The HSE have published on their website, their Health and Work strategy including the priority areas. The effort is being focussed around conditions with widespread prevalence, the largest lost-time and economic-cost consequences and life-limiting or life-altering impacts.
Specifically being targeted are:
Occupational stress and related mental health issues;
Musculoskeletal disorders;
and
Occupational lung disease.
The HSE will be drawing upon the full range of networks, interventions and opportunities for influence available to them including participating in cross-government initiatives, engaging and supporting the wider community – professional and industry bodies, trade associations, individual businesses, charities and researchers.
Further information on the strategy can be found at hse.gov.uk/aboutus/strategiesandplans/health-and-work-strategy/index
To support this the sector plans for health and safety have been published as well as the work strategy plan for each of the three key focussed areas. Full details of these can be viewed and downloaded from the same above link.
We would encourage ALL foundries in the UK to download these documents, review them and assess what is being actively done on site to ensure actions are in place to address these areas, as legislation has been in existence for some time for each of these areas such as COSHH, Manual Handling Regulations and the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations etc. and occupational lung disease is already being tackled within this year’s current interventions and we have already been informed these will continue into the next financial year as well.