Making a difference

PABIAC’s Strategic Direction Statement 2008-2011

Objective 4: Occupational Health Management

Objective 4- Occupational health

By 31 March 2011 all employers in the paper industries will be able to demonstrate that they have
implemented policies and management systems for assessing and managing the risks to health of
employees to which they are exposed while at work. Every employer shall have a clear system for
delivering occupational health that includes effective arrangements for:

- ensuring that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and supported by effective
communication and appropriate confidentiality;

- assuring the competence of any occupational health professionals: and

- ensuring that competent occupational health services are provided that meet the needs of the
business and address the specific occupational health issues identified by the risk
assessment.

Benchmarking

To enable PABIAC to monitor industry progress towards achieving this objective, we would like all
employers in the industry to complete the benchmarking questionnaire set out below, and return to their
trade association:

a) by 28 February 2010 (to establish the baseline);

b) by 28 February 2011 (to indicate progress achieved).

The questions are all based around the key elements in HSE publication HSG 65 ‘Successful Health
and Safety Management’ which include ensuring that you have a clear Policy as well as appropriate
arrangements for Planning, Organising, Controlling, Monitoring and Reviewing occupational health
within the company.

PABIAC recommends that the questions are answered as a table top exercise involving a senior
manager (s), the health and safety adviser, the trade union representative (e.g. FOC), a supervisor(s)
and workforce representatives. This will ensure realistic answers, through consensus, of what is actually
happening in the workplace.

This information will not be published on the website but will merely be used as a benchmarking tool to
assess the success of the occupational health objective

Additional information on achieving this objective can be found at

www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/competencies.htm
www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1074409647
 Occupational Health Benchmarking Tool

Yes Some None

Policy (score 2) (score 1) (score 0)
1. The company has a clear, written policy for occupational ill-health,
signed, dated and communicated to all employees?
Note: This policy may be incorporated into the company’s health and
safety policy, it does not have to be a separate document.

Yes Some None

Organisation - Control (score 2) (score 1) (score 0)
1. The organisation has access to an (internal or external) occupational
health service.

Yes Some None

Organisation - Competence (score 2) (score 1) (score 0)
1. The organisation's occupational health service is structured /
contracted to address the specific needs and risks identified by the
organisation.
2. The competence of the organisation's occupational health service
has been assessed against defined appropriate criteria.
For advice see Appendix 2 - Choosing a competent health & safety
professional.

Yes Some None

Organisation - Cooperation (score 2) (score 1) (score 0)
1. The organisation's risk assessment process is conducted with the
involvement of the occupational health service provider.

Yes Some None

Organisation - Communication (score 2) (score 1) (score 0)
1. The organisation encourages reporting of ill-health symptoms by
workers.
2. The organisation specifically asks workers whether they have any
symptoms of ill-health at least once a year.
3. The organisation provides health surveillance and or medical checks
for designated safety critical workers *
* Note: the organisation needs to identify, through risk assessment,
those jobs that are safety critical, these may include: internal and or
external drivers, night workers; and workers required to enter
confined spaces, work at height on a regular basis, or deal with
potentially hazardous items of waste.

Yes Some None

Planning and Implementing (score 2) (score 1) (score 0)
1. The organisation has identified it's most common and significant
occupational health risks *
* Note: in addition to the risks identified in questions 5 to 11 below;
others that may be relevant include: use of display screen
equipment, entry into confined spaces, temperature / thermal issues
and use of chemicals
2. The organisation has a documented plan and programme for the
reduction of occupational ill-health risks.
3. Targets are set for reducing the incidence of occupational ill-health
The organisation's risk assessment process includes consideration of
4. the current health status and capabilities of individual workers
 Occupational Health Benchmarking Tool

Yes Some None

Planning and Implementing (continued) (score 2) (score 1) (score 0)
The organisation has a documented plan for the assessment of risks
5. from repetitive work / WRULD and a programme for the reduction of
these risks.
The organisation has a documented plan for the assessment of risks
6. from lifting and handling and a programme for the reduction of these
risks.
The organisation has a documented plan for the assessment of risks
7. from hand arm vibration (HAV) and whole body vibration WBV) and
a programme for the reduction of these risks.
The organisation has a documented plan for the assessment of
8. noise levels and a programme for the reduction of risk of noise
induced hearing loss.
The organisation provides audiometric testing on a regular planned
9. basis for all workers exposed to noise levels at the first action level
or above.
The organisation has a documented plan for the assessment of risks
10. from dust / airborne contaminates and a programme for the
reduction of these risks.
The organisation has a documented plan and programme for the
11. reduction of risk from the causes of stress-related illness.
If any employee is made ill or injured through their work, the
12. organisation is actively involved with developing a back to work plan
which includes, through representation and consultation,
consideration of adjustments in the workplace.
The organisation provides a vocational rehabilitation service where
13. an employee who cannot return to their previous work due to their
work-related illness or injury to assist them to develop skills
necessary to find new work.

Yes Some None

Measuring Performance (score 2) (score 1) (score 0)
1. The organisation monitors and reviews the implementation and
effectiveness of the measures it takes to reduce the above risks.
2. The organisation monitors and manages work related ill-health
absence.
3. The organisation's absentee levels over the past 12 months have Absence Rates
been.
< 3.0% 3 - 4.5% > 4.5%

Yes Some None

Audit and Review (score 2) (score 1) (score 0)
1. The organisation has regular audits of the occupational health system
and arrangements carried out by competent external auditors or
competent internal auditors, who are independent of the department
they are auditing.
2. The information from performance monitoring and audits is used to
review the implementation of the occupational health policy.
3. The information from performance measurement is used to identify
future improvement targets and to identify particular causes of ill
health.

TOTAL SCORE