant gaps in the way
practitioners, organisations,
researchers and government
bodies understand the value of
safety and create more practical
tools designed to increase the
integration of OSH values into
wider policies.
John Dony, senior director
of thought leadership at the
NSC, writes: ‘The initial results
of this work will be validated
with an expert group of safety
and health leaders and will
lead to a working model of the
New Valuation of Safety and
Health that will be tested in the
field to evaluate its accuracy,
efficacy and utility for assessing
value and identifying areas of
potential change and impact’
(Dony, 2022).
34 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
32-36 Price on Safety_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 34
Reputation
Ethics &
politics
Resilience
Sustainability
Environment
Economics
Health
While these models are important, he
warns they have ‘major gaps’, which have
been further exposed by recent, more
‘mature and nuanced approaches’ to OSH
such as ‘Safety 2.0’ – an approach that seeks
to examine all forms of outcome – and the
growing prominence of environmental,
social and governance (ESG).
‘What the NSC’s work will do is say: “This
is how people should be looking at the value
of safety in the future”,’ says Sarah Cumbers,
evidence and insight director at Lloyd’s
Register Foundation. ‘It will provide toolkits
and guidance to reflect a more holistic
understanding of it across their investments.’
Defining value
One of the challenges posed by the Value
of Safety project is the concept’s abstract
nature, explains Ming Yang, assistant
professor of safety and security science at
Delft University of Technology and one of
the report authors. People have different
opinions about how value is defined, and
attach multiple values to safety.
‘Most industrial practitioners will only
realise safety’s value when an accident
happens,’ he says. ‘This is when they see
the hypothetical benefits [of making
safety investments].’
The hierarchy
of safety values
according to part one
of the 2022 Value of
Safety report
However, as Ming explains, organisations
identify with different types of losses – for
example, economic, environmental, and
reputational – which are associated with
values held by different stakeholders and
decision-makers. These values can also
vary between organisations, sectors and
countries, and can change over time.
Sarah agrees that the value of safety can
reflect people’s different fears, preferences,
and risk perceptions. ‘OSH professionals
know this already. They can’t take a one-
size-fits-all approach to interventions, and
therefore value won’t be one size either,’
she adds. ‘That’s why it is important that
methods are developed to support safety
valuations, because many organisations
are just looking through that very focused
lens of return on investment from a
financial perspective.’
She also says organisations are
underestimating the value that can be gained
by focusing on this area. ‘If you take into
account the more holistic view, and you are
looking at the impact on total worker health
ILLUST RAT ION: ISTOCK
rather than just the physical incidents and
accidents, and you are looking at the impact
on reputation as well, then you can get a lot
more value out of your interventions. You
may find you make a different decision.’
17/04/2023 10:24
 Sarah points to an analysis in the Safety
Perceptions Index 2022 on the perceptions
of mental health in Africa versus more
advanced economies to explain how safety
values can also change (Institute for
Economics and Peace and Lloyd’s Register
Foundation, 2022).
Mental health has become an important
issue in high-income countries, she says.
However, in Africa, although levels of
experience are high, this is not matched
by investment, and business awareness is
likely to be relatively low.
‘It is likely that many businesses in Africa
wouldn’t fully recognise the value of mental
health,’ she says. ‘Yet, would we expect them
to at the moment, or is that something we
would expect to see a change in over the next
few years as attitudes shift, as they have in
Western countries over the past five years?’
As part of its research, the Delft team
developed a hierarchy of values to reflect the
The problem in
the private sector
is that economic
capital is given
too much weight
relative to others
importance of the different values identified
– notably how physical health (rather than
mental health) has gained the most traction
in health values (the most recognised
category), and how social values need to
become part of the ‘discourse around safety
and safety interventions’ (see The hierarchy
of safety values diagram opposite).
A focus on human capital forms part of
social sustainability – which, as IOSH’s Catch
the Wave campaign explains, is increasingly
recognised as forming the backbone of an
organisation’s resilience.
Susan Chilton, professor of economics
at Newcastle University Business School
(NUBS), was part of an academic team
that developed a preference-based
method to determine the monetary value
of risk reductions from making safety
improvements (NUBS, 2022). She refers
to these ‘corporate social responsibility’
benefits as ‘externalities’ and agrees they
can add to the value of safety.
‘They are safety benefits that currently
aren’t being priced,’ she says. ‘If they
were priced, it would fit very well [with
sustainability criteria]. One of them is that
environmental, human and social capital
should be treated equally and given the same
priority. The problem now in the private
sector is that economic capital is given too
much weight relative to others.’

HEALTHY WORKPLACES

A sound return on investment

The Healthy Workplaces
Good Practice Awards
from the European Agency
for Safety and Health
(EU-OSHA) illustrate how
good OSH practices that
value human capital can
produce a positive return
on investment. Verdonk
Broccoli, a family-run
vegetable-growing business
in the Netherlands, was
among the winners
as part of the Healthy
Workplaces Lighten the Load
campaign in 2020-22 (EU-
OSHA, 2022).
The company is a small
operation that has taken a
proactive OSH approach
and demonstrated a return
on investment through its
work with GRASP, part of
the Global Good Agricultural
Practices certification.
Developed specifically
to assess agricultural
operations on how they
manage their employees,
the GRASP risk assessment
system covers employee
health, safety and welfare.
In signing up, Verdonk
Broccoli has committed to
the provision of decent work,
opportunities for quality
training, good housing, and
safe working conditions.
EU-OSHA’s campaign
promotes musculoskeletal
disorder (MSD) prevention
and Verdonk Broccoli has
invested in this at source, so
its four permanent and 35
seasonal workers minimise
the risk of developing MSDs
and reduce physical strain,
notably when stacking
broccoli crates.
To best fill the trucks
transporting the broccoli
during harvest time, high
stacking was required, which
meant the workforce had to
lift the crates above shoulder
height. However, palletisers
purchased in mid-2020
have reduced this physical
strain on employees. There
have been fewer health
complaints and absences,
and the company has
recorded a 30% reduction
in staff turnover.
Although the business
spent nearly €44,000
(£38,800) on the palletisers,
the equipment has resulted
in business efficiencies,
freeing up staff who would
have spent the entire day
stacking. It has also saved
costs on absenteeism,
replacement workers,
possible injury claims and
increases in premiums.

IOSH MAGAZINE 35

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THE B I G STORY VA LUE OF SA F ET Y
There can be a temptation to see
legislation as the main driver for
influencing OSH investments,
particularly in relation to avoiding
fatalities and injuries. But, as the Delft
study illustrates, demonstrating a wider
return on investment arguably offers a
more convincing argument.
Danny Clarke CMIOSH, commercial
director at the National Federation of
Builders, says this makes more sense for
businesses than any legal requirement,
because ‘return on investment’ is a
language that business leaders understand
and aligns better with their objectives.
‘They are not doing the right thing
because there is a document that says: “The
risk assessment says
you do that.” They
do that because it’s Opinions differ
a standard they and
their peers have on how value
adopted,’ he says.
But Sarah believes is defined, and
the two complement
each other well. ‘You
people attach
can use that broader multiple values
valuation of safety to
better achieve what is to safety
set out in legislation,’
she says.
OSH professionals have a critical role
in demonstrating that broader safety
value to the executive board. Danny
says organisations that employ an OSH
professional in a senior management
position are already heading in the right
direction. What the OSH professional needs
to do is engage and influence the senior
management team to demonstrate the
wider value of OSH investment.
IOSH’s competency framework defines
the skills, knowledge and behaviours
needed to influence, such as collaborative
working, communication and culture. ‘The
most important thing is that culture piece
and making sure it is sustainable,’ Danny
says. ‘You can have the best documentation
policies, but if people aren’t reading them,
nor understanding what you are trying to
achieve with them, they are never going
36 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
32-36 Price on Safety_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 36
to follow them. Equally, in other places the
documentation is awful, yet people just do
the right thing. People are a fundamental
part of OSH.’
A new framework
Part one of the Value of Safety project
recommends that employers implement a
value-based safety management framework.
As Ming explains, this comprises four steps
in a safety lifecycle management system:
define the sociotechnical systems; identify
the safety values; measure those values; and
manage them via design and operation.
The framework is an attempt to answer
the question, the safety of what? It looks
at how the value of safety can be measured
given the context and
the stakeholders’
values, Ming says.
‘We have also looked
at how we can invest in
improving the safety
conditions, whether
it is minimising risk,
enhancing reliability,
or enhancing resilience.
‘We have made [the
framework] a cyclical
process, so we can
achieve continuous
quality improvements. It also follows the
plan-do-check-act cycle.’
The NSC will be reporting on the
recommendation in part two.
So how can OSH professionals begin
to measure the real value of safety to
their organisation to make the case for
investment? Danny uses the example of
mental health first aid, which works most
effectively as one strand in a wider strategy.
‘Quoting plan-do-check-act, the entire point
of mental health interventions is to review
and evaluate its effectiveness,’ he says.
‘What we are not so good at is
demonstrating that return on investment
and the value it has brought by looking
at the data we capture.’
He refers to the mental health assessments
businesses undertake and the risk profiles
they develop to understand what controls are
needed. ‘Implementing a rule that says one
in X number of employees has to be a mental
health first aider without a wider strategy of
prevention is nonsense,’ he says.
‘You should be going back to say: “Has it
worked? Is it making a difference on-site?
Are absence rates affected? Have return-to-
work rates been affected? Are we looking
at turnover rates and interview data?
Are we looking at how many employees
and managers are undertaking mental
health training?”
‘If you want to show return on investment,
look at the data you capture.’
To access the references, visit
ioshmagazine.com/value-in-safety
RECOMMEN D AT I O N S
What can OSH
professionals
do next?
The Value of Safety report
recommends practitioners:
Integrate the hierarchy of safety
values into the development
and implementation of safety
interventions to deliver
maximal value.
Ensure social values become part
of the discourse around safety
and safety interventions.
Standardise safety terminology
within organisations and globally
to allow for better knowledge-
sharing and integration.
Implement a value-based
safety management framework
to maximise the impact of
safety interventions.
( Ya n g et a l , 20 22)
17/04/2023 10:25
 “ IOSH membership is not an
honorary title behind our
names.
IOSH keeps reminding us of the need to update periodically. The
new Blueprint system is the feather in the cap. It is the best tool for
benchmarking ourselves as safety professionals and taking measures to
progress in our careers. Most importantly, I love the way the Code of
Conduct is developed. It is not to be learnt but practised to become a
successful human being.”

