Not to be missed, mental health for health and safety professionals is the topic for this keynote conference in London. The latest survey in Safety & Health Practitioner (SHP) Magazine shows that 63% of health and safety professionals have mental health as part of their remit and a further 21% contribute to policy. Without a doubt, mental health is now a key issue in the UK’s health and safety agenda. International Workplace is pleased to support the Mental Health for Health and Safety Professionals conference taking place on 11 May at the ... Continue reading

IOSH Training & Skills is removing the need for a refresher course to be taken within three years of completing the original IOSH Managing Safely course. Jonathan Nobbs, Head of Product at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, said: "IOSH still highly recommends refresher training, we promote lifelong learning and continuing professional development. Keeping knowledge and skills up to date is a hallmark of professional practice. "However, the decision on when and if a delegate should take a refresher course relies on the speci... Continue reading

A ruling from the European Court of Justice will mean employers can bar staff from wearing visible religious symbols such as the burka, if it is included as part of prohibitions including other religious and political symbols. The ruling came in the ECJ’s first decision on the issue of women wearing Islamic headscarves at work, following two employees in Belgium and France who were dismissed for refusing to remove their headscarves, which did not cover the face. The Belgian woman had been working as a receptionist for G4S Secure Solutions, ... Continue reading

An independent review considering the issues around the employment of black and minority ethnic (BME) groups has attracted significant response from government and employment rights organisations, including disagreement over whether further legislation is necessary. The report, Race in the workplace: The McGregor-Smith review, recognises that while there is obviously a moral case – every person, regardless of their ethnicity or background, should be able to fulfil their potential at work – there is also a business case for racial diversity... Continue reading

A new Quality Standard to help employers improve their staff’s mental and physical health and wellbeing has been published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The Quality Standard aims to provide organisations with a framework to help them improve and measure employee health and wellbeing over time. Standard QS147, Healthy workplaces: improving employee mental and physical health and wellbeing, published this month, is expected to contribute to improvements in the following outcomes: wellbeing of employees; ... Continue reading