Iain Rodgers, HWL Adviser
In his previous job in environmental health, Iain Rodgers used to visit employers to make sure that they were complying with the law. But now that he is a Healthy Working Lives Adviser, he is enjoying the opportunity to play a more supportive role.
“I trained as an Environmental Health Officer then worked as an EHO for nine years,” he says. “My main areas of interest were occupational health and safety and food safety.”
Iain, who started as a HWL Adviser in occupational health and safety in May 2007, now helps and advises small and medium enterprises on complying with relevant health and safety legislation. He understands the frustrations employers have when it comes to health and safety.
“There’s is a fair amount of Health and Safety legislation, but not all of it is applicable to every business,” he explains. “As a starting point, the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations apply to everyone.
“So it’s about ensuring that employers are aware of the legislation that applies to their operations and helping them to understand how to achieve compliance. What we try to do is tailor our support to their needs.”
Most of Iain’s referrals come through the Healthy Working Lives Adviceline, which employers and employees can call for free and confidential occupational health and safety advice. Many employers call the Adviceline to request a workplace visit, which Iain or one of his colleagues can carry out at no cost to the business.
He says: “Large businesses or organisations often have in-house expertise or employ consultants. Our service is primarily aimed at the small to medium enterprise sector that very often does not have the funds to buy in or employ staff for advice.
“The focus of the workplace visit is to identify workplace hazards and to help employers either eliminate them or control and manage risks so that no one gets hurt or becomes ill.”
If there is a common problem that employers struggle with, it is that of risk assessment, adds Iain. “Quite often employers have not taken the time to develop their own knowledge and understanding of the process or have misunderstood what they have read or heard. This is often where the confusion and frustration stems from.”
He adds: “Whenever I visit, I sit down with the person - in most cases the owner or manager - and establish if there are any areas of concern that they wanted me to focus on.
“I ask a range of questions to help develop an understanding of the premises, work activities, procedures, people involved and what current health and safety management measures are in place. The majority of visits also involve an observational tour of the workplace.
“At the end of my visit, I would provide a verbal summary which would then be followed by a written prioritised action report. My prioritised report uses a simple traffic light format, red, amber and green - red being high priority and the basis for immediate action.”
He adds: “The report provides employers with direction as well as information and advice that will help them address improvements. The report also contains useful links for further information including the Healthy Working Lives Award Programme. If necessary, I will follow up with a further visit to find out how they are progressing and to provide additional advice and support .”
Whenever he visits workplaces, Iain reassures employers that their details will remain confidential. “We are not an enforcement authority,” he says. “We are there to provide free and confidential advice and support.”
Iain hopes that with his previous experience and enthusiasm for his new role that he can help and encourage employers to provide a safe and healthy workplace.
“It is a very diverse job and you get to visit a wide range of workplaces and meet lots of interesting people who are keen to listen and take action on the advice given. It’s a job I enjoy, and hopefully that comes across when I am out on visits.”