Anandha Mohan CMIOSH

All our member benefits are designed to

help you learn, develop and achieve.
Together we can make working life better.
BS2042.2/310323/IM

Anandha Mohan CMIOSH

p37.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 37 17/04/2023 17:21

 PRACTICE
EXPLORE SKILLS, IDEAS AND THEORIES
A pragmatic approach to OSH should
use multiple stakeholders and perspectives
to provide practical solutions. So where
does perfectionism fit in?
WORDS ANNA SCOTT
Practice
‘F
rom my experience,
people with a perfectionist
approach are highly
motivated individuals
who always strive for excellence. They
have always been perfectionists, setting
high standards for themselves and
expecting the same from their colleagues,’
says David Cant CFIOSH, founder of
Veritas Consulting, a health and safety
consultancy. ‘However, they soon begin
to feel overwhelmed by the constant
pressure to be perfect. I found they
were spending so much time striving
for perfection that they could not be
productive, and their work was suffering.’
38 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
38-42 Prag v Perf_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 38
For the OSH profession – when
evaluating and managing risks that might
mean the difference between life and
death – striving for excellence could be
considered an absolute necessity.
However, Gerard Hand, founder and
director of training provider and health
and safety consultancy, GPH Safety,
and past president of IOSH, believes
perfectionism is only possible if there is
no human intervention. He says the video
assistant referee (VAR) introduced in
football provides an example of this.
‘VAR was supposed to remove mistakes
but over one weekend, on two separate
occasions, the humans who were
17/04/2023 10:25
 meets operating VAR made mistakes,’ he says.
‘If you can mitigate all your risks through
engineering [humans] out [of processes],
you may have a chance [at perfectionism].
But, like VAR, if at any stage you have to
involve humans, it may not be achievable.’
In health and safety, Gerard says, ‘The
perfectionist approach is always looking
for the perfect solution. This can be very
beneficial from a risk point of view; however,
it can also take more time and effort to
achieve, sometimes leading to frustration.
Pragmatic approaches to OSH, in my
experience, tend to be very much hands-
on and inclusive of the workforce, always
trying to find a practical solution to the
problem while maintaining focus on the
business needs.’
David adds that people taking a pragmatic
approach to OSH can be more efficient.
People with pragmatism adopt a more
practical, real-life approach, focusing on
getting things done rather than making
them perfect, he adds. ‘They could also work
more collaboratively with their colleagues,
as they were not always trying to impose
perfect
IMAGE : ISTOCK
38-42 Prag v Perf_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 39
their perfectionist standards on others.’
But can a pragmatic approach create
safety failings? ‘It could lead to complacency
towards safety, as decision-makers may
become overly focused on quick solutions
and not take the necessary time to consider
all potential risks and hazards,’ David says.
A philosophy, and a trait
Being a pragmatist is at the heart of the OSH
profession, according to Duncan Spencer,
head of advice and practice at IOSH. ‘It is
rooted in the role requirement to deliver
competent judgement. It relates to the need
to apply reasonable foresight and reasonable
practicability. These principles lie at the
heart of the legal system in many countries
– including the UK – and can be tested,’
he says.
With the hindsight following an accident,
people can disagree with the judgements
applied, which can lead to ‘the pursuit of
perfectionism in the hope the likelihood of
being subject to such criticism is reduced,’
he adds. ‘The pursuit of perfectionism can
drive a disproportionate response to risk.’
IOSH MAGAZINE 39
17/04/2023 10:27
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Dr Christopher Davis, thought leadership
manager at IOSH, says we are served better if
we don’t consider the ideas to be two points
on a sliding scale, where perfectionism is
perceived to be a step on from pragmatism.
‘Such a perspective inevitably positions
pragmatism as something “to be settled for”,’
he says.
In addition, perfectionism is not an
‘approach’ in the way pragmatism is.
Pragmatism is a philosophy, according
to Dr Paul Spector, an industrial
and organisational psychologist, but
perfectionism is more of a personality
characteristic. ‘I see them as totally different
things. Some people are very pragmatic –
they’re looking at goals and results, and their
efforts at work are in service of these goals,’
he says.
‘Other people are not so pragmatic, and
maybe they see the world in a broader
sense. Some people are perfectionistic, and
some people are not so perfectionistic. If
you’re a perfectionist, it doesn’t serve the
pragmatic goal very well. The pragmatist is
thinking: “We need a solution – it may not be
perfect, but it’s good enough.” Whereas the
perfectionist may just be spinning wheels
over and over, trying to get it perfect. But
you cannot eliminate 100% of risk.’
Striking a balance
most people it’s not clinical – they just
have a hard time letting go [of a piece of
work] but they eventually do. But sometimes
you get people who are just paralysed by it.’
David says any organisation’s OSH
approach should be tailored to the risk
associated with the work environment.
‘For example, a perfectionist approach
to safety processes and procedures is
essential in high-risk environments such
as construction. On the other hand, a more
pragmatic approach may be appropriate in
low-risk environments, such as an office.
‘Both pragmatism and perfectionism
have their advantages and disadvantages
when it comes to safety outcomes within an
organisation. The best approach is to strike
a balance between the two, using a practical
and flexible approach to quickly address
safety issues while striving for the best
possible outcome.’
How safe is enough?
Where do pragmatism and perfectionism
fit around proportionality, safe systems
of work, standard work approaches and
working effectively?
According to Duncan, proportionality
is a bedfellow of pragmatism. ‘Consider
a warehouse environment where MHE
[mechanised handling equipment] shares
the same areas as pedestrians,’ he says. ‘The
THE PRA CTI C E C ULT URE
PERFORMAN CE
What is
perfectionism?
‘Perfectionism is the tendency to
demand of others or of oneself an
extremely high or even flawless
level of performance, in excess of
what is required by the situation,’
according to the American
Psychological Association’s
Dictionary of Psychology (2023).
The Multidimensional
Perfectionism Scale, a
psychometric tool created
by clinical psychologist Dr
Paul Hewitt and professor
of psychology Dr Gordon L
Flett, measures three types
of perfectionism in people:
1 Self-oriented perfectionism:
high personal standards
and high levels of self-criticism
when expectations are not met.
2 Socially-prescribed
perfectionism: a belief that
others expect perfection and will
be highly critical when perfection
is not reached.

Paul believes perfectionism is driven largely
by insecurity and anxiety about not meeting
high personal standards or the fear they
won’t meet high external standards. Striving
for good work is essential, nevertheless.
‘We need perfectionism in our lives in small
doses,’ he says. ‘I think there’s a balance. You
need to make things as good as you can, but
know when you’re overdoing it.’
And with that can come mental
health issues, anxiety, depression and
stress. ‘In the extreme, perfectionism
can become like compulsiveness, and it
can be driven by anxiety,’ Paul says. ‘For
3
list of possible control actions is almost Other-oriented perfectionism:
endless. But if this is a warehouse that only an expectation that others
has MHE moving in it a handful of times a are perfect and are highly critical
day, and just for a few minutes each time, of them when they fail to meet
then the context supports the conclusion impossibly high expectations
that not every possible control on the list is (Hewitt et al, 1991).
needed. If you have constant pedestrian and
MHE movement sharing the same space
at all times of the day, is the list
long enough? The pragmatist
would give you an answer,
while the perfectionist
would insist on the full
list for both scenarios.’
What is important
to note is that if
impractical controls
are imposed that do
not match the context
of the risk, it can damage

IOSH MAGAZINE 41

38-42 Prag v Perf_May-June 2023_IOSH-V2.indd 41 18/04/2023 09:25

THE PRA CTI C E C ULT URE

PERSPECT IVES

The 4Ps of pragmatism

The book Healing
Psychiatry: Bridging
the Science/Humanism
Divide first put forward
the idea of ‘the 4Ps of
pragmatism’. It suggested
the approach included:
perspectives in the
interpersonal process
of scientific inquiry.
4 The provisional and
flexible character of
scientific explanation.
This philosophy is
applications,’ wrote
Klockner et al in their
2021 paper Pragmatism
as a teaching philosophy
in the safety sciences:
a higher education
pedagogy perspective.
It says: ‘Pragmatism

1 The practical
dimensions of
all scientific inquiry.
not just applicable to
psychiatry but relevant in
other domains (Brendel,
is embedded in the
notion that both multiple
stakeholders and
OSH culture. Duncan adds: ‘In the UK, the
promotion of over-zealous control strategies
has given the OSH profession a poor
2 The pluralistic nature
of the phenomena
studied by science and
2009), including
OSH. ‘Pragmatism is
a logical and valuable
multiple perspectives
are required to solve
practical safety-oriented
reputation in individual organisations, in
the tools that are used to teaching philosophy problems.’ A pragmatic
the press and in society. It undermines the study those phenomena. that centres on linking philosophy sees people

importance of what the profession is trying
to achieve. In my experience, managers and
workers are more inclined to ignore controls
if they are perceived to be over-zealous.’
David adds that a perfectionist approach
can mean the ‘idea of proportionality
is often disregarded, as it focuses on
eliminating all risk rather than balancing
it with practical considerations’. And
Christopher points out that it would be
remiss of OSH professionals – or entirely
unpragmatic – to always expect perfection
from them. ‘In reality, it is reasonable to
argue that workers do not share the same
level of enthusiasm for safety and health
as practitioners themselves,’ he says.
‘The choice facing practitioners is
twofold. They can attempt single-handedly
to manage every single risk in the workplace,
taking any decision-making or autonomy
out of workers’ hands. On the other hand,
they can be pragmatic. In this second
scenario, ongoing participation and
buy-in from workers are necessary. In my
experience, this is unlikely to happen if
expectations are set unfeasibly high.’
Leading the way
Leaders will enable the effectiveness of an
approach and its impact on an organisation,
Gerard says. ‘If a business leader is aligned
more to expecting perfection, then the OSH
professional with the same style will achieve
more positive results. Again, this would
3
The participatory theory, research,
role of many ideas and actions to
individuals with different multidisciplinary practical
be demonstrated in positive statistics.’
Ultimate accountability lies with directors
and, through good governance, they must set
policy and strategy, and satisfy themselves
that the right safety management systems
are in place and properly resourced, Gerard
says. He points out that directors cannot be
everywhere at once and they can achieve
their aims through inspiring others to apply
resources effectively and report when the
goals set cannot be achieved.
‘If, however, the leader is pragmatically
driven, then a perfectionist approach would
normally be challenged and deemed to
be working against the business, and this
could be deemed as less productive for
others. Leadership aligned to the same
way of thinking as their OSH professional
is one of the biggest factors in success for
the organisation,’ Gerard adds.
Paul explains that if leaders expect
perfection, motivation and morale will be
destroyed. ‘If people feel whatever they
do isn’t good enough, they get afraid to do
anything or get to the point where they say
it doesn’t matter.’ David adds: ‘Perfectionist
critically reflecting on
actions and learning
by self-discovery.
leaders can be highly demanding and
critical, leading to high stress and burnout
among employees.’
Ultimately, directors as organisational
leaders are responsible for setting policy
and a strategy for improving performance,
Duncan says. ‘They must ask the right
questions to check that the right safety
management systems are in place and
demonstrably working. How they do this
is about providing resources and inspiring
others to take the necessary actions so their
goals can be achieved. That is leadership.’
This has a positive effect on OSH and, in
turn, the OSH culture reflects the morale of
the workforce. ‘The foundation of decisions
concerning safety management systems
is founded on the pragmatic identification
and control of the organisation’s OSH risk
profile,’ says Duncan. ‘This description is
not about perfectionism. The concept is too
simplistic. It’s about the pieces of the puzzle
fitting neatly together.’
For the references, visit ioshmagazine.
com/pragmatism-perfectionism

42 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

38-42 Prag v Perf_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 42 17/04/2023 10:28

p43.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 43 17/04/2023 17:22
THE PRA CTI C E WORKPLACE VIOLENCE

STRIKING
BACK
Workplace violence and harassment is a global concern.
Sarah Cumbers, director of evidence and insight at London-
based charity Lloyd’s Register Foundation, explores how OSH
professionals can address it.

