People with occupational health jobs in the UK, as well as those looking for occupational health vacancies, may be interested to note that an industry body has praised an initiative launched by British Gas. The utility company has succeeded in cutting its road accidents by 30 per cent thanks to its Driver Risk Management System.
Responding to the achievement, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) noted that as well as leading to benefits concerning the wellbeing of staff members, programmes like this can also save firms money.
It is thought that the British Gas system has saved the organisation more than £2 million since it was introduced.
The IOSH therefore urged other companies to follow the same path and implement effective safety initiatives.
Head of campaigns at the organisation Caroline Patel said: “British businesses that don’t take good health and safety seriously are missing a trick. Potentially, they are losing out on hundreds of thousands of pounds just because they haven’t got the right health and safety strategies in place.”
Meanwhile, talking about British Gas specifically, she noted that the business has improved its competitive edge by enhancing the skills of its drivers.
She added: “We want to get the message through to all UK businesses that health and safety is a driver for growth – a key factor in this challenging economic climate.”
The presence of individuals with occupational health jobs can have a marked impact on the safety records of organisations. If more firms heed the advice issued by the IOSH and implement initiatives to protect workers, there may be a rise in the number of occupational health vacancies.
Meanwhile, the IOSH is a chartered body for health and safety professionals and it currently has more than 39,000 individual members. It describes itself as the largest organisation of its kind in the world.