As a business owner, you’re responsible for the health and safety of everyone in your employment. It’s your responsibility to minimise hazards as much as possible and failing to do so can put you in breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and a vital component of that legislation is in regards to screen equipment. It’s vital that you’re able to meet the requirements of the Health and Safety (display screen equipment) Regulations 1992, and in order to ensure that you need to undertake regular workstation assessments for total peace of mind.
This kind of workplace assessment will help ensure the workstation is set up in a safe and effective manner, reducing any possible discomfort and helping to prevent avoidable injuries. It can identify any areas of improvement whilst giving your employees the knowledge they need to arrange their workstation effectively, covering everything from the correct way to angle the screen to proper seating position for maximum comfort. Workstation assessments can offer huge benefits to your company by increasing productivity and motivation, reducing the incidence of staff sickness and ultimately ensuring you’ve got a happy and contented workforce, so the importance of such an assessment should never be underestimated.
If you’re looking for someone to carry out a workplace assessment of this kind, you’ve come to the right place. Our expert occupational health advisors will be able to offer all the help and support necessary, ensuring you’re meeting your legal obligations whilst keeping employees comfortable and motivated, so make sure to get in touch to book your session and you’ll soon see how important a workstation assessment can really be.
Are you hoping to find a job in occupational health? You’ve come to the right place. Here at OH Recruitment, we have more than 20 years of experience as an agency, helping to match candidates to the right jobs in this field.
It can be difficult to find jobs in occupational health that suit your requirements or strengths if you are looking on you own. But with the help of our agency, you can find jobs faster and find ones that are more suited to your specific needs.
We aim to help you find the right job in your field within a specific time frame. This means that we will work with you as closely as possible to ensure that you get the job you need as quickly as possible.
Within our database of potential employers, we have more than 4,500 Occupational Health professionals who are looking for candidates to fit different roles. We will only match you to job openings that that fit your experience, skill levels, and abilities. This way you are far more likely to get a job.
We know that looking for a job can be a difficult and sometimes trying experience. That’s why we are committed to helping you. Our aim is to be professional, approachable, committed, caring and effective.
So, why not get stated? Click the Contact Us tab on our home page and send as an enquiry. We’d love to tell you more about how we can help you find the right job for you in occupational health.
With the icy winter winds still tormenting the morning commute of us all, there’s no better time to look forward to spring and the new hope of another year. With 2011 behind us, it’s time to look at your work environment with fresh eyes.
DSE assessment is about more than just tilting your computer screen to avoid the glare of the sun. Clear workplace assessment can boost the health and productivity of employees, helping you to run an effective working environment.
General Workplace Risk Assessment
Have you been meaning to find a better home for that filing cabinet? Finally invest in comfortable office chairs? Install more effective lighting? Creating a workplace free from identifiable risks and hazards isn’t about wrapping everyone in cotton wool. It’s about making sensible changes that boost employee health, reduce the likelihood of accidents and minimise the risks associated with particular professional habits like using VDU screens etc.
Workplace Assessment and Pregnancy
Only a person who’s been or been around a heavily pregnant woman can understand the bizarre, demanding and sometimes slightly embarrassing side to pregnancy in the workplace. We can provide tailored DSE assessment for pregnant women in the working environment. The service includes up to an hour of face-to-face consultation with the expectant individual. Topics covered include VDU and DSE assessment, desk, chair and furniture risk/effectiveness assessment, working environment assessment, workplace risk assessment (e.g. hazardous substances), posture, work routines, tasks and other tailored pregnancy advice. The final report is confidential and sets all recommendations clearly.
For some of us, the winter months mean we only see the sun through the office window. Whilst some folks are largely unaffected by the dullness of working in winter, many find the seasonal darkness a burden. Breathing life into a tired or unproductive winter office is about setting workable goals, communicating effectively, using workplace assessment to boost health and listening to employees in terms of how they feel the environment could be improved.
Workplace Assessment
Services like DSE assessment and environmental assessment are designed to make the most of the seasonal working environment. For example, winter DSE assessment leans heavily on the provision of natural light and the effect lighting has on employees.
Invite Nature In
We don’t mean opening the window and letting the freezing gusts bluster around the office. Plants can have a very soothing, beneficial effect on employees. Invest in interesting plants that work with the overall mood of the office. Trailing plants and tall tropical ferns are popular choices.
Address Stress
For many, stress levels creep up in the winter months. Although the amount of time we work is the same, it can be very disheartening to be constantly cold on the commute and never see the sun from the morning bedroom window. Pay close attention to stress levels in the office throughout winter by inviting open employee communication. It’s not always possible to be flexible in terms of things like working hours, but instigating a few workable changes can have a hugely beneficial effect.
It might be thought that there is sufficient information in the public domain for a firm to do its own workplace assessment. While a firm can try to take care of its own work risk assessment, there are several reasons why it is usually best to get a specialist service to do the job properly. Outsourcing is becoming more popular generally because it can permit a firm to specialise in what it does best while frequently keeping resource use down.
At OH Recruitment we work hard to ensure that we deliver the most comprehensive services possible at very reasonable prices. Our considerable experience in the field makes it prudent to pick us rather than attempting to do an assessment in-house.
A specialist workplace visitor with an occupational health background has various advantages compared with an individual who has not had the same degree of training. In the first place, they are up-to-date with all the relevant legislation. Furthermore, they are doing something which they are very familiar and really comfortable with. It is also the case that they have a thorough knowledge with regard to the nature of the potential threats.
One of the great advantages which a specialist from outside the organisation has over someone working within it is that they can ignore any irrelevant concerns and thus are in a good place to aspire towards having an objective attitude. In practice this means that there is not a need for them to worry about ruffling feathers if they are obliged to draw attention to areas where improvements are necessary.
