What is workplace health and well-being? Why it is so important for a company?

Workplace health and well-being enables each individual reach their full potential in the workplace by ensuring their work ability. It includes both physical and mental health and well-being

It is based on:

· Prevention of illness and disease at work

· Promotion of workplace health activities

· Rehabilitation back to work of individuals who experience illness

Why is workplace health and well being important?

· Work can impact both positively and negatively on health and vice versa

· Work should not cause ill health, either physical or mental

· However, there are as many absence days lost annually due to occupational illness as accidents over past 5 years (CSO)

· Many stay at work while not fully fit, impacting on performance

Why should it be done? To meet under responsibilities under health and safety legislation, Strong business case: Prevent illness, Reduce costs, Healthy, productive, high performing workforce

Costs of illness

· Individual level: suffering, physical and mental pain, loss of earnings, medical costs

· Enterprise level: absence and sick pay, compensation and insurance, loss of production and quality, replacement and recruitment

· Society level: output, social insurance (occupational illness and disability benefit), hospital and medical treatment

Prevention

Managing health and safety to prevent accidents and illness through: Having a competent person, Hazard identification and risk assessment, Implement improvements, Involving employees, Providing information and training, Polices and procedures

Promotion:

Workplace health promotion goes beyond what is required under health and safety legislation. It is the combined efforts of both employer and employees to improve the health and well-being of people at work

Rehabilitation:

Retain people at work, Employee assistance programme , Supports, adjustments, redeployment, Manage absence, Policy and return to work interviews, Reintegration, Early intervention and active case management, Adjustments

Summary

Workplace health and well-being is a good investment with positive outcomes for the employee, employer and society in general.

2. What is HSE Management System?

The means by which an organisation controls risk through the management process

Part of the overall management system that facilities the management of the OH&S risks associated with the business of the organisation. This includes the organisational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing and achieving, reviewing and maintaining the organisation’s OH&S policy”.

Safety Programmes

• Traditional approach is the use of safety programmes.

• Programmes are focused on compliance with standards/regulations

• Programmes do not have strong or any feedback mechanisms

• The performance of a programme is measured using (reactive) indicators such as the number of accidents, injuries etc.

Systems Approach

• Four elements common to general systems theories are input, process, output and feedback.

• Systems are also classed as being either open or closed.

– Open systems interacts with the external environment and is subject to external influences.

– Closed systems do not interact with the environment and so their ability to adapt or respond to changing internal conditions is limited.

Key Elements of a H&S Management System

Policy - Effective health and safety policies set a clear direction for the organisation to follow.

Organising - An effective management structure and arrangements are in place for delivering the policy.

Planning - There is a planned and systematic approach to implementing the health and safety policy through an effective health and safety management system.

Measuring Performance - Performance is measured against agreed standards to reveal when and where improvement is needed.

Auditing and Reviewing of Performance - The organisation learns from all relevant experience and applies the lessons.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 1367