Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

Outline
reasons and benefi ts for undertaking regular 
fi re drills in the workplace.
19. 
Outline
the issues that should be included in a train-
ing programme for employees on the emergency 
action to take in the event of fi re.

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14.1 
Introduction
Occupational health is as important as occupational 
safety but generally receives less attention from man-
agers. Every year twice as many people suffer ill-health 
caused or exacerbated by the workplace than suffer 
workplace injury. Although these illnesses do not usu-
ally kill people, they can lead to many years of discom-
fort and pain. Such illnesses include respiratory disease, 
hearing problems, asthmatic conditions and back pain. 
Furthermore, it has been estimated in the UK that 30% 
of all cancers probably have an occupational link – that 
linkage is known for certain in 8% of cancer cases.
Work in the fi eld of occupational health has been 
taking place for the last four centuries and possibly 
longer. The main reason for the relatively low profi le for 
occupational health over the years has been the diffi culty 
in linking the ill-health effect with the workplace cause. 
Many illnesses, such as asthma or back pain, can have a 
workplace cause but can also have other causes. Many 
of the advances in occupational health have been as a 
result of statistical and epidemiological studies (one well-
known such study linked the incidence of lung cancer 
to cigarette smoking). While such studies are invalu-
able in the assessment of health risk, there is always an 
element of doubt when trying to link cause and effect. 
The measurement of gas and dust concentrations is also 
subject to doubt when a correlation is made between a 
measured sample and the workplace environment from 
which it was taken. Occupational health, unlike occupa-
tional safety, is generally more concerned with probabil-
ities than certainties.
In this chapter, chemical and biological health 
hazards will be considered – other forms of health 
hazard will be covered in Chapter 15.
The chemical and biological health hazards described 
in this chapter are covered by the following health and 
safety regulations:
➤
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 
Regulations
➤
Control of Lead at Work Regulations
➤
Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations.