Surely the over riding aspect of the Manual Handling and other regs is to
make the job fit for the person - elimination, substitution, etc etc. It
is only when you have gone as far as reasonably practicable down that road
do you then make sure the person is fit fo the job. I would agree with
Kate that all that goes with this is occupational health. Health promotion
to me - rightly or wrongly - is what we do beyond the instruction
information and traning relevant to the regulations, hazards and risks
associated with work. I do not think this is out of step with the Ottawa
Charter which is talking of a much more holistic approach to health.
Lindsey Hall
National OH Manager
Environment Agency
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Macwilliam" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 6:27 PM
Subject: Re: Health Promotion
> Reading responses on this issue have caused me to review my own position
on
> the topic. UP until now I would have supported the traditional view,
> expressed by Kate Venables, that health promotion in the workplace was a
> non-statutory, non-work-related activity.
>
> I am now of the view that irrespective of whether health promotion is
> essentially non-statutory, there are legal obligations which require
> arrangements to be put in place which amount to health promotion. The
> regulations might use the terms "Provision of Suitable Information" and so
> on, but if you consider, say HAVS, and the need for employers to explain
> the risks to his employees, which should include information relating to
> avoidance of smoking, for example.
>
> Under the Manual Handling Operations Regns, for example, is an over-riding
> requirement for employees to be 'fit for the job', which requires much
more
> from the employer to simply provide manual handling training!
>
>
> Dennis M
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