Centre for Workplace Health
Background
The Centre for Workplace Health (CWH) was launched in 2005. This
national centre of excellence builds on an existing tripartite
agreement between the University of Sheffield, the Health and Safety
Executive and the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation
Trust dating back to 1997. The skill mix of the partners
afforded an opportunity to establish a multidisciplinary 'Centre
for Workplace Health'. In doing so, we have moved the emphasis away
from the academic discipline of Occupational Medicine to the
partnership approach for Occupational Health
delivery. The Centre hosts the largest group of
occupational health specialists in the UK delivering high quality research, training and advice.
Since 2015, CWH has a new combined medical team for delivery of
medical resource for HSE and external customers. We strongly
believe that focus on the 'health' in health and safety is
important; to develop solutions to prevent ill health, to keep
people healthy and at work and to sustain regulatory
excellence.
The team carries out a variety of work and works with policy
colleagues on health matters, providing specialist support to
operational colleagues. They liaise with various sectors in HSE,
providing technical expertise. Recent examples include revision of
the approach to the medical examination and assessment of
commercial divers, and new guidance relating to health surveillance
for silica-exposed workers. Staff also coordinate the national
appointed doctor system, a large network of doctors who carry out
medical assessments and examination of workers under certain
regulations, such as lead asbestos and commercial diving.
Respiratory and occupational
health physicians (Professor Fishwick, and Drs Barber and Forman)
offer advice and support to all parts of the organisation, and have
a long-standing track record in applied workplace health research,
teaching and training. Research is carried out to provide simple,
practical workplace-based solutions. We all regard health-based
research as a front-line activity, so that simple practical
solutions can be found for common workplace problems. Recent
examples include research into the causes and prevention of health
problems caused by respirable crystalline silica, foundry work and
wood dust-exposed work.
CWH is a multidisciplinary team providing a health focus and
unique way of working across traditional organisational boundaries
and disciplines. Alongside the medical team, CWH comprises of
HSE staff that include occupational scientists, an occupational
research nurse, epidemiologists, statisticians and support
staff.
Meet the CWH
team
Contact us
+44 (0)203 028 3706 or e-mail cwh@hse.gov.uk
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