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Articles by Keith Whitehead
Changes to ISO management standards: start preparing now
As the range of global economic issues and social, environmental and governance challenges facing businesses continues to rapidly evolve, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is taking action to reflect developments in best practice, legislation and policy in these areas by drafting key updates to enhance its most widely used management system standards.
Inclusive, compliant evacuation planning: why training and maintenance matter
In the event of an emergency, the safe evacuation of all building occupants is a non-negotiable responsibility. For people with mobility impairments, whether permanent, temporary or invisible, evacuation readiness can mean the difference between safety and disaster. There are 5.5 million people with a disability in employment in the UK and this figure is growing, reinforcing the urgent need for inclusive evacuation strategies.
A step ahead: how the right safety footwear reduces workplace slips, trips and falls
Slips, trips and falls remains the most common cause of workplace injuries in the UK, accounting for 31 per cent of all non-fatal workplace injuries reported by employers under the RIDDOR incident reporting regime in 2023/24.1 According to the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics, slips, trips and falls on the same level accounted for almost 18,500 reported cases during the 2023/24 period.
How being mobile helps prevent slips, trips and falls at work
For too long, workplace safety discussions have overlooked a critical factor: employee mobility. While environmental fixes remain important, emerging evidence highlights the profound impact an individual’s physical fitness and mobility can have on preventing common and often devastating accidents from happening. Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) are widely touted as being some of the most common challenges and causes of serious injuries in workplaces across the UK.
Health and safety auditing: friend or foe?
When most people hear the word ‘audit’, it’s often met with trepidation. It conjures images of paperwork, inspections and someone pointing out everything that’s wrong. But when it comes to health and safety auditing, is it really the enemy of a productive workplace – or could it be one of its strongest allies? So, why would an occupational health and safety audit be the friend your business didn’t know it needed?
Aligning organisational culture with sustainability: a win, win for the environment and business
In today’s corporate world, sustainability has emerged as the most critical factor for long-term success of all businesses no matter what size or sector. Consumers, investors and employees are increasingly holding organisations accountable and look for organisations that aim to balance the spheres of social, environmental and economic interests, sometimes called the triple bottom line, while avoiding taking business decisions in support of one of these at the expense of another.
Holistically speaking: an interview with safety psychologist Dr Tim Marsh
Dr Marsh has long been a proponent of building strong organisational cultures, within which everybody buys in to the theory that taking care of workers’ mental and physical wellbeing is key to ensuring they stay safe and are able to thrive in the workplace.
Why social sustainability should be a priority for health, safety, environmental and compliance professionals
What is social sustainability? Social sustainability is a core pillar of sustainable development that ensures individuals and communities can live fulfilling, healthy and equitable lives – both now and in the future. Unlike environmental sustainability, which focuses on preserving natural resources, or economic sustainability, which ensures long-term financial viability, social sustainability is centred on people.
Why quality data is essential when using AI for occupational safety and health management
It is always fascinating to think that a typical adult human body consists of about 30 trillion cells and that they developed from a single cell. How these 30 trillion cells (and different organs made from them) behave and perform their functions is written in genetic codes made of proteins.
Supporting wellbeing when working from home: some key tips
The increase in post-pandemic hybrid working means that more employees than ever are regularly working remotely at home and in ‘third’ spaces, like cafes and co-working hubs, as well as in their organisation’s office. In this article I focus on how to enhance the wellbeing of those working from home.
A green and bright workplace: how biophilic design boosts employee wellbeing
Humans are dependent upon, drawn to, and fascinated by the natural world. Many people feel happier, healthier and more at ease when they are outdoors and surrounded by nature in gardens, parks, forests, mountains, lakes and the coast. Just consider for a second how nature has influenced your own mental health, your hobbies, travel and holiday plans. You may even have incorporated aspects of nature into your homes.
The customer is not always (al)right: the alarming rise of abuse and violence against public-facing workers
Being spat at, having drinks poured on you and facing a barrage of verbal and physical abuse should not be part of anyone’s job, but workers in customer-facing roles are reporting an alarming increase in this type of behaviour from members of the public.
Four-day week: can it work?
After completing a six-month pilot in 2022, during which 61 companies trialled a shorter working week, the 4 Day Week Campaign is launching a second nationwide trial on 4 November. It hopes the data gathered will further back up its argument that cutting the number of days and hours worked by a fifth for the same amount of pay improves employee wellbeing, boosts staff retention and increases productivity.
biodiversity | ecosystems | carbon emissions
Take a quick look around your house, office or wherever you are reading this article. The importance of biodiversity is all around us, from the tea or coffee we drink, the wood that makes up the furniture, the cotton in our clothes, the plastics in our computers and the petrol we put in our cars – both made from processed oil. All these products are derived from plants at some point in their life cycle. Then there are myriad food and other products derived from animals – from glues to leather.
biodiversity | ecosystems | carbon emissions
Take a quick look around your house, office or wherever you are reading this article. The importance of biodiversity is all around us, from the tea or coffee we drink, the wood that makes up the furniture, the cotton in our clothes, the plastics in our computers and the petrol we put in our cars – both made from processed oil. All these products are derived from plants at some point in their life cycle. Then there are myriad food and other products derived from animals – from glues to leather.
Stay safe in the sun
Every year in Britain, 1,700 people are diagnosed with skin cancer as a result of occupational sun exposure. Despite growing awareness of the risks, a study conducted by SC Johnson Professional found that 76 per cent of UK health and safety professionals did not know that one death and five new cases of skin cancer per week in Britain could be attributed to occupational UV exposure.
Time to report | British Safety Council
One of the most significant, but perhaps most misunderstood, risks organisations face today is climate change and how it can impact areas like infrastructure, business operations, company finances, staff, customers and supply chain logistics, both in the short and long term.
Drivers’ toilets: an inconvenient truth?
The interview featured in a BBC Panorama documentary in December 2021 and shone a light on a little-considered factor behind the driver shortage crisis in the UK. As we saw toilets stuffed full of loo paper and one solitary, dreary shower serving 45 drivers, it begged the question: could the state of our toilets and roadside facilities be part of the reason drivers are dropping out of the industry? Could our conveniences be why drivers don’t want to work in the UK anymore?
home working | remote working
Much has been written and discussed about our working lives post-pandemic. We are shortly to reach a significant milestone, the first anniversary of full-blown home working. Some employers foresaw the likelihood of lockdown and started to plan. Most, however, were forced to switch their businesses to remote working with little or no preparation. It’s fair to say that despite the relaxing of lockdown during the summer months, many employers opted to maintain the home working model for many employees.
Covid-19 guidance for business
Although there is a vaccination programme in place in many countries, the need to manage workplaces to prevent the spread and transmission of Covid-19 will remain for some time to come. In this context, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has launched a publicly available specification (PAS), ISO/PAS 45005:2020 Occupational health and safety management – General guidelines for safe working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
older workers
Across the world, societies are ageing. And so are our workforces. We know that one in three workers in the G20 is already aged 50 and over – and this is set to increase to more than four in ten by 2040. Alongside other major trends, like the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and tech, this will fundamentally transform and reshape the workplace of the (not so distant) future – not just for older workers but for young and old alike.
Home working: measuring the sustainability benefits
Businesses should be measuring and reporting on these ‘triple bottom line’ benefits as part of their efforts to improve their sustainability performance. During the past few months, it is likely that your company has had some staff working from home. The initial move to enforced home working quite rightly centred on the health, safety and welfare aspects of staff working from home.
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