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New Guide on Occupational hygiene (UK)
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New Guide on Occupational hygiene – A guide for union health and safety representatives
The TUC and BOHS, the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection, have released on 23 November 2014 a new guide that explains the importance of occupational hygiene and the role it plays in protecting workers. It outlines the importance of addressing health risks, and also monitoring potential hazards and providing health surveillance for any workers at risk.
The guidance highlights a wide variety of potential health hazards which may emerge in workplaces, ranging from dusts, extreme temperatures, fumes and biological agents, to vibration hazards, ergonomics issues, chemicals and noise.
The majority of work-related deaths are caused by occupational respiratory disease, as a result of people having breathed in dangerous substances during their working lives. In addition, around 33,000 people who worked in the last year, and 141,000 former workers, currently have breathing or lung problems they thought were caused or made worse by work. Other useful topics in the new guide include:- How to manage health risks, and what action to take to protect the health of workers
- The difference between: occupational health; occupational hygiene; and wellbeing
- How occupational hygienists can help union health and safety representatives
- The responsibilities of employers
- The rights of health and safety representatives
