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The Institute is evaluating a number of the recent health- and work-related initiatives for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), including: the evaluation of the pilot of the Occupational Helpline for small employers in areas of England and Wales, and the whole of Scotland; evaluating the Fit for Work Service pilots; and the evaluation of the new Fit Note

During 2010-11 there were 171 worker deaths in the UK. Eurostat figures indicate that between 1999 and 2007, while accidents involving older workers declined, the occurrence of accidents amongst young workers (those aged between 15 and 24) increased. Young workers are more vulnerable in the workplace because of their inexperience and physical and psychological immaturity. They are susceptible to peer pressure, often keen to please and therefore less likely to question work procedures. In addition, they often have an unrealistic perception of risk.

IES’s policy conference, held in November 2010, brought together experts, stakeholders and interested parties to debate issues relating to the health of our working population. Delegates heard contributions from UK experts, including Dame Carol Black, and speakers who set the UK experience in an international context.

Work-related stress is a major cause of absence from work, and stress levels are likely to be particularly high in the current uncertain economic climate. This is not a problem that is limited to the UK – stress is a concern in workplaces around the rest of Europe. While the extent of the problem varies from country to country, the root causes of stress have largely been similarly identified in most countries. A recent study undertaken by IES looks at stress levels and how stress is managed around the EU.

With a new coalition government in place, and public sector budget cuts under way, it is timely to consider what this means for existing policy around health and work, and what the future might hold.

Isocyanate paints have been identified as a major cause of occupational asthma in the UK and are thus a serious potential health hazard in the motor vehicle repair sector, where they are in common use. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has undertaken information and advice campaigns aimed at workers and managers in this sector, warning them of the dangers of these paints. It stresses that the negative health effects can be overcome by following procedures such as always wearing air-fed breathing equipment when spraying the paints, and spraying in a controlled environment, such as a spray booth. One of the main dangers is that the spray mist from isocyanate paints is so fine that it cannot be seen by the naked eye. It is therefore vital that the time it takes for the spray to clear from the spray booth – the clearance time – is calculated, posted clearly on the booth and that workers do not enter the booth without breathing equipment before the clearance time has elapsed.

Improving access to advice and support on occupational health and safety issues to business, especially those organisations with fewer than 250 employees (ie small and medium-sized enterprises – SMEs), has been identified as a key issue in successive UK government policy documents. Several pilot programmes have been launched over the course of the past five years to test potential ways in which access could be provided. Evaluations of these pilot services have generally shown that SMEs are difficult to engage on the issue of occupational health and safety advice, and where they do seek help, this is most often for basic safety advice and with understanding and interpreting health and safety regulations.

HSE’s Moving Goods Safely 3 (MGS3) intervention targeted risks associated with the movement of goods in the logistics, warehousing, road haulage and goods delivery sectors. MGS3 was aimed at reducing injury and ill-health through a number of different work streams that focused on risk areas such as loading and unloading vehicles, vehicle movement and parking and appropriate use of equipment.

IES has, since 2006, been involved in a consortium led by Austrian partners (ÖSB Consulting) to deliver a programme of ‘Peer Reviews in Social Inclusion’, on behalf of the European Commission (since 2008, the Peer Review programme has been extended to cover the area of ‘social protection’, ie policies towards pensions, healthcare and long-term care).

The world financial crisis of 2008 and the ensuing recession has led the EU to rethink its approach and priorities in relation to employment and labour market policies. We review the main activities and communications from the EU institutions over the past year, as policymakers try to mitigate the employment impact of the recession and try to support EU member states in their efforts to pursue active labour market policies.