F
or an OSH professional, implementing
strategies to keep employees safe
can be challenging when risks are
posed by colleagues. Many people are
aware of workplace violence and harassment,
but few understand its scale. Interpreting
patterns and understanding who is most at
risk can be a starting point for prevention.
The Lloyd’s Register Foundation’s World
Risk Poll has provided the first global
and comparable measure of violence and
harassment in the workplace. The poll’s
data can be used to understand trends, as
laid out in our latest report Safe at work?
Global experiences of violence and harassment
(Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF), 2023).
Safe at work?
In the UK, violence and harassment in the
workplace is a problem. According to our
most recent World Risk Poll, more than
a quarter of people (26%) in the UK have
experienced it during their working lifetime
– a rate that is above the global average
of 21% .
This isn’t limited to one-off experiences
either. We also found that of those who
perienced workplace violence
had experienced
arassment, more than half of
and harassment,
spondents (58%) said they had
UK respondents

44 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

44-45 Violence_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 44 17/04/2023 10:32

 experienced it three or more times.
These patterns could signal cases going
unreported or being repeated. Incidences
could even continue after they are reported
if procedures in place are not used to isolate
an issue and resolve it.
Research from the poll can also be
used to identify barriers to reporting
cases. The most common reason for
UK respondents not telling anyone about
their experience, for example, was feeling
it was a waste of time – almost two-thirds
(65%) of respondents said this.
Discrimination and experience
Men are fractionally more likely to
report having experienced violence and
harassment at work at a global level
(22% vs 20% of women). However, the
report demonstrates the most vulnerable
sub-groups are mostly comprised
of women.
For example, women with a tertiary
education were found to be one of the
groups most likely to report experiencing
violence and harassment at work globally,
at 29%. This compares with 15% of women
with primary education globally.
The data suggests a gap between
education levels in terms of the
experience of workplace violence
and harassment, although this may be
slightly exaggerated by those with more
education being empowered to recognise
behaviour as harassment, and report it
as such. OSH professionals can use this
insight to tailor training programmes
for organisations, ensuring all levels
have sufficient understanding of what
constitutes harassment and procedures
to address it.
The report, however, goes further
to demonstrate a trend that could help
delve deeper into who may be most at
risk. In the UK, 29% of people who
experienced any form of discrimination
– including gender, ethnicity or disability
PHOTOG RAPHY: ISTOCK
– said they experienced violence and
harassment at work. This compares with
25% for those who had not experienced
44-45 Violence_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 45
discrimination. This can help direct focus.
Reasons for not reporting cases also differed
between demographics, which provides
useful information when encouraging
people to come forward. For instance,
among the UK’s female respondents, a gap
in knowledge around procedures provides
some explanation for reluctance to come
forward: 40% cited unclear procedures as
one of the reasons to not tell anyone about
their experience.
On a global level, further trends can be
seen between native- and foreign-born
women’s reasons for not reporting. Foreign-
born female respondents who did not tell
anyone about their experience were more
likely to say this was due to ‘not knowing
what to do’ (51% vs 46%) or the ‘procedures
at work being unclear’ (60% vs 41%).
EARLY INTERVENTION
TO ROOT OUT
THE PROBLEM
SHOULD BEGIN TO
REDUCE PATTERNS
OF OFFENDING
However, foreign-born women were much
less worried about being punished, with 27%
stating this was a reason they did not tell
anyone about their experience, compared
with 36% of native-born women.
Actionable steps
Professionals can take steps to increase
awareness around procedures, and make
them clearer for those who use non-native
languages. It may also be necessary to
implement processes to remove fears.
OSH advisers can help increase awareness
through training programmes that look to
tackle these barriers. To tailor this to each
company, inspections and reports must be
able to delve into which of these barriers
are most prominent.
Using the information around the
frequency of experience and how it
affects vulnerable demographics is a key
starting point for understanding risk and
preventing harm. If workplace violence
and harassment in the UK is almost
always a pattern, early intervention that
resolves the issue needs to be instilled into
procedures. Adopting an inclusive, zero-
tolerance approach to investigating cases
will help ensure organisations can do this.
When it comes to training personnel or
carrying out audits, these findings can help
signpost where OSH advisers can be looking
for improvements.
With suitable training, more awareness
around procedures, and consideration of
potential barriers, more can be done to
encourage those experiencing violence
or harassment in the workplace to feel
comfortable reporting it – with confidence
that there will be sufficient consequences
to prevent repeat offending.
Policy-makers have a role to play in
guiding organisations in preventative
measures, but so too do OSH professionals
and HR teams. Early intervention that
explores the case in detail to root out the
problem and hold perpetrators to account
should begin to reduce patterns of offending.
If organisations are seeing through processes
to discover problems and resolve them, then
the reluctance to report experiences should
begin to improve.
Such interventions should raise
awareness of workplace violence and
harassment, the significant harm it causes
to employees, and the economic impact
on employers. The UK’s ratification of
ILO Convention No 190 means there is
further onus on organisations to help end
violence and harassment in the workplace.
OSH professionals will need to ensure
procedures and training for workplaces
act in line with that convention and make
its aspirations a reality.
Visit lrfworldriskpoll.com for more
information. See references for this
article at ioshmagazine.com/world-risk-poll
IOSH MAGAZINE 45
17/04/2023 10:33
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p46.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 46 17/04/2023 17:26

 THE PRA CTI C E C OMMUN ICAT ION
HOW TO
HAVE DIFFICULT
CONVERSATIONS Talking OSH in the workplace can sometimes
mean tackling sensitive subjects. Andy Hooke
CMIOSH, principal H&S consultant at UK
employment law experts, Worknest, explores
ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK

how to have tricky chats.

How to talk • While a formal HR process may

be unavoidable in some situations,
the employee at ease with verbal
and non-verbal cues:
about unsafe organisations should take a look in Use open-palm gestures.
Give them your full attention.
behaviours
the mirror first.
• Allow employees to explain what Maintain eye contact at an
happened through uninterrupted ‘free appropriate level.

T
he aim of this type of
conversation is to understand
why the behaviour occurred.
We need to know how to approach
employees to ensure we can get to
the root of the issue and resolve it.
• Make it clear that the conversation
is about learning and development,
and how the company can grow
its safety culture. It should not be
about apportioning blame or taking
disciplinary action – in my opinion, this
PHOTOG RAPHY: GETT Y
recall’, without you offering opinion.
• Ensure that personal space is
maintained, the location for the
conversation is non-confrontational
and suitable support is offered – this
could include a translator, putting
information into writing or taking other
adaptive measures to put the person
at ease. Should the matter escalate,
you may need to consider offering the
option to have a colleague or union
representative present, but at this
Do not allow the conversation
to become emotive or personal.
Ensure the employee is not
‘cornered’. They should have the
freedom to leave the room without
being obstructed.
• Use open questions – do not make
assumptions or try to answer for them.
• Focus on the solution and aim
to engage the employee with
this where possible. Would their
ideas make things better? I like to

only serves to drive unsafe behaviour stage it’s just an open conversation. approach this kind of conversation
underground and create a reluctance • Difficult conversations can trigger a with the Japanese concept of kaizen
to report accidents or incidents. ‘fight or flight’ response. Be sure to put – continuous improvement – in mind.

IOSH MAGAZINE 47

47-48 Conversations_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 47 17/04/2023 10:58

THE PRA CTI C E C OMMUN ICAT ION
How to talk about
mental health
A
t the end of 2019,
few of us had any
experience of a
pandemic. While mental
wellbeing has always been
important, the past few years of
living through COVID-19 have
certainly cast a spotlight on the
issue. Yet there is still a lack of
understanding and, in some
cases, intolerance of those who
may be suffering.
In 2021, 5583 suicides were
registered in England and Wales
(ONS, 2021). Mental health
can be hard to talk about, but
sometimes being a listening ear
can be the difference between
life and death. One of the things
I most commonly hear when
approaching someone about their
mental health is, ‘I wouldn’t know
how to start.’ You do not need
special training or experience.
There is no skill – it’s just a plain
and simple conversation.
• Red flags to look out for when
identifying potential mental
health issues:
Social withdrawal. You may
notice the person no longer
wanting to attend events or
engage with others, or being
noticeably ‘quiet’.
Work performance. This may
alter with no apparent explanation.
Negative language. We may
see an increase in negativity,
such as comments about feeling
THE KEY IS TO USE OPEN QUESTIONS
TO ENCOURAGE THE PERSON TO
DIVULGE. A SIMPLE ‘HOW ARE
YOU FEELING?’ CAN BE EFFECTIVE
48 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
47-48 Conversations_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 48
that they are not
good enough.
Appetite. An
observable
change, such
as not eating or
excessively eating,
can point to many
issues, some related
to mental health.
Irritability. Intolerance
of others is seen in many
different mental health issues,
but can particularly be a sign
of depression.
Outbursts or mood swings.
A lack of emotional intelligence,
such as saying inappropriate
things or failing to read situations
properly, may indicate a problem.
Body language. Nonverbal
communication is just as
important as verbal. Is the
person avoiding eye contact or
being near people, or are they
displaying signs such as having
their arms folded or making
other defensive gestures?
• Pick a good time to have a
conversation and think about
how you might best approach
it. This could be going for a
coffee, having lunch or speaking
to them via a phone or video
call. Face-to-face is good, but
you don’t have to be in the
same room. Make it informal
and comfortable.
• Think about how you could
How to talk about change
B
e aware that not
everyone will agree
workplace changes are
positive. Understanding different
reactions and talking about
what’s happening in the right
way will help smooth the path to
building a better safety culture.
• Consider the impact on the
workforce as individuals.
• Clear lines of communication
are essential to build trust.
• Make sure employees are kept
informed. An engaged employee
instigate the conversation. The
key is to use open questions to
encourage the person to divulge
any problem. A simple ‘How are
you feeling?’ can be effective,
but there is likely to be initial
reluctance. Expect the stock
answer, ‘Fine, thank you, and how
are you?’ You will often know and
feel something isn’t right. Asking
again in a different way could get
the conversation flowing.
• Be non-judgemental. This can’t
be overstated. Your first thought
may be to respond with your
own opinion on the problem.
While that’s natural, vocalising
it is unlikely to be helpful – and
there’s a good chance it will
make the person close up and
think twice about discussing their
problems with you in the future.
Just offer an empathetic ear.
• Actively listen, rather than
listening to respond. Give the
person your undivided attention
is far more likely to accept and
be positive about the changes.
• Ensure employees have access
to support throughout.
• Have a clear timeline so
employees know what to expect.
Reducing surprises will cut down
the negative responses.
• Remember that employees will
usually go through the stages
of the change curve, detailed by
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in 1969.
These are denial, followed by
a period of anger, exploration
of the new process and finally
acceptance. We need to support
employees through each stage.
without interrupting. Actions
can be louder than words here
– facial expressions and body
language can be a huge barrier
for somebody who is trying to
open up. If I stood with my arms
folded, frowning, would you feel
comfortable talking to me about
something personal?
• Summarise what has been said
to show that you were listening.
• It’s important to remember
that while we are not medical
professionals, we can encourage
people to seek support, whether
from a professional or from
someone close to them. These first
steps can make all the difference.
If a person in the UK is in
crisis and you are worried they
could be a risk to themselves
or others, don’t hesitate to
contact the emergency services,
which can provide the advanced
help needed.
Go to ioshmagazine.com/
diųcult-conversations
17/04/2023 10:37
 IOSH Approved Coaching for safety
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p49.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 49 17/04/2023 17:27

