I am a strategic adviser on health, safety and wellbeing based in the UK, having over 25 years in many types of industry from manufacturing, local government, railway and construction where I have advised some of the biggest (and the smallest).Most recently I worked in the NHS as a Covid 19 adviser during the pandemic.I explain things simply - why use a long word when a short one will do? Join me as I explain about health, safety and wellbeing from a business perspective, show the reason and the way to do it, and muse on the meaning of life in between.
Musculo-Skeletal Disorders or MSDs are top of the pops for work related ill health and absence. What are they? Should you be worried? This episode is for anyone who has responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. There are examples of types of MSDs and what jobs or tasks can cause them plus the two main ways of dealing with them. For more information and links mentioned in this podcast go to the associated blog posts on Working Well Solutions
5 Apr 2021
Four Chronological Steps of an OHS Clinical Audit (Free Checklist)
NICE (National Institute of Health and Care Excellence) defines a clinical audit as follows: Audit in healthcare is a process used by health professionals to assess, evaluate and improve care of patients in a systematic way. Audit measures current practice against a defined (desired) standard. It forms part of clinical governance, which aims to safeguard a high quality of clinical care for patients Recently I’ve had several requests regarding how to audit occupational health practice. The fir...
19 Sept 2020
Doing a Simplified Ethnic Minority Risk Assessment for Covid19
Early on in the pandemic, speculation about how badly Covid-19 affected those from ethnic minorities was rife but once identified, interest and how best to assess the risk and protect these workers started. There is a great system which many use and I share it here. Just to be clear I am not claiming any glory, this system is not mine to claim, but this article spreads the word (especially to my worldwide audience) and helps those from less informed backgrounds of where to start with these co...
13 Jun 2020
Inner Peace Resources
The Corona Virus pandemic has affected people in many ways - physically, mentally and emotionally. Me too. If you are experiencing effects of this then you might want to consider building up your resilience with tools and insights. In this episode I recommend my go-to resources that have helped me over the years and may help you too. This week, I saw recommendation on Quora as a life changing book The Inside Out Revolution and it reminded me of a book I'd read 15 years ago. A ha...
7 Mar 2020
An Example of Reflection for Nurse Revalidation
The most popular article on my blog is where I describe reflection using my adapted Gibbs model for reflection and a worked example. It also advertises my Nurses Reflection Diary Workbook which is available from Amazon and my best-selling book. To add to my worked example I add another one today - regarding an incident between me, my manager and a sales executive where I worked at the time. I call it... Dog Walking. To read a more comprehensive analysis of the incident and relevan...
5 Oct 2019
Should OH come under HR or Health and Safety?
I’ve worked in occupational health (OH) for years and advised many companies. Some businesses put OH in the H&S department and some in HR; only once was I in the Facilities department which was strange. You would think it wouldn’t matter where occupational health and wellbeing services might sit; but you would be wrong. There are distinct differences on how each function operates, and it isn’t just about the personality of those in charge. HR and H&S have different priorities and give...
9 Sept 2019
Should You Have a Treatment Service at Work?
In an effort to attract and keep staff, many companies are considering whether to invest in a medical treatment service for workers. This podcast gives the pros and cons of whether to take this step and my experiences and opinion. There is also an accompanying blog on my website Working Well Solutions and the link to this is here. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast and a thumbs up would be welcome too.
18 Aug 2019
Making a Podcast for Yourself
Many people asked me about my podcast and how I started. This episode describes the main steps of my progress from deciding on the title to some tips on how to avoid common mistakes. There is also a full blog to support this episode on my website but, as promised in the text of the podcast, here are resources I use (no affiliation with any): AudacityYetti MicrophonePop guard for microphone aboveITunes link of top ranking podcasts on their siteBuzzsprout (my hosting site) with loads of helpCa...
27 Jun 2019
Producing the Perfect OH Report for Managers
This podcast covers a presentation I made to the Society of Occupational Medicine earlier this month. I look at the types of OH services and resources needed to make a succinct, relevant, safe and punchy report. Don't go for long templates - managers are busy people. The report needs to be in everyday language and follow a chronological or logical order. Don't show off by using long medical words and try and write like you talk; that way the report is most useful to all readers, whethe...
20 May 2019
Having a Medical for Work
Have you got a new job and been asked to go for a medical? Employment law in the UK makes it illegal to use medical tests or questions as a means of stopping candidates from getting a job. Health enquiries should follow an offer of employment (subject to medical and references). Many are confused about when to ask capability questions because if say, a crane operator can’t stand heights then the interviewer (and the candidate), need to explore this from a practical point of view....
7 May 2019
Help with Disability and Access to Work
If you have a disability or your health is getting so bad you are struggling to do your job or even get a job, then this episode is for you. Access to work is a UK Government sponsored (and funded) service that helps you. An assessor will look at your job and, if you qualify, will offer help - this could be: British Sign Language personTransport to and from workA work buddyMoney for your employer to build a ramp for a wheelchair at your workplaceAnd many more. Workplace Assessment by A...
6 Mar 2019
Occupational health role in absence management
Are you wondering how to deal with illness at your workplace? Sometimes it can get out of hand with workers taking days off willy-nilly. Or maybe you have some employees on long term sick? An occupational health service can help you with both these issues - by talking to workers who you believe may need more help or just to check that they are getting the right treatment. More information is available on my website blogs here: Manager Guide: Requesting a Management Referral to Occupatio...
6 Feb 2019
First Aid in the Workplace
First Aid should be available to all in the workplace, whether it's just a person nominated by the employer to take charge and phone an ambulance or maybe you work in a high risk job with chemicals, cuts or serious accidents frequently occurring? This podcast explains how you decide on what is most suitable for your business, the different levels of training and competence available and also what else you might need to consider. As promised, below are the show note resources as menti...
12 Jan 2019
A simple 10 minute relaxation exercise
After a busy day do you feel tension in your back and neck? Maybe a headache and you feel washed out. This may be due to anxiety or tension. Use this brief relaxation exercise to learn how to identify tension in your body and how you can train your body to relax. For more information pop over to my website to read about stress at work Or perhaps you don't know if you are stressed or anxious - does it matter? Read my blog post: The difference between anxiety, stress, ...
6 Jan 2019
The pros and cons of a phased return to work after illness
The fit note (it used to be the sick note) has options to allow workers to have a phased return to work. But what does this mean and what are the issues you need to be aware of? I will take you through the options a business might have and the advantages and disadvantages of this approach. For more information pop over to my website: Working Well Solutions for the longer blog that accompanies this podcast. If this podcast has helped you - why not tell your friends too.
4 Jan 2019
Why does work want a report from my GP or Specialist?
The most frequent question on my blog is about work and why a Manager is asking for a report from their own Doctor? Here I set out the reasons for doing so, the drawbacks of the report and an employees' rights under UK law. For more information have a look at my website and the blog that accompanies this podcast on Working Well Solutions.click hereFor information about the UK fit note click here For a list of free advice from national agencies regarding workplace attendance click...
4 Jan 2019
The five ways to mental wellbeing
There are so many wellbeing initiatives about but what is the science behind them? Public Health England suggest the best way to protect your mental health is to focus on five habits: Connecting with othersBeing activeTaking notice of what is around youLearning something newGiving to othersThere are plenty of free resources available so no need to pay out for anything. For more information go to the Government website: click hereMindfulness: is it for you?Living life to the full:...
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