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News release

22 November 2011 - NR 62/11

Healthy staff linked to business profitability

How the health and wellbeing of staff is essential to successful business has been explored today (Tuesday 22 November) near Bolton.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) made the case for occupational health to take centre stage in organisations, as a fundamental way of ensuring a happy, productive workforce, at an event held by its Manchester and North West Districts Branch Public Services Section.

Entitled ‘Health and Wellbeing – Healthy People, Better Business’, it featured perspectives on the topic from Greater Manchester Police and South Liverpool Housing, a local law firm discussing employer’s obligations, and risk and occupational health management companies.

Public Services Section chair Terry Hall said: “When you operate in a global marketplace and you’re trying to claw your way out of recession, a happy, healthy workforce is a driver for growth. This is the message we’re trying to get out today, and the speakers we’re hearing from understand the value of wellbeing at work and are using techniques that are boosting performance in their own organisations.

“It’s frankly wrong for people to talk about health and safety as a burden on business. When done properly and proportionately, health and safety is essential to a business’s long-term prospects for survival in what are difficult times for our economy.”

Speakers spoke under the theme of the good business sense of health and safety – the core message of IOSH’s current Li£e Savings campaign - recently praised by MP Chris Grayling and Professor Ragnar Lofstedt, the man tasked with reviewing UK health and safety legislation.

South Liverpool Homes HR manager Lynne Gibson and therapist Tracey Kierman discussed how by introducing a wellbeing service to the organisation, sickness absence levels had been reduced from 10 per cent to an average six per cent. The scheme now has almost 100 per cent staff uptake.

Manchester and North West Districts chair Deborah Banton added:”As well as the primary aim of saving people’s lives and livelihoods, good occupational health and safety can also deliver vital cost savings and help a business to grow.

“Work-related accidents and ill health cost businesses nearly £8 billion a year, with absenteeism, low productivity and legal bills among the financial hits faced by bosses. The overall cost of health and safety failures to the British economy, including welfare and health bills, is as much as £22 billion. We believe that with good wellbeing and occupational health management, as well as better safety, companies can make vital savings.”

For more information about the Manchester and North West Districts Branch and its Public Service Section, visit www.iosh.co.uk.

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Notes for editors:

IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. With more than 40,000 members in 85 countries, we’re the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation.

We set standards, and support, develop and connect our members with resources, guidance, events and training. We’re the voice of the profession, and campaign on issues that affect millions of working people.

IOSH was founded in 1945 and is a registered charity with international NGO status.