THE PRA CTI C E C LIMAT E C RISIS

O SH A ND
TH E C LIMA TE
C R ISIS

50 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

50-52 Climate v2_May-June 2023_IOSH-V2.indd 50 18/04/2023 09:26

 Rising temperatures mean poorer air quality.
We explore the problem worsening pollution poses
for the OSH profession – and everybody else.
WORDS KATHY OXTOBY
C
limate change is reducing the quality of the
air we breathe, with higher temperatures
leading to an increase in allergens and harmful
air pollutants. For instance, longer warm
seasons can mean longer pollen seasons, which can
increase allergic sensitisations and asthma episodes, thus
diminishing productive work. Higher temperatures can
also lead to an increase in ozone – a harmful air pollutant
(American Public Health Association and Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2016).
Pollution looks set to get worse as temperatures
continue to rise: 2022 was the world’s sixth warmest
year on record (National Centers for Environmental
Information, 2022). Professor Alastair Lewis, professor
of atmospheric chemistry at the University of York in
England, says: ‘In mid-latitude countries in Europe and
North America, hotter, drier conditions are anticipated
during the summer, which can exacerbate air pollution.
There will potentially also be more forest and moorland
fires, which worsen air quality.’
Cost to health
The poor air quality and pollution resulting from climate
change comes at a cost to society, the economy and health.
According to calculations in a report by the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),
air-pollution-related healthcare costs globally are
projected to increase from $21bn in 2015 to $176bn in
2060 (OECD, 2016). By 2060, the annual number of
lost working days is projected to reach 3.7 billion – it’s
currently around 1.2 billion for the world (OECD, 2016).
The most dangerous consequences of outdoor air
pollution are related to the number of premature deaths.
Using a 2019 study, The Lancet Commission on pollution
and health recently reported that, worldwide, pollution
was responsible for approximately nine million premature
deaths per year (Fuller et al, 2022).
P HOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK
Long-term exposure to air pollution not only reduces
life expectancy – mainly due to cardiovascular and
respiratory diseases and lung cancer – but is also linked
50-52 Climate v2_May-June 2023_IOSH-V2.indd 51
to dementia, cognitive decline and early life effects. Many
people will also feel short-term effects due to episodes of
higher levels of air pollution, with effects on lung function,
exacerbation of asthma and increases in respiratory and
cardiovascular hospital admissions (Oliver, 2021).
Exposure to poor air quality and pollution will inevitably
have consequences for people’s health and safety at
work. In its position statement on climate change, IOSH
recognises that OSH professionals ‘will be increasingly
called on to help public policymakers and organisations
tackle work-related health challenges that result from
climate change, such as air pollution’ (IOSH, 2018).
Duty of care
‘Air quality and pollution are very much within the
remit of OSH professionals – we have a duty of care,’
says Dr Haruna Moda CMIOSH, associate professor
in occupational health, safety, and environment at the
University of Doha for Science and Technology in Qatar.
He says the likely increase of pollutants due to climate
change and their direct effect on the health of workers
is ‘very worrying’, and that ‘more attention by OSH
OSH implications
of poor air quality
• Compromises the safety of workers
• Impacts on the productivity of the workforce
• Contributes to staff turnover and absenteeism
• Both exacerbates and contributes to
the development of conditions such as
asthma, COPD, bronchitis and emphysema,
cardiovascular disease and dementia. It also
increases the risk of cancer.
IOSH MAGAZINE 51
18/04/2023 09:26
THE PRA CTI C E C LIMAT E C RISIS
professionals needs to be paid to vulnerable
people in the workplace, such as those with
asthma or heart-related issues’.
Workers in some sectors are particularly
affected by air pollution and rising
temperatures. ‘Any person who is working
outdoors or in a building with lots of natural
ventilation that allows the entry of air
pollutants – in an area with higher levels of
air pollution – could be more at risk,’ says
David Hounsell CMIOSH, senior risk
consultant at Zurich Resilience Solutions.
‘This may include drivers, road workers and
staff at drivethroughs or vehicle garages.’
Some people will be more susceptible
to the effects of air pollution than others.
‘For those with pre-existing conditions, air
pollution is going to have a disproportionately
large effect on their health,’ says Dr Ian
Mudway, a senior lecturer
and member of
the School of Public If we improve the
Health at Imperial
College, London, who has
quality of the air
conducted research into we breathe, then
the impact of air pollution
on human health, everyone benefits
including quantifying the
exposures of professional drivers to diesel
exhaust emissions (Lim et al, 2020).
Whether people work in a dense urban or
rural area will also make a difference to their
level of air pollution exposure, and the risk that
this will contribute to or exacerbate disease.
‘People working in cities are generally exposed
to more sources of pollution,’ says Ian.
Where in the world people work will also
have an impact on the quality of the air they
breathe. ‘In the “global south” – including
Latin America, Asia, Africa and Oceania –
there are densely populated areas where work
takes place in an already polluted outdoor
environment. These workers are more likely
to be exposed to poor air quality than those
in the richer, less densely populated areas of
these countries,’ says Haruna.
Globally, there are numerous guidelines,
standards and legislative levels for air quality to
ensure that not only OSH professionals but all
stakeholders within the business community
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MAY/JUNE
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50-52 Climate v2_May-June 2023_IOSH-V2.indd 52
are meeting their responsibilities in terms of
managing air pollution and climate change.
More safeguards needed
Clearly, as the climate changes, more
safeguards are going to be needed to help
address air pollution. However, as the OECD
points out in the report on its consequences,
there’s ‘no one-size-fits-all recipe’ for reducing
its impact. ‘As both the sources of air pollutant
emissions and the economic consequences of
air pollution are very unequally distributed
across different regions, policies need to be
tailored to specific local circumstances,’ the
report states (OECD, 2016).
To tackle challenges posed by air quality,
OSH practitioners ‘need to understand the
context within which workers are exposed
to airborne hazardous substances and air
pollution,’ says David.
‘If the pollution source
is work-related, then
any exposure is clearly
a workplace health
and safety matter,
and the duty is on the
employer to assess,
manage and control to
the relevant legal standard,’ he says.
Actions OSH practitioners can take
include knowing who their vulnerable
workers are. ‘Pre-employment and ongoing
health surveillance and checks will help
identify people who are more at risk,’ says
David. They should also ‘educate everyone
so that they understand the risks and how
they will be managed and monitored over
time,’ he continues. ‘This will be a dynamic
situation and will need to be reviewed often
at a strategic and operational level.’
It is ‘vital that IOSH practitioners do not
ignore air pollution’, concludes Ian. ‘It matters
to their workforce’s health, and all appropriate
actions must be taken to reduce exposure to it.
‘Ultimately, breathing is the most essential
thing we do. If we improve the quality of the
air that we breathe, then everyone benefits.’
To view the references, visit
ioshmagazine.com/climate-pollution
Plummeting
P lummeting
air
air q
quality
uality
and
and iindoor
ndoor
workers
wo orkers
Worsening air quality is not only an
issue for outdoor workers. Individuals
who are exposed to hot indoor work
environments, such as steel mills,
dry cleaners, manufacturing facilities,
warehouses and other areas that lack
air conditioning, are at risk of climate
change impacts, such as indoor
air pollutants (US Environmental
Protection Agency, 2016). Changes in
the climate can also worsen allergens
and certain outdoor pollutants, which
can then make their way indoors
(Fann et al, 2016).
One of the challenges for OSH
professionals in managing the air
quality of indoor environments is
that ‘it’s very difficult to know exactly
what indoor workers are exposed to,’
says Alastair Lewis. ‘Each workplace
will have a mix of pollutants specific
to their work processes.’
Managing the air quality of indoor
workspaces, therefore, requires ‘a
bespoke approach, with a set of more
tailored responses,’ he advises.
As well as ensuring good
ventilation in indoor workspaces,
OSH practitioners also need to
‘look at the bigger picture by
taking control of pollution sources
within the business, carrying
out audits, evaluating findings
and putting in place corrective
measures,’ says Haruna Moda.
And OSH professionals need to
‘lead the way in getting the message
out there that air pollution has no
boundaries, and that it’s everybody’s
business,’ he concludes.
18/04/2023 09:26
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p53.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 53 17/04/2023 17:28

THE PRA CTI C E CA SE ST UDY
The back health of ground-handling staff at Hamburg Airport
in Germany has dramatically improved following an injury
prevention project. We find out how they did it.
T
he aviation industry
is well known for
its impressive
safety record, but
some workers in the sector
face long-term occupational
health challenges. Baggage
handlers, for example, can
develop musculoskeletal
disorders (MSDs) due to
heavy lifting and working
in cramped conditions in
high numbers.
Social trends are adding
to this problem. Data from
the European Agency for
Safety and Health shows that
MSDs are more prevalent
among older workers
(EU-OSHA, 2019), yet
airports in Germany are
facing the challenge of an
ageing workforce as fewer
younger workers take on
manual handling roles. In
2014, the average age of
manual workers at Hamburg
Airport was 44; in 2024, it
is predicted to be 54. An
54 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
54-56 Case Study_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 54
Pushing back on
MSDs
WORDS MATT LAMY
increasing number of MSD
cases is therefore expected.
To address the problem,
Hamburg Airport,
professional health
management provider
Lifebonus, and three of
Germany’s social security
agencies – including the
German Social Accident
Insurance Institution for
Commercial Transport,
Postal Logistics and
Telecommunication (BG
Verkehr) – collaborated on an
occupational health system
to manage the prevention
and rehabilitation of back
disorders via individualised
advice and worktime
occupational training
and exercise.
We spoke to Dr Nadja
Schilling, BG Verkehr’s head
of research and projects,
and Helge Homann, head of
aviation, about a project that
has quite literally changed
workers’ lives.
17/04/2023 10:52
 The project

‘When an injury has
occurred, it’s too late,’
explains Nadja Schilling
(pictured, below left). ‘Helge
[Homann] (pictured, below
right) and I work specifically
in prevention, where we
also have a role in wellbeing
and trying to prevent
PHOTOGRAPHY: BG VERKEHR
problems, even years later.
That is relevant when it
comes to ground handlers,
who suffer high levels of
back problems. In fact, back
problems account for more
than 20% of sick days.’
The reason Nadja, Helge
and their team offered
expertise for this project
was clear – but the driving
force was Christian Noack,
Hamburg Airport’s CEO of
ground handling. ‘Christian
his employees to include
training and fitness into their
lives,’ says Nadja. ‘He had
provided financial incentives
such as gym memberships,
but it just didn’t work.
‘That is something we see
time and again – incentives
that are well meant but
hardly ever work. One
difference with our project
was Christian realised
something had to be done
that people would accept as
in the short term – it was to make those
changes and optimisations sustainable.
The idea was to create a training centre
for endurance and force training, and a job
simulator for work-related training.’
E xecution
The seeds of the approach had been
sown a couple of years earlier when
Helge encountered professional health
management provider Lifebonus.
‘Lifebonus’s CEO Uwe Sasse ran the
Hamburg Airport gym and was looking
to see if he could be involved in workers’

had tried other ways to get part of their daily activities.’
Objectives
The project was designed to look at two
groups of workers, totalling 850 Hamburg
Airport employees. The first group included
those with a higher risk of developing MSDs,
such as baggage handlers, who work in
constrained spaces and carry heavy loads,
and aeroplane cleaners, who deal with poor
ergonomic positioning and small spaces. The
second group included bus and truck driving
staff, whose sedentary work means their
musculoskeletal system is not challenged.
The aim was to reduce sick days caused
by MSDs among ground-handling staff.
However, there were other more nuanced
objectives, such as making training – both
occupational and exercise – an accepted
part of staff ’s working lives.
‘It’s one thing to practise a certain
movement and do it every day for a while,
but after a couple of months you might fall
back into your old ways,’ says Nadja. ‘To
stick to what you’ve learnt, such as using
your hand to support your upper body when
you pull a suitcase next to you, to get that
into your neuromotor system and have it
as an automation in your system – that’s a
different story. Our goal wasn’t just to help
people optimise the way they did things
health,’ says Helge. ‘He said to me that if
he had some money, he would do certain
things for workers around the airport.
‘I asked my boss if we could support
Lifebonus to create training spots and
develop a job simulator – a mock-up where
staff can practise their daily work. That first
initiative was called “Remember Me, Your
Back” and ran for 18 months.’
This initial focus on back health proved a
success, so in 2016 the decision was taken to
extend the project to more staff. Workers are
given a physical exam and get individualised
advice and training.
‘The package includes regular fitness
training in terms of cardiovascular
and strength training, and then the job
simulator [see Into the simulator, overleaf ]
simulates certain duties so they can, for
instance, practise the proper way to pick
up the luggage and transfer it to the belt,’
says Nadja. ‘The simulator is built so the
most challenging positions and duties can
be replicated and practised. The workers
can be recorded and assessed in a controlled
environment, and given feedback from
the interdisciplinary team, which includes
physiotherapists. Then they can do it again
and get more feedback, and so on. It is like a
long loop of practising proper movement.’
There are two crucial, non-technical
elements in the project’s success. The first is
that training and gym time take place during
working hours, not before or after. Hamburg
Airport has peaks and troughs in busyness,

