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 Laboratory 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,
Forman and Poole) 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.
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information.
Contact us
+44 (0)203 028 3706 or e-mail cwh@hsl.gsi.gov.uk