Workplace Health Leadership Group holds its inaugural conference

The Workplace Health Leadership Group NI (WHLGNI)  held its inaugural conference, ‘Occupational Health, Hygiene and Wellbeing’ at the Titanic, Belfast yesterday.

The conference, which included a comprehensive programme of policy makers, marked the start of a concerted, regional, multi-agency journey aimed at raising the profile of work-related health. The aim of the event is to ensure work-related health receives the same recognition in the working environment as safety, and in doing so, achieves practical business and societal benefits along the way.

Key speakers at the Conference included Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Health; Prof David Fishwick, Consultant Respiratory Physician at the Centre for Workplace Health, Honorary Professor of Respiratory Medicine at University of Sheffield, Chief Medical Adviser to HSE GB and HSENI; and Prof Diana Kloss MBE, Occupational Health Law expert and barrister, Honorary President of The Council for Work and Health.

Commenting on the event, Wilson Lambe, Chair of WHLGNI, said: “Few of us will have studied health and safety history, yet many of us agree that safety over the past 20 years has taken precedence over health.

“Employers have begun to recognise the importance of employee health and those at the forefront of this change understand that improvements in employee health are win-win for all.  We are delighted that so many expert speakers were able to inform all about workplace health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland.”

Delegates heard how most workplace ill-health is preventable and the importance of the need to approach it with the same enthusiasm as safety. Key messages included how the workplace acts as an excellent forum for promoting good health and preventing the development of a work related disease.

During the conference WHLGNI launched the NI Workplace Health Strategy 2017-2020. All delegates were invited to consider how they could best contribute to managing work related health in their own workplaces and in doing so, buying into the new Strategy and becoming part of the success story.

Photo - Attending the Workplace Health Leadership Group NI Conference at the Titanic, from L-R, Richard McIvor, Chair IOSH Ireland Regional Coordinating Committee, Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer at the Departmental for Health, and Wilson Lambe, Chair Workplace Health Leadership Group NI.