Dean Howells Essential Safety, Health & Safety Blog

The Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR) - Posted 29th February 2012

The OSHCR is a register of consultants who can offer general advice to UK businesses to help them manage health and safety risks. It is free to search for consultants and you can search either in your geographical area or for a type of industry. 

Consultants who are on the register will have a status recognised by the professional participating bodies of the scheme, for example the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH). A full list is available here:  http://www.oshcr.org/Page/AboutOSHCR

 This minimum standard has been set at a degree level qualification, at least two years experience and active engagement in a continuing professional development scheme. 

This is one of the steps recommended in the Government Report, Common Sense, Common Safety, ie. to professionalise Health and Safety consultants.

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Sick Notes to Fit Notes - goes live today 6th April 2010

A reminder and information from our previous blog, that from today 6th April 2010 medical statements, otherwise known as “Sick notes” are set to change. GPs will be required to issue patients with statements – “Fit notes” - advising that they are either ‘not fit for work’ or ‘may be fit for some work’. Doctors will also have the option to suggest that the patient would be able to work if, subject to the employer’s agreement, temporary changes to their work conditions could be.

Some requirements have not changed from the previous sick-note system, such as: the form can still be used as evidence for why an employee cannot work due to an illness or injury; the information on the form is still advice to employee – it is not binding on employer; and Statutory Sick Pay is still payable under current rules.

What has changed is that GPs can now include comments on how the employee’s condition will affect what they do, and they can suggest common ways to facilitate a return to work. These include a phased return to work, altered hours, amended duties, and/or workplace adaptations, all of which are explained in a free guidance document which can be downloaded at; http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/fitnote-employer-guide.pdf

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