By Joshua Robinson – 

Occupational Health Awareness Week (OHAW) begins today (Monday 23rd September) intending to raise awareness of occupational health (OH).

The week is facilitated by the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM), whose research shows that OH is the most effective method for managing employees’ long-term absence from work.

The most common workplace health problems are mental health and musculoskeletal-related conditions. In 2021/2022 work-related stress, depression, or anxiety made up half of all working days lost due to work-related ill health. In 2023, 6.6 million working days were lost because of work-related musculoskeletal conditions.

OH professionals develop solutions alongside staff and employers to prevent harm in the first place, and enable those with ill health to continue working, with adaptations if necessary. OH helps people with disabilities and long-term conditions stay in work and increase productivity across the workforce.

Nick Pahl, Chief Executive at SOM, said: “Occupational health supports individuals to maintain and protect their wellbeing, as well as preventing ill health and injury. With a record-number of people leaving the workforce because of sickness, we should prioritise interventions and evidence-based support so that more people can stay in, or return to, work.”

“We know that well-integrated workplace health initiatives are associated with improved employee health and productivity in the workplace. Not only that, but it saves businesses money that they could be spending on other initiatives. A report published by SOM in 2022 found that a £1 investment in OH leads to a £1.93 saving in absenteeism costs, or a £2.35 saving in medical costs. Investing in OH really is an obvious choice.”

SOM and other healthcare partners will be sharing more information throughout the week about why OH matters and how to get the most out of services offered by OH professionals.

To learn more about the SOM and OHAW, please visit: https://www.som.org.uk/

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