IOSH MAGAZINE 55

54-56 Case Study_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 55 17/04/2023 10:53

THE PRA CTI C E CA SE ST UDY

so training can be built in as a regular part

of the shift schedule. Staff are further
FAST FACTS

Hamburg
17 M
Number of passengers
65,345
Peak number of daily
passing through each passengers
encouraged to train as individuals and
in team challenges.
Airport year (2019)

Source : Ham burg A i r por t, 2022

In addition to professional experts, staff
have established a system of health coaches
among colleagues to provide peer-to-peer
counselling. ‘Because the health coaches
are on the airport apron, they are able to
offer feedback on what happens not just
in a controlled environment, but also when
on the job,’ says Nadja.
R es u l t s
To assess the project’s impact, the
University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg
was commissioned to produce a report. It
found that, among ground-handling staff,
the airport had seen on average a 40%
reduction in sick days.
‘The report also showed through
kinematic evaluation of the movements
and questionnaires that the changes in
behaviour have been sustainable – they
were still detectable some time later,’ Nadja
says. ‘Staff still went to the fitness training
and the strength training. The longest
T RAI NI NG
Into the simulator
Simulators and aviation
go hand-in-hand – but
rather than multi-million-
pound computerised
equipment, the wooden
boxes in the Hamburg
25 TONS
Average weight TON
moved by a baggage
handler each shift
period we looked at was seven months after
the initial training and they still used those
improved techniques. That is the key factor
– it’s one thing to go to the gym and build up
muscle, but if you don’t use it, you lose it.’
The impact on the business has been
equally impressive. ‘When we started this,
we asked the airport how much a day off for
a regular baggage handler costs the airport:
around €430 (£379). If they have a bad back
and have to stay at home, the employer has
to pay their salary for up to six weeks – that
is thousands of euros,’ Helge says.
The return on investment was estimated
to be an impressive 1:4, which, combined
different
heights of
wooden
boxes, you can replicate it up, and the trainer or
a conveyor belt or a physiotherapist will look
luggage trolley easily. at how they manipulate
14KM
Total length of
conveyor belts
with the positive effect on sick day
prevention, means Hamburg Airport is
happy to continue funding the project. BG
Verkehr ended its direct involvement after
four years, in 2020. By this time the system
had become self-sustaining – one of Nadja
and Helge’s goals at its inception.
Meanwhile, Lifebonus has expanded
from four employees providing health
management to Hamburg Airport staff to
about 100 employees all over Germany
providing the same type of training to
nurses and carers for elderly.
Sum m ary
There have also been personal benefits to
staff that have proved supporting worker
health is, in itself, good business. ‘In
February 2020 we presented our project at
a public event, and we had a worker from
Hamburg Airport who told his own story
about his experience of this training and
what it meant to him,’ Helge says.
‘For him, this project was a new approach,
and it changed his life and his personality.
He began eating better food and doing
more exercise. He had reduced his weight
by almost 40kg (88lb). He showed the 120
people in attendance what this project can
do to workers’ bodies and lives.
‘He explained he was happy he had
P HOTOGRAPHY: LIFEBONUS GE SUNDHEITS MANAG EMENT GMBH

Airport project are
probably the best value
simulators in the industry.
‘Uwe invented the
job simulator and it’s
very simple but very
clever,’ says Helge. ‘The
beauty of it is its modular
element. By using
Then staff can practise
loading and unloading it.
‘You can also use it
to simulate the different
heights of different
planes’ baggage holds.
‘It can be rebuilt very
easily so staff can bring
it into a room and set
the luggage. They can improved his health, but he pointed out
even film their technique he now felt seen by his employer – he felt
and get feedback. motivated and that he had a good employer
‘Then they will because it took care of its staff. At a time
offer their thoughts to when employee retention is important,
improve their technique that’s a great message.’
and reduce the effort
involved, and staff can To view references for this article, visit
practise it again.’ ioshmagazine.com/hamburg-MSDs

56 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

54-56 Case Study_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 56 17/04/2023 10:53

 ioshjobs.com
The official careers site of IOSH
– the home for
health and safety
Connect with qualified OSH professionals
with the best vacancies around the globe.

35,000 registered job seekers

Start your
Hundreds of jobs every month search
today

jobs online.
The official careers site of IOSH
Connect with qualified OSH professionals
with the best vacancies around the globe.

35,000 registered job seekers

Start your
Hundreds of jobs every month search
today

START
YOUR
SEARCH
The official careers site of IOSH
Connect with qualified OSH professionals
with the best vacancies around the globe.

35,000 registered job seekers

Start your
Hundreds of jobs every month search
today

TODAY

Recruit skilled and dedicated safety and

health practitioners from assistant to director
level to fi ll any vacancy, or take the next step
in your own career by posting your CV or
browsing our unrivalled list of vacancies.

The official careers site of IOSH

ioshjobs.com
@ioshjobs

p57.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 57 17/04/2023 17:29


BUSINESS
ELEVATE OSH IN YOUR ORGANISATION
Support
act
As the events industry strives to bounce
back from COVID-19, we look at how it is
tackling a world of new challenges.
WORDS CLAIRE MOULDS
T
he stakes couldn’t be higher for
event safety, as underlined by
the devastating tragedy at the O2
Academy Brixton in December,
where two people – one a member of the
security team working at the venue for the
58 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
58-60 Event Safety_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 58
first time – lost their lives as the result of
a crowd crush.
Managing health and safety for events
calls for a unique skill-set to respond to
the needs of a complex and time-sensitive
industry – where a band and their crew will
be in situ for less than 24 hours, temporary
demountable structures are common and
one-off shows at the same venue will have
completely different risk profiles.
‘To perform health and safety well in this
industry, you need to really understand how
events work – experience is everything,’
says Chris Hannam CMIOSH, senior event
health and safety manager at Stagesafe.
One size doesn’t fit all
‘Every event has its own set of risk factors
and considerations,’ says Eddy Grant
CMIOSH, director of safety at Symphotech.
‘You’re creating a standalone experience
and, for that to be successful, it needs its
own well-researched, properly formulated
and effective safety plan.’
Unfortunately, not everybody operates
to the same high standard. ‘Too many
people rely on generic risk assessments
and blanket health and safety policies,
rather than ones specific to the actual
event,’ adds Roger Sutton, the Musicians’
Union’s health and safety consultant.
Image problem
‘Man with a clipboard’ is an image the
profession is still trying to shake off. ‘We’re
not here to strip the fun and excitement
from live events,’ says Eddy. ‘In fact, if
you bring us on board from the first day of
planning and make us part of the creative
process, we can help you come up with
PHOTOG RAPHY: ISTOCK
imaginative solutions that not only meet
health and safety requirements but which
reflect a performer’s artistic vision.’
17/04/2023 11:01
 ‘If we’re brought in early, we can also
save clients time and money through our
extensive contact list built up over decades
– we know the suppliers to avoid and the
ones that won’t let you down,’ explains
Richard Bate, director of safety and
sustainability at the FIM EBK World Cup
and vice-president of IOSH.
‘It goes beyond who you’re legally
responsible for at an event,’ agrees Eddy.
‘It’s about looking after everybody involved
in making it a success.’
Securing buy-in
But in an industry where margins can be
tight, cost often prevails over establishing
a safety culture.
‘Sadly, “How much for health and safety?”
is something I hear all too often,’ says Chris.
‘There’s no brief or detail on the event
– they simply want a price so they can find
the cheapest consultant.’
Roger adds that ‘there are employers,
producers and venues that set higher
standards, but everywhere else there’s a
constant battle between financial concerns
and health and safety needs’.
A lack of accountability and the ‘here
today, gone tomorrow’ nature of events
doesn’t help. ‘There’s generally poor
enforcement, and that leads into a much
wider discussion regarding financial
support for enforcement authorities,’
says Roger.
In the face of such challenges, building
relationships is key. ‘Stakeholder
engagement and buy-in are fundamental
58-60 Event Safety_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 59
to the process,’ says Eddy. ‘It’s about
changing people’s attitudes and behaviours,
and helping them to see that a well-run,
safe event will make more money.’
‘It’s an ongoing education process,’ adds
Richard. ‘I don’t think events are knowingly
putting people at risk. I think it’s a case of a
lack of knowledge and understanding.’
External challenges
The industry has found itself buffeted in
recent years by the combined effects of
Brexit, COVID-19 and now the challenges
of the current economic climate.
‘Since the pandemic, a lot of people have
left the industry,’ says Chris. ‘There’s a real
The one positive from [post-pandemic
staff shortages] is that employers are
having to pay real money for real skills
shortage of crew, technicians, security and
stewards now.’
Eddy adds: ‘The one positive from this
is that employers are having to pay real
money for real skills. We’re also seeing great
new people coming on board who have
requalified and reskilled.’
‘It wasn’t just staff that festivals were
short of last year either,’ confirms Chris.
‘People were desperate to get back out
there after two years of upheaval, so there
was a huge surge in the number of events.
This contributed to a significant shortage
of equipment, especially portable toilets,
fencing and temporary roadway – all critical
basic infrastructure. We’re hoping this year
will see a return to normal service.’
Of course, COVID-19 hasn’t gone away
and still has implications in terms of
planning. ‘Pre-pandemic, no event had a
viral healthcare policy,’ says Eddy. ‘Now it’s
just another aspect of the risk assessment
and management process. It’s not a key
priority – there are other, much greater
hazards when it comes to events – but
it does need to be both acknowledged
and addressed.’
‘Worryingly, I’ve seen hygiene standards
slipping back to pre-COVID-19 levels of
compliance,’ says Richard. ‘The pandemic
was costly – socially and financially – and
some organisers are cutting back in this
area to save money. Interestingly, I’m
advising on a project in China where
operators are now ignoring the regulations
at a time when infection rates there are
rising exponentially.’
Weather warning
2022 saw the world experience violent
extremes of weather due to climate change.
Widespread heatwaves and the resulting
forest fires, high winds (causing a stage to
collapse at the Medusa Festival in Spain,
IOSH MAGAZINE 59
17/04/2023 11:03
THE B USI NESS EV EN T SA F ET Y
killing one man and injuring many others)
and flooding led to festivals being cancelled
across Europe, Australia and the US.
‘Weather events have always played a
huge role in my planning process, but it’s
imperative now for all organisers to have
procedures in place for extreme weather, as
the issue is only going to grow,’ says Richard.
‘It’s vital these include region-specific
risk registers and a detailed review of the
required regulation in those countries – in
particular, there’s often very specific safety
guidance around temporary structures.’
People first
‘Our workforce are well educated on their
rights and event staff want to know that
they’ll be looked after,’ says Richard. ‘It’s
therefore crucial they’re actively engaged
with health and safety and the steps being
taken to protect them.’
Eddy agrees: ‘It’s as much about briefing
and educating staff properly as putting
the correct welfare measures in place.’
This is especially important for
volunteers, who may be working for free
in return for their ticket and have no
events experience. Support and close
supervision are also key.
One issue that can’t be escaped is the
time pressure associated with live events.
‘If fireworks are planned for midnight, they
have to go off on the dot,’ says Eddy. ‘Teams
are under enormous pressure to deliver,
often over consecutive days, and that does
lead to stress.’
‘It’s a difficult issue to address in a
transient industry, especially when the vast
60 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
58-60 Event Safety_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 60
majority of workers are temporary,’ adds
Richard. ‘Pointing staff in the direction
of apps and YouTube videos for stress is
a sticking plaster, not a solution.’
Fatigue is another serious issue, especially
for multi-day events. ‘When you have people
EVEN T EMISSION S
Going green
As events look to reduce their emissions,
green transport is firmly in the spotlight.
Whether it’s an electric car, e-scooter
or e-cargo bike, the new technology
presents fresh challenges, as well as
environmental benefits.
‘While it’s a very small
risk, plans have to
be put in place for
the electric vehicle
equivalent of a
fire in an internal
combustion engine
– a thermal runaway,’
says Richard (pictured).
‘Crucially, these reactions
are incredibly energetic, generating
a huge amount of heat – enough to
damage concrete – and don’t respond to
traditional firefighting techniques.’
For organisers, this means planning for
a potentially serious fire risk in a crowded
environment. ‘It’s not like a normal fire
– you can’t put a thermal runaway out,’
walking around not knowing what day of the
week it is as they’ve had so little sleep, it’s a
recipe for disaster,’ says Chris.
‘We’re all guilty of being hypocrites and
telling people they can’t work 18-hour
days, seven days a week, but the fact is
that the show must go on,’ says Richard.
‘Our role is to understand the effects of
fatigue and then introduce reasonable
mitigations. One of the most positive
benefits of integrating true sustainability
into event management will be that this
will capture, and hopefully resolve, a lot
of these complex welfare issues.’
‘People are the key to a successful event,’
confirms Eddy. ‘A fantastic customer
experience starts and ends with well-
looked-after, happy staff and it’s our job
to ensure that happens.’
says Richard. ‘The only solution is to take
the vehicle to a remote area where the
fire service can apply water to cool the
battery cell pack until the temperature
returns to ambient local temperature
– this could take up to six hours.’
Organisers aren’t just focusing on
transport on site. The carbon emissions
generated by the events industry in
terms of global travel are also a major
focus. This year will see the launch of
the FIM EBK World Cup, where 10
teams will compete across the
world. Its carbon footprint will
be minimised by ensuring
only essential travel by the
organising team, with most
event operations and services
fulfilled by local businesses.
Richard explains: ‘While this is
just one aspect of the competition’s
sustainability strategy, it’s a critical
one in terms of OSH, given that
different countries have very different
approaches to health and safety. As a
result, outlining the overall approach
PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK
we expect local teams to take, setting
minimum standards and employing key
performance indicators is vital.’
17/04/2023 11:04
p61.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 61 17/04/2023 17:31
THE B USI NESS P P E

