2 February 2005 - Free health and safety advice for businesses
A ground-breaking £20 million pilot scheme to give free health and safety advice to smaller businesses was announced today.
Workplace Help Direct will give small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) free expert advice for the first time as well as offering support on preventing work-related ill health and getting people back to work. The help includes a free problem-solving service, which will signpost employers to specialist help, and a national free advice line.
The scheme was announced by Secretary of State Alan Johnson in the Department for Work and Pensions 5 Year Strategy today. It will be run by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Alan Johnson said: “This is good news for British business and for people who need help getting back into work after ill health.
“Work-related illness and injury accounts for around 39 million working days lost every year and more than 2 million people attribute their health problems to their work. Given the right support many conditions, such as back pain, can be managed before becoming a barrier to work.
“Workplace Help Direct will play a vital role in helping people return to work quickly, reducing the burden on the NHS and lowering the chance of people ending up on incapacity benefit.”
Chair of the Health and Safety Commission Bill Callaghan said: “The people best placed to manage risks to health in the workplace are managers and their staff. They do this best by working together and Workplace Health Direct will offer the support needed to achieve this.”
Workplace Health Direct pilots will provide:
- free telephone work-related health, safety and return to work advice for employers and workers;
- free workplace visits;
- a dedicated website;
- problem-solving advice, for example on how to assess and manage workplace risks, including help with returning to work;
- advice on specialist support from other professionals such as physiotherapists and ergonomists.
Notes for editors
- In March 2005 HSE will be seeking expressions of interest from organisations to deliver the pilots in up to six regions across the country. The pilot regions will be selected this summer and will commence in early 2006. They will be delivered locally and supported by a national telephone helpline and website.
- Workplace Health Direct is based on a model for occupational health support developed by HSE as part of the Securing Health Together programme. The main activities so far are as follows:
- Working with NHS Scotland to evaluate Safe and Healthy Working, a Scotland-wide occupational health support service.
- Working with the construction industry to develop Constructing Better Health, an occupational health support service for construction workers being piloted in Leicestershire.
- Working with Kirklees Metropolitan Council, three Primary Care Trusts, and Jobcentre Plus, to develop an integrated occupational health, safety and return to work service for people in the Kirklees area of Yorkshire.
- HSE plans to hold information events for organisations interested in building partnerships to bid for running regional pilots. More information is available on www.hse.gov.uk/workplacehealth/
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