Case Studies - Raising the Profile of Occupational Health

HSE has developed strategic programmes of support and intervention work to deliver public service targets for significant reductions in the incidence of occupational illnesses by 2010. Increasing awareness and knowledge of occupational health is an important activity underpinning these programmes.

The Sheffield Occupational Health Development Group (SOHDG) is a partnership between HSE, HSL, the Engineering Employers' Federation,
the University of Sheffield, General Practitioners, Trade Unions, the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, Sheffield City Council and the local National Health Service. These organisations are committed to sharing good practice in occupational health with companies that generally lack the resources to invest in training and services for their staff. To meet this need SOHDG has delivered education, training and information services.

SOHDG organises lunchtime meetings aimed at those with a basic knowledge of occupational health. The meetings include talks and practical demonstrations given by experienced professionals. In the last five years SOHDG has delivered 17 events attended by over 700 people from various companies in the Yorkshire region and other parts of the UK. Topics covered have included respiratory and skin diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, stress and abuse of drugs in the workplace.

The Group also delivers courses that provide in-depth training on topics such as hand arm vibration syndrome, skin and respiratory disease and musculoskeletal damage. These courses all carry Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, a vital ingredient for professionals seeking to maintain their accreditation.

Articles about occupational illnesses and the value of health surveillance are published in a quarterly newsletter which also advertises the network meetings and training events. The Group's website (www.healthyworkmatters.org.uk) contains similar information along with hyperlinks to other occupational health support groupsand electronic copies of the newsletters. It is visited by over 2,000 people each month and has raised the group's profile worldwide. The website is regularly updated to ensure it meets the needs of employers, employees and health and safety representatives in small to medium sized companies.

Feedback questionnaires are circulated following each training event to evaluate the services provided by SOHDG. Larger surveys of around 1,000 businesses in the Yorkshire and Humberside region have also been conducted. The responses demonstrate that SOHDG activities are meeting the needs of companies in this region, but also identify a growing demand for advice and training about occupational health.

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