Here is your February 2010 quarterly update on Occupational Health & Safety Issues

SOH vanilla launches website

SOH vanilla Ltd – Occupational Health & Safety Specialists was launched in September 2007. It has grown to provide efficient and reliable occupational health & safety services to all types of businesses throughout the southwest. Clients have steadily risen and now include: Oberthurc Technologies, Yarlington Housing Group, RH Fibreboard & Containers Ltd, British Association of Counsellors & Psychologists, Pardoes Bevins, AXA PPP Healthcare, Rural Protection Agency, Environment Agency, as well as a number of small and medium size businesses.
The launch of the new website is to provide current and future clients information on the services provided but also an efficient route to communicate queries by the use of an instant contact form. Log on to www.sohvanilla.co.uk for more details.

What is Occupational Health?

Occupational Health is the prevention of work related ill health and the promotion of positive health in the workplace.
Occupational Health Nurses/Advisors focus on the relationship between the employee’s health and the work that they do.

Key Benefits

1. Employers meet legislative requirements.
2. Ensure work is not having an adverse effect on employees health & wellbeing.
3. Ensuring that people are fit to do their job they are employed to do.
4. Detecting adverse health effects at an early stage.
5. Protecting people with disabilities under The Disability Discrimination Act.
6. Providing advice on the management of sickness absence.
7. Reducing costs due to personal injury, accident or illness.

Statutory Health Surveillance

Some health & safety legislation requires employers to conduct statutory health surveillance for their employees. Health surveillance is a systematic process to identify early signs of work related ill health in employees exposed to certain health risks. E.g: Fork Lift Truck Drivers, Control Of Substance Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) and Noise associated roles.
Statutory surveillance could include:

• Simple methods such as looking for skin damage on hands from using certain chemicals or gloves. E.g: Solderers, Food Handlers and Mechanics.
• Technical checks on employees such as hearing, lung function and eye tests. E.g: Fork Lift Truck Drivers.
• More involved medical examinations, E.g: Lead Workers.

SOH vanilla – Occupational Health & Safety Specialists can offer cost effective onsite health surveillance. This will enable employers to meet their legal obligations as well as minimise or prevent compensation claims.