A large proportion of workers who use display screen equipment on a frequent and regular basis report that they suffer from occasional aches and eye strain on occasion. If the employees take insufficient breaks or do nothing but computer work then it is the case that they can get Repetitive Strain Injury. It is important that employers meet their responsibilities and this can enable them to maximise productivity.
At OH Recruitment we work hard to deliver DSE training. This can make it easier for firms to look after the health of their staff. In return, absenteeism is typically reduced and employees are more motivated to give of their best.
When it comes to examining workstation usage, there is quite a lot to bear in mind. A desk should be at the correct height. The ergonomics of all the equipment need scrutiny. It is not just the keyboard and screen which should be looked at. Other devices such as printers and so on need to be taken into consideration. In this way, potential sources of muscle strain can be identified and any issues addressed.
Too much eye strain and too many migraines can be problematic for employers and employees alike. Workers are much more likely to be error prone if they are trying to resist looking at the screen of a laptop or a PC. Sometimes it makes sense to use a protective screen when using a computer and an assessment can help ascertain whether or not such measures are necessary.
You may have been working in your job for several years now and have no qualms about your occupational health. However, you need to take into account the health and safety of anyone new joining your company. Many jobs require people to sit in one place for a long period of time, and so certain precautions need to be taken into account to ensure they are not at risk.
By undertaking a workstation assessment you can avoid any potential pitfalls that might occur, and ensure your new employees are safe to work in their workplace environment.
Perfect for new starters is our basic DSE assessment. This is a 30 minute phone-based DSE assessment with our qualified occupational health nurse advisor and covers all the basics, including desk, VDU, mouse, chair and the general working environment. We will then produce a confidential report with recommendations. We also offer an advanced DSE assessment and pregnancy DSE risk assessment, depending on your requirements.
It is important that a workstation assessment is carried out for new starters so that their good health is maintained, which is of great benefit to the company. You may have brought on a new employee to help out with a heavy workload, and so the last thing you want is for them to be off with an occupational health related injury.
OH Recruitment provides a simply and cost effective solution to your occupational health needs.
The importance of health and safety in the workplace has increased dramatically in recent times to become an issue every employer must address. Government policies and guidelines have made many health and safety regulations into legal obligations for companies to adhere to. This is why there is a steady demand for adequately trained occupational health advisors and managers. Employers look for the right person to provide the best workplace assessment possible in order for them to maintain standards.
However, the occupational health industry is very competitive and we deal with thousands of candidates. Due to the strict guidelines in place the correct qualifications for any applicant are imperative. Employers usually look for someone with a degree level educational background or above as the role is challenging and puts a great deal of responsibility on the individual. Enhancing your skills and qualifications is a good idea to give you that extra advantage in securing the role. For workplace risk assessment it is a huge benefit to have completed DSE training which is concerned with the assessment of employees work stations; often part of an occupational health role. These kind of training courses are ideal for vacancies in corporate companies and offices where there is an abundance of display screen equipment. Extra health and safety qualifications also pave the way for furthering your health and safety career and the potential for future promotions.
Career development in the Health & Safety jobs arena is usually a focal point for H&S professionals. Health and Safety jobs can offer wonderful opportunities for career development across a massive spectrum of industries.
Health and Safety is a complex, evolving and often challenging professional field. Career development in the form of industry specific qualifications (NVQs, NEBOSH diplomas, University Masters Degree etc.) can usually offer the best scope for furthering a career. For example, Health & Safety jobs in agriculture now focus heavily on environmental compliance and eco enhancement. A further qualification based around agriculture and countryside environmental business management could set you ahead of the game.
Experienced H&S officers usually cite early career diversity followed by continual specialist career development as being the key to accessing the best Health and Safety jobs. Local Authority H&S jobs tend to be diverse and offer great one-time H&S enforcement opportunities that could be invaluable down the career path no matter what your specialised sector. Citing the example of agriculture again, those occasions you spend as a Local Authority Health and Safety
Enforcer in factories, schools, nature reserves etc. could complement specialised comprehensive knowledge of organic farming and trade legislation perfectly later on. The idea is to work within environments you may not have otherwise had the opportunity to, and to learn from the experience.
Tailored vocational courses such as fire safety, First Aid, heavy goods loading etc. can all boost your CV in the competitive world of H&S compliance.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) maintains its role as the UK’s guiding light for Health & Safety both at home and in the workplace via a number of channels and modes. Perhaps one of the most accessible forms of instant HSE knowledge is via their numerous ongoing campaigns. As a professional seeking Health & Safety jobs nationwide, are you up to date?
Make the Promise
Health and Safety jobs are rarely more difficult than within agriculture. A career in agriculture can often mean increased danger in the workplace, especially if said workplace involves farm machinery or livestock. The “Make and Promise” campaign, launched in 2009 and continuing indefinitely, focuses around encouraging farmers and agricultural workers to “Come Home Safe” The campaign features comprehensive guidance and support for farmers where danger (e.g. managing livestock, climbing ladders, guiding tractors etc) is part of their daily working lives. The campaign has already taken home several prestigious awards, including Campaign of the Year award from the 2010 PR Awards.
Hidden Killer
The public and those in Health & Safety jobs are familiar with the idea of the dangers of asbestos. However, the HSE reported massive numbers of those outside Health and Safety jobs were unable to identify or safely handle the material. The campaign provides public guidance and support.
Shattered Lives
As a long-running campaign, “Shattered Lives” aims to highlight the number of trips and falls caused by hazards in the workplace that could have easily been avoided.
