Clearview National June 2016 - Issue 175 | Page 18

INDUSTRYNEWS

Supporting sustainable working lives
»»FOSTERING GOOD
working conditions makes good
business sense. If companies
and organisations wish to
avoid problems such as low
productivity, absenteeism, labour
shortages, lack of skilled workers
and not meeting their legal
obligations, then providing good
and healthy workplaces for their
employees is a good place to
start. Employers are likely to see
reductions in staff turnover and
improvements in productivity by
doing so.
The European Agency for
Safety and Health at Work
(EU-OSHA) two-year Healthy
Workplaces Campaigns are
about fostering healthy working
practices and the 2016-17 edition
is no exception. This time, the
focus is all about promoting
sustainable working lives. The aim

is to help everyone, from workers
to managers to employers,
overcome the challenges of an
ageing workforce.

‘providing good and
healthy workplaces
for their employees is
a good place to start’
Europe’s workforce is ageing.
It is estimated that workers aged
55-64 will make up 30 % of
the workforce by 2030 in many
European countries, representing
a major demographic change.
On top of this, official retirement
ages are also rising across Europe,
resulting in longer working
lives.
This means that we will all
most likely be working longer

than previous generations
did. A longer working life
means an increased exposure to
occupational risks, vulnerability
to hazards, and a possible increase
in chronic health problems. How
can these risks be lessened? By
ensuring good OSH practices of
course.
So what can organisations
do to concretely ensure safe
and healthy workplaces for
everyone of working age? Some
successful approaches identified
so far include taking a life-course
approach by tailoring work
to people’s individual needs,
focusing on risk prevention, and
by taking a holistic approach to
OSH management.
Employers can also work to
mainstream good OSH practices
into active ageing policies, create
better coordination between

© EU-OSHA-Michel Wielick

human resources and OSH
departments, and introduce
effective rehabilitation and
return-to-work systems.
The Healthy Workplaces
Campaign E-guide is filled with
examples and links to extra
resources that can help enterprises
manage the safety and health of
workers of all ages, www.healthyworkplaces.eu/en/healthyworkpla ces-all-ages-e-guide
Source: www.healthyworkplaces.eu/en

Boosting its environmental credentials
»»BOND IT HAS TAKEN MAJOR
steps to strengthen the environmental
credentials of its products and its working
practices.
The business, which manufactures
sealants, adhesives, PU foams, waterproofing
compounds and other building chemicals,
has recently installed 542 state-of-the-art
solar panels on the roof of its West Yorkshire
factory.
Combined, the 270-watt, high efficiency
panels are capable of producing 146 kilowatts
of energy. They will be used to meet a
significant proportion of Bond It’s energy

18 » JUN 2016 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M

needs across its head office administration,
warehousing and production operations.
The manufacturer estimates that over the
course of 20 years, the panels will actually
reduce its carbon footprint by an impressive
1,171 tonnes.
Speaking of the investment, which is
valued at over £150,000, Graham Helm,
Operations Director at Bond It, said, “Bond
It is a business that takes its environmental
responsibilities seriously. Reflecting this,
we have for some time performed within
our ISO14001 environmental accreditation
and the installation of the new solar panels

will enhance these aspects and objectives
further.”
He adds, “At a time when climate change
and reducing carbon emissions continue to
top the economic, social and political agenda,
Bond It remains focused on doing just that.
“The reduced environmental impact of
our products and operations also ensures
we are better placed to meet the needs of
customers at a time when many of us are
looking to make more sustainable product
choices.”
www.bond-it.co.uk