McVities Carlisle

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McVities Carlisle Wednesday 12th November
2008 Occupational Health Seminar
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Programme 2.pm Introduction and
role of Occupational Health 2.30 - 3.15pm
Workplace visit 3.30 - 4.30pm Case Histories
summary
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Occupational Health In the UK

• Clive Harker MBChB,MD FFOM Occupational Physician

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Main Causes of Occupational Ill Health (FIMA)
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1
4
36
23
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FIMA The Food Industry Medical Association
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OH support to Manufacturing in UK
Occupational physician - communicate OH plans
across business - provide systems of surveillance
/ screening - clinical input at site level -
monitor health trends - pension fund advice -
coach OH team
12.5 FTE Occupational Health Nurse sites lt 500
employees 1pt 500-1000 1ft
1000 1ft 1pt core
activity - screening applicants - health
surveillance - manage first-aid - support for
PAM - manage cases of long term absence - provide
data on health trends
14 sites 6500 people 70 plant lines 150
products
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• Workplace Visit
• food handling (hand washing etc)
• most common accidents ? (slips / banging into
  things / movingmachines )
• first-aiders / eye-wash bottles etc
• noise / dust / temperature
• ergonomic hazards (shoulders / backs / wrists)

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L Plant Walkway
Wednesday, 12th January 2005 Friday,
21st January 2005
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ADVISING PATIENTS ABOUT WORK - Diagnosis is
important teno RSI Occ Asthma are all
reportable (RIDDOR regulations) - Med Certs can
support recovery rehabilitation ask about
modified work - time away from work has health
affects GP role is complete only when the patient
is back at work. Agree a timescale - 50 of
those off gt6 months do not return to any form of
work. Work is good for you - Physio / CBT / work
counselling is required at an early stage - RTW
after acute symptoms of depression may aid
recovery - Ask what they can do and what is
preventing then doing this
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- consider referral to Occupational health /
Disability Employment advisor at the jobcentre
(Access to Work) - only around 5 of employees
have access to occupational health - a company
has a responsibility to manage attendance and can
dismiss the patient while off sick Is it in
the patients best interest to be off work
? There will come a point at which work will
make you feel better - we dont want to miss
that www.dwp.gov.uk/medical
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Case Histories

•  1.       A 32 year old lady works at Oasis and
  has been off with DV for 3 days. She wants a
  note for work to say she is not infective.
  Symptoms improved now.
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• 2.       A RGN patient complains of feeling
  stressed anxious and depressed because of work.
  She has already had a week off. She is unhappy at
  work but performing normally but feels she is not
  valued or treated fairly with job rota's. She
  requests further time off you do not feel she is
  clinically depressed. What do you do?
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• 3.       A 19yr old man attends surgery with a
  URTI and is given antibiotics. He then asks for
  a sick note as he is due to appear in court in a
  few days.  He is unemployed.
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• 4.       A 45yr old man in surgery complains of
  pain in his wrist since starting his new job and
  says can't work.  O/E there is tenderness over
  the dorsum of the wrist with full and painful
  movements but no crepitus.  What do you write on
  the medical certificate?  

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Norwich Union Healthcare Found

• 94 of GPs believed that employers are not doing
  enough to prevent their employees going on to
  sick leave

• 85 of employers thought GPs were too quick to
  sign sick notes