How to ensure you have an early warning system to avoid employee illness.
Every workplace environment has its own health and safety risks and it’s a legal requirement for these to be assessed and put into place in businesses where employees can be at risk from noise, vibration, or hazardous substances. It’s imperative that employees aren’t negatively impacted by their working environment.
Health issues such as tinnitus can occur through working environments and a lack of protection for employees. Tinnitus is a very common condition, and whilst most people can deal with milder symptoms, for those with more significant symptoms it can be a devastating condition. Tinnitus is described as:
‘Tinnitus is unique to the person experiencing it. But ultimately it is the sensation of hearing a sound when there is no external source for that sound. Someone with tinnitus may hear ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling or other noises. Tinnitus can be there all the time or come and go. The volume of someone’s tinnitus can vary from one episode to the next’.
Angela Evans, Head of Occupational Health Operations at UKIM, says:
“Sometimes symptoms can occur without any cause, but there are things which increase the risk of developing symptoms, including diabetes, thyroid disorders, and multiple sclerosis. However, the condition can also be linked to work related noise associated hearing loss, which is why protecting your workers hearing whilst in work is so important.
Under the Control of Noise at Work regulations (2005), employers have a duty to protect workers and reduce their risk from noise exposure. UKIM can help employers identify if they have a risk from noise exposure and implement health surveillance programmes to meet legislative requirements and protect your workforce. In addition, psychological support is available for workers suffering from the condition.”
At UKIM Occupational Health & Wellbeing, we identify health and safety risks, as well as providing the correct support and solutions so that staff can be comfortable, happy, and healthy at work. All staff must be consulted before the health surveillance or case management has been introduced, so that there’s open dialogue and so the staff feel safe and comfortable. It’s imperative that trust has been established during the process.
Our Health Surveillance services helps combat the following Health & Safety risks:
- Fitness for work assessments
- Blood pressure
- Musculoskeletal (MSK) problems
- Audiometry (hearing range and sensitivity)
- Lung function
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Hip/weight ratio and/or BMI (Body Mass Index)
- Urinalysis
- Cholesterol
- Exposure to vibration
