Speaking about workers ’ mental health issues , Mike Robinson , the safety council ’ s chief executive , said : “ The Samaritans recently reported that suicide kills six times as many construction workers as accidents do . This is shocking . However , what is even more shocking is that we believe this is an under-estimate . The real number could be ten times higher . “ Mental health issues can be extremely complex and they are very common . It is estimated that each year one in four people in the UK will experience either stress , anxiety or depression . In many cases , the symptoms are mild , often to the point where the person doesn ’ t actually recognise them . However , in extreme cases , these issues can result in someone taking their own life . |
“ The true cost of not managing health conditions , especially ‘ less traditional ’ ones such as musculo-skeletal disorders ( MSDs ) and mental health issues , is becoming increasingly visible . For every one working day lost due to injury , over five days are lost due to health issues . Of the days lost due to poor health , 46 % are stress related and 21 % are MSD related . “ Even more challenging is the fact that some of the less traditional health issues may not be directly linked to the workplace , but may impact the ability of a worker to do their job competently and safely .” The British Safety Council ’ s annual conference provided a platform for sharing evidence , best practice and experience of managing employee health and wellbeing and centred on four main issues : |
1 . Why should health be considered as a key business priority for a company ? Professor Dame Carol Black said : “ Lack of motivation and sub-optimal health causes British workers to work below peak productivity , holding back potential growth . A healthy worker is a safer worker and a more productive worker .” Hugh Robertson , TUC , commented : “ Employers need to make the link between sickness absence and their health management strategies .”
2 . Who should be responsible for company ’ s health and wellbeing ? What is the role of line managers in it ? Professor Dame Carol Black said at the event on 5th October : “ To embed health and wellbeing into the workplace you must start with
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leaders , boards and managers . Then you can provide the fruit and bicycle schemes . They are good to have but if this is all you provide , you ’ re putting a plaster over the cracks .” Professor Stephen Bevan commented : “ Around 30 % of businesses still think health is a personal issue for workers , not employers .”
3 . How can you make workplaces healthier , as well as helping employees to manage their own health throughout their working life ? Hugh Robertson , TUC , said : “ We look at the worker and we see them as being almost the problem . What we should be doing is saying , it ’ s the workplace that ’ s the issue , so how do we change the workplace ?”
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Clare Forshaw , HSL Solutions , commented : “ Young workers need to be educated about the health problems they could develop over their working lives .”
4 . What is the best way of dealing with mental health issues ? Beth Taylor , PwC , said : “ If you can ’ t talk openly about how you are feeling and what ’ s going on in your life , you can have some of the best policies and interventions in the world , but you won ’ t be able to access them or they won ’ t make a blind bit of difference .” Peter Kelly , HSE , commented : “ Most of the interventions and situations you face are not going to cost you £ 100,000 . Having a conversation with your staff today is relatively cheap and they ’ ll come out with suggestions and ideas . So it ’ s about talking to your workers .”
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‘ no-one should be injured or made ill at work ’ |