If a worker’s got an occupational health problem that could make him less employable, does he really want to know about it? And if an employer finds out about it, can he be allowed to continue working?

These thorny issues were raised at a briefing in January about a pilot occupational health scheme targeting small construction firms in Leicester. And they illustrate why so few firms are willing to grapple with the problem.

The pilot, Constructing Better Health, was launched in October 2004 and will run until September 2006. Services on offer include a telephone advice line, site visits to provide risk assessments and advice, and health checks for workers. The idea is to find out what works, with the possibility of a national roll-out. Target areas are manual work, skin, lungs, noise and vibration.

Organisers are hoping to get major contractors to support the scheme so that it can target small firms through their projects.

Source

Construction Manager