PHOTOG RAPHY: S HU TTERSTOCK

62 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

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 FIT FOR
THE FUTURE
COVID-19 thrust PPE into the public spotlight and
brought multiple challenges for wearable protection.
What have been the wider repercussions for the PPE
market – and OSH professionals?
WORDS JAMES HAYES
W
hen the COVID-19 contagion
was at its most virulent, the
degree of public attention
focused on PPE was intense.
While most attention was
on healthcare, interest in PPE
in other occupations also came to the fore,
where protective clothing designed primarily
to safeguard against workplace hazards also
served to block exposure to infection.
At the same time, the heightened demand
created unprecedented commercial
opportunities for incumbent and new PPE
manufacturers and suppliers – demand that
looks set to escalate post-pandemic.
The global PPE market value is now
anticipated to reach $131.2bn by 2030, with a
compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of
6.7% over the forecast period, according to
Grand View Research (2022).
Analysts report that the market
is now being driven by a
confluence of factors, such
as increased spending
on worker safety and
protective products,
coupled with greater
awareness of the
62-64 PPE_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 63
stringency of incoming workplace safety
rules and regulations.
Last resort
There have also been calls for employers to
see PPE as a ‘last resort’ when it comes to
preventing workers from harm in working
environments: they should primarily risk
assess and follow the hierarchy of control to
ensure the most appropriate risk controls
are in place to eliminate or reduce harm and
heighten protection, rather than deem PPE
as their foremost means of risk reduction
(IOSH, 2022).
‘We must remember that PPE has
limitations as a control – it only protects the
wearer, it must be of the right specification,
and it must be maintained and worn
correctly,’ says Duncan Spencer, head of
advice and practice at IOSH. ‘Of course,
there usually are much better controls to
implement, such as eliminating or isolating
the hazard or developing safe systems of
work. In this context PPE should be, where
possible, viewed as a supportive control to
more effective control options.’
As more people have to don more PPE more
often, the issues that brings, especially in the
PPE
spending:
will senior
management
wear it?
‘As OSH professionals are
considering procuring PPE,
they should anticipate all use
scenarios including daily use
and emergency preparedness.
They should also contemplate
factors such as availability,
training, fit testing, shelf life,
storage and maintenance,’ says
Nikki McCullough. ‘Selecting
PPE that is widely available
in large quantities may mean
that it’s easier to procure in an
emergency. And if workers are
trained and fit-tested in widely
available models, there will be
less training and fit testing to
do in an escalating emergency.’
‘It’s important that health
and safety managers identify
PPE that specifically caters to
the task at hand,’ says Alvaro
Vaselli president and CEO
at SKYDEX. ‘With so much
bioengineering data now
available, PPE can be designed
to offer true protection for each
specific situation.’
‘Knowing the options for
different combinations of
PPE to provide the necessary
protection is another way that
OSH professionals can be
prepared,’ says Nikki.
Nikki McCullough Alvaro Vaselli
IOSH MAGAZINE 63
17/04/2023 11:07
THE B USI NESS P P E

PPE compliance: will employees wear it?

Deciding what PPE to
purchase going forward is
one thing; ensuring that the
people it has been bought for
will wear it might present an
additional challenge, suggests
Nikki McCullough.
‘Messaging that the
pandemic is “over” may
make it more challenging for
OSH professionals to secure
budgets for PPE, to have time
allocated for training and fit
testing, and to enforce good
selection and use practices,’
she says.
‘Managing PPE compliance
has always required effort,’
says Stuart Haysman.
‘Depending on the maturity
of a given organisation’s
compliance culture, it may
require significant and
continued focus in four key
areas. To begin with, people
choosing to wear PPE in the
first place, followed by people
wearing PPE correctly – failing
to do so through lack of
knowledge or an attempt to
improve their own comfort.
Third, there is keeping
reusable PPE clean and
effective, and fourth, ensuring
that senior management lead
by example – they often don’t.’
Stuart Haysman Roberta Charlett
However, ‘If anything, as we
enter the post-pandemic era,
maintaining diligence towards
PPE should – in theory, at
least – become slightly easier
for OSH professionals,’ says
Roberta Charlett.

area of ‘wearability’, need to be addressed.
More comfortable equipment made of
high-quality fabric, for instance, is expected
to fuel market expansion – as is demand for
equipment that combines safety with better
aesthetics and technological innovation.
Lessons learned from the pandemic
continue to reverberate in the OSH
profession and beyond.
The COVID-19 crisis reinforced the
critical importance of hygiene in shared
spaces, public and professional, says Roberta
Charlett, head of marketing at Elis UK: ‘While
hygiene precautions had always been a major
forefront consideration in industries such as
food manufacture and production, under the
spotlight of the pandemic it also became a
major concern across wider businesses.’
The rapidity with which this concern
manifested itself revealed lapses in
understanding about what PPE was designed
to do, recalls Stuart Haysman CMIOSH,
director at Haysman Consulting.
‘In the rush to “don a mask”, the important
question of “which mask is right for this
application” was often overlooked,’ Stuart
says. ‘This was not helped by government
guidance changing shape regularly as we
moved through the pandemic. This “lack of
awareness” issue has existed in workplaces
for years, but the pandemic opened the issue
up to the whole of the UK population.’
While much of the R&D that has gone
into PPE improvements was accelerated by
the exigencies of the pandemic, commercial
opportunities arising from heightened
demand also spurred the market, Roberta
says. ‘However, many of the solutions
required to meet the challenges posed by the
pandemic were already on the market.’
Roberta cites the example of NHS trusts
that championed reusable PPE. This
involved a phased roll-out of reusable
isolation gowns developed in conjunction
with NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Unlike many imported disposable
alternatives, these garments are fully fit
for purpose and can be worn/laundered
The range of PPE
is already huge and
can be confusing
up to 75 times without compromising
protection levels.
‘The range of available PPE is already
huge,’ says Stuart. ‘It can be confusing for
the various stakeholders in an organisation
to understand what they need, what offers
the correct protection level, and how it
should be used.
‘I’m always initially suspicious of the
latest PPE trend – does it actually offer a
measurable risk improvement, or is it just an
existing product reworked and modernised?
OSH professionals should be influenced by
hard science, not seductive marketing.’
Smart PPE integrates wearable connected
technology to monitor user behaviour
(including health status) and potentially
hazardous external environments.
Advanced ‘backend’ tech, such as AI and
the Industrial Internet of Things, can
further enhance safety and protection.
The smart answer
General expectations are that these
innovations will assure user confidence
and acceptance, and foster market demand.
‘Smart PPE may bring a lot of benefits,
along with some new factors to be
addressed,’ says Nikki McCullough, vice-
president, global application engineering
and regulatory, 3M Personal Safety
Division. ‘A key requirement of smart
PPE is that the PPE provides the required
protection to the worker and that the
connectivity aspect provides an additional
benefit to the OSH professional and/
or the worker, without itself creating a
distraction or hazard.’
It’s also important to confirm that if
the connected aspect of the product fails,
the item will still provide protection,
Nikki says. Additional considerations for
these types of PPE include ensuring that
facility data privacy policies are in place,
that software can be supported, and that
the workers are comfortable with the
technology – and how to use it.
To view references for this article,
visit ioshmagazine.com/PPE-future

64 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

62-64 PPE_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 64 17/04/2023 11:07

 UNDER THE
SURFACE
OF HEALTH
AND SAFETY
Our new 2023 industry
outlook report has launched.

Protect what matters.

Bringing together the
latest in-depth insight
and industry focus.

