A national Health and Work Strategy: a search for evidence

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health Research
• Workplace Safety

Background:

• The Health and Safety Executive's Health and Work Strategy requires updated workplace health priorities.
• Traditional prioritization methods were not used; a broader stakeholder assessment was conducted.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a prioritized list of health issues for future research and intervention.
• To inform the Health and Work Strategy with evidence-based priorities.

Main Methods:

• Four distinct exercises were employed: internal prioritization, web-hosted questionnaires for workers and professionals, focus groups, and interviews.
• Stakeholder engagement included occupational health professionals, younger workers, and safety practitioners.

Main Results:

• Top priorities identified include mesothelioma, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), hearing loss, stress, and asthma.
• Criteria for prioritization by professionals included preventability, impact, and affected worker numbers.
• Emerging issues like aging workforce, obesity, new technologies, and workforce diversity were also noted. Apprentices highlighted stress, depression, anxiety, and workload.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully identified both expected and novel areas for health research and intervention.
• The findings are considered reflective of actual workplace health requirements as perceived by practitioners and workers.