The Industry Standards developed by Constructing Better Health have been comprehensively revised, following a consultation with occupational-health service providers.
Issue 2 of the legal and best-practice guidelines on dealing with occupational-health issues in the construction sector features a new, easy-to-use Health Assessment Matrix, while parts 1 and 2 of the original standards have been consolidated into one text, with more guidance and template policies and procedures.
The Health Assessment Matrix uses a traffic-light system for prioritising health checks: red – must do; amber – should do; green – could do. It also incorporates several new job roles for assessment, including geotechnical, maritime operatives, industrial cleaners, banksmen, signallers, slingers and concrete sprayers.
New health-related issues are addressed in the revised Standards, such as sleep apnoea and how it affects worker performance. A new bio-psychosocial model allows OH practitioners to consider issues other than medical facts to assist with return-to-work programmes and capability issues.
The new Standards also refer to important provisions in current legislation, such as the Equality Act and the Mental Capacity Act. Fit notes and RIDDOR reporting are also addressed.
Constructing Better Health’s OH director, Jane Coombs, commented: “WE have taken on board all the feedback from our member OHSPs and tailored the new standards to meet the demanding and current needs of practitioners for their construction clients. We are confident that they are going to like the updates.”
CBH members will receive a hard copy of the revised Industry Standards and Matrix, or can access an online version in the members’ area of the CBH website www.cbhscheme.com Printed copies can also be purchased via the website shop.
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.
We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.