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p65.IOSH_MayJun23.indd 65 17/04/2023 17:32

THE B USI NESS A C C ID EN T IN V EST IG AT ION
A
lmost every major accident investigation
cites ‘human error’ as a root cause. What
is happening? Our experience in reviewing
reports reveals that they are often slanted
towards identifying the fact pattern and the
players involved to conclude who made the
mistake. Investigations will often start by looking
at the safety documentation and training provided,
and determine how far short the individuals fell. The
shortfall is then addressed by retraining or discipline
to re-emphasise ‘how things should be done’, assuming
the worker acted in bad faith.
If an organisation wants its incident investigation
process to improve safety performance, there needs to
be a proper understanding of human behaviour – not as
a mechanism for blame, but as a means for reflection.
The easy answer
An accident investigation that finds human error to
be the cause offers the benefit of finality: ‘We have
undertaken an investigation and found the person that
caused the problem.’ Particularly for those in public-
facing industries such as education, health and retail,
Organisations often fall back on citing human error
when things go wrong – but a good investigation will
reveal a more complex answer. Paul Verrico and
Phil Crosbie explain how.
66 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
66-68 Accident investigation_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 66
‘human error’ is a saleable outcome. It can be used to
reassure people the ‘bad apple’ has been identified and
dealt with, and the status quo resumed. For example, a
food manufacturer that recalls a contaminated product
will find it more desirable to blame a rogue employee
than a systemic production issue.
However, an over-reliance on blaming humans
creates other challenges that can be even more
unhealthy for an organisation:
• The blame game. If all investigations set out
to identify the person at fault, it can exacerbate the
often-held view that the process is in place to find
out who to blame. This can drive incident and near-
miss reporting underground, as employees become
reluctant to cause trouble for themselves or others.
• Lack of options. If human error is the
conclusion, potential remedies are severely
restricted. Only two exist: retraining or
discipline. Those involved have often been
working at the organisation for a long time, so
retraining will have little benefit. Discipline is
an option, but no organisation can discipline its
way to a good safety culture.
17/04/2023 11:08

• Preventing progress. A conclusion of ‘human
error’ does not prompt an employer to reflect
on its processes. It presumes the rules and their
implementation were fine, and the individual was
at fault for not abiding by them. Employers in
this position neglect the
opportunity to consider
whether the system A conclusion of
needs reviewing.
But how do we turn
‘human error’
recognition that ‘human does not prompt an
error’ is a poor conclusion
into a better methodology? employer to reflect
Build on the easy answer
on its processes
The work of Danish safety
researcher Jens Rasmussen (1983) offers an
answer that allows organisations to understand
the importance of classifying errors. He refers to
performance modes employees will enter throughout
their working day and beyond:
• Skill-based. This involves a person acting on
PHOTOGRAP HY: ISTOCK
instructions with which they have significant
familiarity. We may think of it as ‘muscle memory’:
we pay little attention to the task, working almost
66-68 Accident investigation_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 67
automatically. Examples include those working on
the same task on a manufacturing production line,
or a pilot flying the same route several times a day.
• Rule-based. In this mode, the rules that apply to a
situation are well understood. However, rather than
automatic application, there needs to be a level of
consideration to identify the relevant actions.
• Knowledge-based. This mode is more likely to arise
in unfamiliar situations where an individual must
apply significant attention to identify the correct
solution. This requires a level
of creative thinking, rather
than instinctive behaviour.
The mode in which an
individual finds themselves
will depend on many factors,
but the most important is
their familiarity with the work
they are performing. Even
complex work can be ‘skill-
based’ if an individual has
so much experience it has become instinct.
Why bother?
Identifying the performance modes involved in an
incident allows us to better understand how to classify
it and then select remedial measures that will address
the root causes.
Rasmussen encourages correlation of performance
modes with three primary types of human error, as
IOSH MAGAZINE 67
17/04/2023 11:09
THE B USI NESS A C C ID EN T IN V EST IG AT ION
captured in safety literature, including
the GB Health and Safety Executive’s
guide to investigating accidents and
incidents, HSG245.
1
Lapses and slips
A lapse could be a missed step in a
well-known sequence, such as failing
to check a meter reading before starting
a machine. A slip is similar but typically
occurs when a person accidentally presses
the wrong button or enters incorrect
information. Lapses and slips are examples
of skill-based failures, typically suffered by
those who are so familiar with a task they
work on instinct and apply little attention.
Sufferers tend to have been distracted, tired
or stressed. Slips or lapses are not caused by
a lack of knowledge.
2
Mistakes
A mistake will occur when an
individual performs a set of actions
they believe to be correct. While there is
no ill intention, the individual lacks the
information to identify the correct course
of action. Mistakes may be ‘rule-based’
(where the individual has applied the wrong
knowledge to a situation) or ‘knowledge-
based’ (where the person has identified a
solution through the process of creative
thinking and application but has come to
the wrong conclusion).
3
Violations
The word ‘violation’ implies
wrongdoing, being defined as
‘an action that breaks or acts against
something, especially a law, agreement,
principle or something that should be
treated with respect’. Yet there are many
types, so we should not automatically
conclude it is the fault of the violator.
Those operating in a skill-based mode
who suffer from lapses will not benefit from
being trained in a process with which they
are fully familiar. Workplaces committed
to ‘getting it right’ need to identify the true
cause. We have seen organisations where
the template response to concerns about
rule adherence is to ask individuals to
undertake training. This is more likely to
68 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
66-68 Accident investigation_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 68
have a negative impact by frustrating the
individual. Where mistakes are identified,
there is a case for re-education. While
the rules are understood, application has
caused difficulty. The role of training or
briefings is greater in such situations and
could rectify a misunderstanding shared
by others. Deliberate violations are the
only examples of human error that would
typically warrant enforcement action.
However, organisations should first explore
whether the violation has been normalised
by the environment and colleagues.
Why, why, why, why, why?
Readers may have used the ‘five whys’
approach, originally developed in Japan
by Sakichi Toyoda for Toyota in the 1930s.
However, it has limitations, including the
When mistakes are
made, thoughtful
organisations
focus on the system
rather than the
frontline worker
idea that all ‘whys’ can lead in a linear way to
one root cause. It ignores the multi-factoral
approach advised in current incident
investigation thinking.
The five whys approach also implies a
level of blame as part of the root-cause
analysis. Such questions tend to generate
answers that suggest wrongdoing. A
better approach may be to consider
‘how’, acknowledging that it is better to
understand how an incident has been
allowed to occur rather than why. This
embodies the UK’s Health and Safety
at Work etc. Act 1974, which requires
employers to take reasonably practicable
steps to protect employees rather than
simply prevent them from coming to harm.
Improving accident investigation
Having worked with clients on their
investigation processes, we have seen
the good and the bad. We recommend you
consider the following:
• Is there an alternative to the ‘five whys’
and does your process assume linearity in
the causal chain?
• Does your approach to investigation
encourage more reflective thinking in
terms of how an accident has been able to
occur, or is it geared towards identifying
the culprit?
• Is the investigation team cognisant
of the different forms of human error
so they can identify performance modes
and appropriate resolutions?
• What is the scope of the investigation,
who is the audience and what is the
organisational appetite for system or
process change?
• How independent is the investigator?
If the incident has serious consequences
for a person or property, have you
appointed someone who will be fearless
in understanding the nuances and who
does not have ‘skin in the game’?
• Has the psychological safety of the
workplace been assessed at the time
of the incident and in the set-up of
interviews? Do people feel supported
to tell their story?
• How should the report be presented? Is
there a format that should be worked to,
beyond an investigation template?
Many workplace dangers are
reasonably foreseeable. When mistakes
are made, thoughtful organisations
focus on the system rather than
the frontline worker, viewing the
employee as the inheritor of a problem
rather than the instigator. Having the
courage to look beyond the convenient
answer of ‘human error’ will allow
an organisation to understand which
barriers and safeguards have failed,
better allowing the duty holder to
prevent a recurrence.
Paul Verrico CMIOSH is head of the
Eversheds Sutherland EHS team.
Phil Crosbie is a principal associate.
To view the reference for this article, visit
ioshmagazine.com/accident-investigation
17/04/2023 11:10

Fear and
online
C
onsidering they barely existed 10
years ago, the rise of the in-house
social media professional has
been phenomenal. With the likes
of Twitter and TikTok now the go-
to platforms for brands eager to
reach the world’s 4.76 billion active social
media users (Meltwater, 2023), the pursuit
of pushing out posts and monitoring
content is now the third most in-demand
marketing position (LinkedIn, 2023).
But for all the buzz this burgeoning
career can provide, there’s a darker side
too. Toxicity in this space – such as trolling,
abusive messaging and cyber bullying
– is at an all-time high. Abusive tweets
increased by 53% the week following Elon
Musk’s takeover of Twitter (Center for
Countering Digital Hate, 2022), and some
say dialogue is urgently overdue about
ILLUSTRATION: S HUT TERSTOCK
what safeguards are needed to ensure
those exposed to it as part of their duties
feel safe.
A study by the University of Arkansas in
the US found adults who use more social
69-70 Social media_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 69
loathing
The rise of social media has bred a new class
of professionals – but with the inherent
harms becoming clearer, how can these
workers be protected from its impact?
WORDS PETER CRUSH
media are significantly
more likely to develop
depression within six
months, regardless
of personality type
(Merrill et al, 2022),
while a study of 5208
people in the American Journal
of Epidemiology found regular use of
Facebook had a negative impact on
an individual’s wellbeing (Shakya and
Christakis, 2017).
No one is safe
‘There is no doubt that those working in
social media view it as an increasingly
negative space,’ says Kirsty Marrins, a
THE B USI NESS SOC IA L MED IA
3 7 31
digital communications consultant
to the charity sector who penned
a wellbeing guide for media
professionals for CharityComms
in 2019. ‘Social media’s ability
to attract negativity about an
organisation’s actions is rife. The
charity Mind found this out when its tweet
featuring #TransMenAreMen produced a
torrent of abuse. What organisations need
to be aware of is that social media staff are
often at the frontline of this.
‘It is extremely damaging to people’s
mental health, and it’s high time this
type of work was considered a risk to
employees’ health – the same as any other.’
No organisation, it seems, is immune
IOSH MAGAZINE 69
17/04/2023 11:14
THE B USI NESS SOC IA L MED IA
from social media abuse. Attacks are
levelled at all organisations, from the
National Trust to even the most innocuous
smaller companies such as OriGym, a
company that provides accreditation
courses for personal trainers. ‘I had TikTok
users personally targeting how I looked in
videos we posted, just because I didn’t have
a “gym body”,’ says social media
manager Joe Malone. ‘It’s hard
not to take this stuff personally
– it can ruin your weekend and
leave you feeling down.’
The typical preventive
health and safety response
is simply to remove potential
risks – including risks relating to
psychosocial health. Kirsty accepts
this is hard in the social media space – the
only way to completely remove risk is
to turn off social media entirely, which
won’t be an option for most firms. Does
this mean exposure to vitriol must simply
come with the territory? On this Kirsty is
clear: ‘Having a “thick skin” or expecting
people to “just get on with it” is no longer
an acceptable response. Organisations
need a proper health and safety policy.’
Complicating matters is the fact that
as well as direct abuse, Kirsty says that
simply monitoring social media exposes
other distressing or upsetting content
– such as the desperate plight of people
in the aftermath of the recent Turkey/
Syria earthquake. ‘When a charity shares
a heartbreaking story, it often encourages
posts of people’s own experiences – so
while it’s not hate, it’s emotional stuff,
which can take a toll on people over time.’
With the role of the OSH professional
focusing ever more on managing
psychosocial harms, how can the mental
health of employees be supported in
these circumstances?
Kirsty says tools exist (such as Sprout
Social) that can create a ‘smart inbox’,
which filters out certain trigger words or
only allows people to read messages from
those who directly get in touch. While it
may mean staff miss out on what’s trending
more widely, it’s a form of protection.
70 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
69-70 Social media_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 70
She adds: ‘Proper training is – on TikTok.’ If hurtful content
needed: resilience training may is posted, he says he is encouraged
not eliminate abusive tweets, but it can arm to share it with managers and talk about it,
people to better deal with them.’ which usually defuses things.
Mary Ogungbeje, research manager While negative social media responses
at IOSH, goes further. ‘When those in can’t always be avoided, if staff are prepared
wider society deliberately seek to upset, for it or can limit their exposure to it,
employers must take it seriously. There’s psychosocial risk can be much reduced.
also an argument for saying that ‘Social media is real time, which means it
if an organisation knows it has can be distressing,’ says Kirsty. ‘Managers
a product or service likely to wouldn’t expose their own staff to the sorts
provoke a backlash, it should of harassment and targeting we see on
fix this before throwing social media, so that’s the way they need to
social media staff into the think about how their social media handlers
lion’s den. This is proactively are feeling week after week. It can be hard
mitigating risks.’ for their mental health, so staff need all the
At OriGym, Joe advises taking support they can get.’
time to have different mitigations for
different platforms. ‘On Instagram you can To see references for this article, visit
block certain words, but not – for instance ioshmagazine.com/social-media
TO P T I P S
How to cope with the
toll of social media
Lydia Benham manages
social media for HR
and employment law
2 No one should put up
with any negative or
threatening behaviour, even
5 We advise not
responding to negative
comments as this could
consultancy Guardian on a social media platform. result in further negative
Support. She offers We have an open-door impacts and become
OSH professionals policy so that any comments an argument. Should a
advice on the policies having a negative impact legitimate complaint or
her organisation uses are raised and discussed. enquiry be raised, this
to reduce the negative is escalated internally to
impact of social media on
employees’ mental health: 3 Timing is limited – no
one is expected to sit
on social media all day as
management who deal
with it.
1 We use trusted social
media sites to ensure
reporting systems are
this can be detrimental to
someone’s mental state. 6 If a particular person
is targeting a user, this
person is reported and
4
available on-site and that We connect with trusted blocked to protect those
the site is monitored. people and partners. on the social media site.
3 1 21
17/04/2023 11:15
 EVIDENCE
E X P LO R E T H E L AT E S T R E S E A R C H
TOPIC: Knowledge management
TITLE: The influence of
knowledge on managing risk
for the success in complex
construction projects: the
IPMA approach
PUBLISHED BY: Sustainability
SUMMARY: This study
demonstrates how managing
organisational knowledge
influences risk management
and the success of businesses
and their projects. A
questionnaire was distributed
among construction
technicians, practitioners
and managers. Almost 400
people responded. The
authors concluded that the
application of International
Project Management
Association (IPMA) proposals
enhances the required
knowledge, leading to
improved completion
and delivery of complex
construction projects in
risky environments.
READ REPORT AT:
bit.ly/SUSTAINABILITY-
knowledge-management
TOPIC: Safety-critical systems
TITLE: The impact of work
demands and operational
tempo on safety culture,
motivation and perceived
performance in safety
ILLUSTRATION: IKON IMAGE S
critical systems
PUBLISHED BY: Safety Science
71 Research roundup_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 71
Safety
critical
We round up some of the latest
research and reports relevant
to OSH professionals.
SUMMARY: This report
looks at the links between
composite work demand
factors and safety
culture, safety motivation
and perceived safety
performance in high reliability
organisations (HROs), in this
case the US Navy. HROs
achieve high levels of safety
performance through cultures
grounded in trust. Safety
motivation and culture can
be eroded by operational
constraints, inadequate
training and demands,
but also mitigated by job
resources such as rest and
preparation. The results
show the additive nature
of demands and resources,
suggesting they can support
or diminish safety motivation
and intent.
READ REPORT AT: bit.ly/
SS-safety-critical-systems
TOPIC: Extended
work availability
TITLE: Make time for
employees to be sustainable:
the roles of temporal
leadership, employee
procrastination, and
organisational time norms
PUBLISHED BY: Sustainability
SUMMARY: How can
managers alleviate
employee extended work
availability (EWA) in the
work environment in
which information and
communications technology
is prevalent? This study
explores the question by
focusing on three time-
related determinants of
employee EWA: temporal
leadership, procrastination
ination
by employees and
organisational time norms.
The findings contribute to a
more comprehensive view of
how managers can alleviate
employee EWA in a workplace
in which mobile phones and
the internet are central.
READ REPORT AT:
bit.ly/SUSTAINABILITY-
alleviating-EWA
TOPIC: Long-term health training
TITLE: Integrating diminished
quality of life with virtual
reality for occupational health
and safety training
PUBLISHED BY: Safety Science
SUMMARY: Long-term health
training is little discussed.
This paper develops a training
method based on integrating
diminished quality of life (DQL)
risk assessment and virtual
reality (VR) with a special
focus on the components of
chronic health. A pilot test
to compare the efficacy of
DQL-VR with traditional safety
training showed DQL-VR has
positive efforts in teaching
hazard identification and risk
perception, especially for long-
term health aspects.
READ REPORT AT:
bit.ly/SS-long-term-health
IOSH MAGAZINE 71
17/04/2023 11:12
THE EV I D ENC E RESEA RC H

