Guest blog by Tracy Turner The construction industry is seeing a significant rise in workers undergoing Safety‑Critical Medicals (SCMs), driven by an ageing workforce, increasing numbers of workers managing long‑term health conditions, and stricter site entry requirements by contractors*. These…
Guest blog by Hannah Strawbridge If you asked most employers whether they understand their duty to make reasonable adjustments, most would say yes. But in my experience advising on tribunal claims and negotiating exits, the issue is rarely a lack of awareness. It is how that duty is applied in real…
Guest blog by Dr Martin Tohill My career began in general practice and has evolved through curiosity, a desire to support colleagues, and a belief that strong occupational health (OH) systems can change working lives for the better. Looking back, the most significant opportunities emerged not from…
Guest blog by Tracy Turner They say the path to your dreams is rarely a straight line, but mine looked more like a mountain range I was not equipped to climb. If you had told me, as I left school with zero qualifications, that I would one day lead an award-winning occupational health firm, I would…
Guest blog by Dr Mary Obele The health of the UK workforce is a major policy concern. But, less attention has been given to a more basic question: do our health data systems actually record what people do for work? Work is one of the most powerful influences on adult health, but it remains largely…
Guest blog by Janet O'Neill Undertaking an MSc in Workplace Health and Wellbeing enabled me to align wellbeing with OH practice. As a contributing member of the Educating OH Public Health England Framework (2016), I was given the opportunity to share and reinforce my insights. These standards are…
Guest blog by Jan Webb As a non-clinical business owner myself, I would say that I’m more conscious of safe practice. Clinical decisions and the overseeing of work is only ever at the hands of our clinical lead - an Occupational Health Advisor (OHA) with a degree in Occupational Health. Having said…
Guest blog by Emma Persand This day is a great opportunity to reflect on progress in supporting women’s health in the workplace. Menopause has rightly gained attention as an important workplace issue. New Government guidance encourages employers to offer occupational health advice to employees…
Guest blog by Susan Gee My story begins at 15 in a woollen mill, long before any qualification, where I first understood what it meant to work, to be part of a working community, and to see how people’s health and livelihoods are tightly bound together. In 1980 I began my nurse training as a State…
Guest blog by Dr Lara Shemtob Across industries, many organisations are encouraging their entire workforces to experiment with and use AI. Their agenda relates to staying competitive by improving organisational productivity and preventing a skill gap emerging. What does the evidence tell us about…
Guest blog by Chris Rhodes I’m an accidental leader. My occupational health career began with sixteen enjoyable years as an OH adviser, with no line management responsibility, working across a variety of contracts. I was always the employee who was happy to travel, to pick up something new…
Guest blog by Robert Manson I started my post registered 18-month course at St Helier in Carshalton, Surrey. This was a culture shock to me as it seemed to be more about getting tasks done on time and making the beds rather than focus on the patients. I quite often got told off for not getting my…