Work Place Health: Then & Now

headway re cruitment Workplace Health: Then & Now A lot has changed in the workplace in the 35 years we've been in business. Advances in technology, less male-dominated offices and attitudes towards workplace health have all changed. 1974* Fatal Injuries: 2014/15 652 92 DOWN 86% 1974* Non-Fatal Injuries: 2011/2012** 336,722 77,310 DOWN 77% 1990* Musculoskeletal Disorders: 2014/15 2750 1750 per per 100,000 people 100,000 people DOWN 36% 1990* Stress Related Illnesses: 2014/15 820 1450 per per 100,000 people 100,000 people UP 77% The rise in reported stress-related illnesses is likely due to employee awareness and changing attitudes towards stress. * Earliest available records ** Latest available records Then & Now Workplace health & safety in the 80's would be unrecognisable to today's employees. Here is how far we've come in 35 years. Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Then Now DSE wasn't as big a health issue as it is today. The increased use of DSE brings a new range of risks. Employees are advised to take periodic breaks from using DSE. Regulations regarding DSE didn't come into law until 1992. Employers provide training and information to help employees reduce the risk of prolonged DSE use. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Then Now PPE didn't need to be provided or maintained by employers until 1992 meaning the onus was on employees to secure their own safety. Personal protection is paramount. Equipment is available for nearly every circumstance and body part. Manual Handling Then Now A paper in the early 80's highlighted the link between lifting and injury but it wasn't until 1992 that employees were protected from handling anything that carried a risk of injury. Manual handling is now more prominent in health & safety modules. Employees are more aware of the risks and the proper technique to avoid injury. Lift with the legs! Noise At Work Then Now Until 1989 it wasn't necessary for Employers are now required to assess the level of noise at work and employers to limit the level of noise at work or provide protection to employees. provide protection where the risk can't be eliminated or managed. Attitudes - Mental Health & Stress Then Now In the 80's there was a stigma The stigma has begun to be lifted today. Reports of stress-related illnesses have risen by 77% since 1990, plus more people accept working with colleagues with mental health problems. around reporting mental health and stress related illnesses. Work Life Balance Then Now Employees in the 80's were stuck to the workplace. A work life balance is more important for employees today than health & safety, rated alongside job satisfaction & pay. Technology didn't allow them to work from home and attitudes didn't allow flexible working hours. Employees have the time to relax, aiding their health. Awareness Of Workplace Health & Safety Then Now Employers were required to provide information & training "where reasonably possible" thanks to the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974). Employees are more aware of health & safety legislation through Government campaigns and the introduction of standardised courses. Industries Then Now Manufacturing and an industry based economy plus lower levels of health & safety legislation meant a more hazardous workplace. The UK economy is now 79% service based. Safer workplaces generally and rising levels of employee awareness have resulted in better health at work. In the UK we take work place health and safety very seriously. Make sure your business does. Resources: Kroemer KHE (1983) Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Volume 25, Number 5, October 1983, http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/misc/attitudes.pdf http://www.hse.gov.uk/Statistics/indexhtm http://www.theguardian.com/business/economics-blog/2014/apr/24/uk-economy-seven-things-need-to-know-ons-g7 http://www.theguardian.com/money/2008/may/25/workandcareers.worklifebalance headway https://www.rathbones.com/knowledge-and-insight/safety-first-health-and-safety-1980s http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/timeline/ recruitment http://www.historyofoshorg.uk/brief