Research
insights
We take a look at two recent
papers to see how their
findings can inform OSH.

TITLE language barriers, perceived

cultural differences and
Employers’ resource needs related
experiences with safe to safety. The findings
work integration of also identified gaps in
recent immigrants employer safety practices

and refugees and safety communication

in integrating recent
PUBLICATION immigrants and refugees
Safety Science safely into work.

BACKGROUND/AIMS
The workplace conditions
immigrants and refugees experience
in their first jobs play an important
role in their safe and sustained work
integration in their host countries.
While employers have the primary
responsibility for ensuring the
workplace is safe, little is known
about their experiences in relation
to integrating newcomers into
their workplaces.
METHODS AND FINDINGS
In-depth, semi-structured interviews
were conducted with 35 employer
representatives, 21 service providers
and five other key informants to
understand employers’ experiences
around safe work integration of
newcomer workers. Employers
identified challenges related
to limited OSH knowledge and
awareness of newcomer workers,
CONCLUSIONS
Providing resources to
employers to train newcomer
workers in a way that takes
into account language
barriers and diverse cultural
practices may create safer
workplaces for all workers, but
particularly for those hiring
new immigrants.
RESEARCHER’S TAKEAWAY
‘Our study suggests that, while
employers took their responsibility to
provide health and safety knowledge
to their newcomer workers seriously,
they experienced challenges related to
language barriers, perceived cultural
differences in relation to safety
awareness and safe work practices,
their own capacity and resource
needs related to managing safety. As
immigration levels grow globally, we
encourage collaboration between
policymakers, business associations
and immigrant-serving agencies to
identify employers who may need
support in this area and ensure they
have the knowledge and resources
needed to successfully onboard
newcomers and ensure their health
and safety in their new jobs.’
Basak Yanar, lead author
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE –
IOSH’S TAKE
The case study findings provide some
really useful examples of how the
integration of immigrant workers
into workplaces happens in practice
– and how safety and health features
are complicated in this context. A
key aspect of the paper is around

72 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM

72-73 Deeper dive_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 72 17/04/2023 11:15


the degree to which employers
must respond to, rather than just
recognise, the linguistic and cultural
factors that immigrant workers
may enter the workplace with. The
authors also point to a much broader
issue relating to the fact that,
sometimes, the OSH competence
of newcomer workers is not only
limited by culture and language,
but by the fact that workers may
be completely unfamiliar with the
type of work they’re undertaking.
This underscores the importance
to practitioners of providing early
ILLUSTRATION: IKON IMAG ES
and timely training.
For the full report, go to
bit.ly/SS-employers-experiences
72-73 Deeper dive_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 73
TITLE
Evaluating the
association of wellbeing
strategies on line
manager resilience
PUBLICATION
Occupational Medicine
BACKGROUND/AIMS
Line management tends to
be associated with increased
responsibility and accountability
in the workplace, and can be a
challenging and high-pressure
role. More resilient line managers
are more likely to continue to
perform despite work stressors.
This study aimed to assess
the association of various
coping strategies and resources
on resilience levels among line
managers working within a corporate
office-based environment.
METHOD AND FINDINGS
A questionnaire-based cross-sectional
study was carried out over four
weeks in 2020. The questionnaire
probed demographic factors and the
use of strategies and resources that
may enhance resilience. Resilience
was assessed using the Connor-
Davidson Resilience Scale. The
findings showed that resilience
tended to increase with increasing
years of line management. Exercise
outside of work, hobbies/interests
and socialising were all significant
predictors of resilience.
CONCLUSIONS
The key coping strategies and
resources that had the strongest
association with resilience among
office-based line managers were
those that related to their personal
lives, with exercise being of
particular importance. The study
highlights the importance of
emphasising work/life balance and
lifestyle factors within workplace
manager training and resilience
programmes, as well as in the
occupational health clinic.
Additional support and
health promotion for managers
in their first few years of
management responsibility
may also be beneficial.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE –
IOSH’S TAKE
A key finding of this study is that
personal factors made a greater
contribution to the resilience of line
managers than work-related factors
did. In other words, the particular
lifestyles and demographic
backgrounds of the respondents
predicted their ability to adapt and
respond to adversity at work.
The authors quite rightly
emphasise that this finding should
not undermine the importance of
workplace interventions aimed
at developing resilience in line
managers. Indeed, given their
responsibility for the health and
wellbeing of their teams, resilient
line managers would seem to be a
key priority.
In this respect, even if non-work
factors are the most influential
determinants of resilience, it is vital
that organisations encourage – and
enable – the sorts of lifestyle choices
and work/life balance that help to
develop it.
For the full report, go to
bit.ly/OM-line-manager-resilience
IOSH MAGAZINE 73
17/04/2023 11:16
THE LAST WORD P ROOF P OSIT IV E
How to be
THE BEST
A UK recycling firm that successfully
completed the British Safety Council’s Five
Star Occupational Health and Safety Audit
offers its advice on achieving the top rating.
WORDS SALLY HALES
U
K recycling and waste
management firm FCC
Environment’s five-star
grading in the British
Safety Council’s
Occupational Health
and Safety Audit testifies to its
commitment to continually
improve its management systems.
The achievement, which is reflective
of a best-practice organisation, saw
the Doncaster-based company
undergo a comprehensive evaluation
of its OSH policies, processes
and practices at its Eastcroft Energy
from Waste Plant in Nottingham.
74 MAY/JUNE 2023 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
74 The Last Word_May-June 2023_IOSH.indd 74
From left, FCC
Environment’s Ashley
Corke, Vicky Traves,
Lisa Peck, Jason
Walton and
Thomas Swingle
Paul Stokes, head of safety, health,
environment and quality (SHEQ) at
FCC, said the company had ‘a clear
goal’ to make sure ‘everyone goes
home safe and well at the end of
each and every day’, adding that
the grading ‘demonstrates the
importance the company places
on safety and wellbeing, and that
we have a true safety culture
throughout the organisation’.
The audit measured performance
against key health and safety
management best-practice indicators
and a detailed review of more than
60 component elements.
PAUL’S TOP T IPS
Thoughts for a
five-star rating
1 Have a mature management
system and wellbeing
strategy and stick to them.
A robust audit regime will
confirm that procedures are
being adhered to and that
they are practical and easy
to work with.
2 Don’t be precious. If input into
a procedure comes from an unlikely
source, don’t dismiss it. If it adds benefits
and helps keep people safe in the workplace,
it should be included. It’s not just about
the SHEQ team – it’s about everybody.
Teamwork is very important throughout
the organisational structure.
3
Have the courage of your convictions and
challenge your system. Be critical when
reviewing your procedures. Ask yourself: is it
suitable? Is it sufficient? Can it be made better?
If so, how? It’s all about continual improvement.
4 Manage up and manage down. Get
the commitment from the senior
management team and push the benefits of
having a robust management system (legal,
moral and economic). Also get buy-in from the
workforce by pushing the values of having
suitable and sufficient risk assessments
undertaken by people doing the tasks in the
place where the task is done – and not in an
office many miles away.
5
Engage openly and honestly at all levels.
Don’t be afraid to open yourself up to
criticism with safety climate surveys, safety
representative inspections, hazard and near-
miss reporting, investigation procedures and
review panels. All of these give a business
the opportunity to engage with those
working for the company, and a chance for
views to be aired, feedback to be given and
messages to be reinforced. You must ensure
that health and safety is a before-thought,
not an afterthought.
17/04/2023 11:17
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