Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
Readjusting the Lens: How to protect the psychosocial wellbeing of staff
Feel the Noise: The silent cost of hearing loss
Download the Jan/Feb 2021 Issue: Read the digital edition here

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Interactive
    • Podcast
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Sector: Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Sector: Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Sector: Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Topics
  • Health
Construction
News

Construction managers need support to raise health bar

Open-access content 21st November 2019

That is one of the headline findings from Raising the bar for occupational health management in construction, a research paper presented by the publishing arm of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

The research, carried out by Loughborough University, with input from the Thames Tideway Tunnel project in London, noted that construction safety management has increasingly become incorporated into project management and that OSH professionals have landed an advisory role, supporting construction managers who have overall responsibility for delivery.

However, the researchers found that this structural arrangement hasn't been applied consistently across industry when it comes to the management of health risks. They also reported that OSH professionals don't always have the expertise to provide the support needed.

Major projects like Thames Tideway Tunnel are critical to raising the standards of health management, but also good practices will need to be universally adopted in small-to-medium-sized enterprises if improvements throughout the construction sector are to be sustained in the future


The three-year research project, which was funded by IOSH, put forward a number of reasons for this discrepancy. These included OSH professionals not having adequate knowledge to provide support and the reluctance of managers and OSH professionals to become involved in issues, which they see as 'personal'.

One of the key sources of expertise needed to support managers and OSH professionals -- occupational hygienists -- are a relatively recent addition to UK construction, the paper reported. However, increasing the availability of these experts beyond major projects like Thames Tideway Tunnel remains a challenge due to the national shortfall in the number of hygienists available. The researchers said that the scarcity in occupational hygienists meant it was even more important that construction managers and OSH professionals had a stronger understanding of health risks.

The findings, which will be explored in greater detail in a forthcoming IOSH Magazine feature, included proposals for a range of interventions, which would create a more consistent approach to occupational health management and health surveillance, and improve the commitment to better training and improved portability of occupational health data.

Professor Alistair Gibb, who headed up the research at Loughborough University, said: "Major projects like Thames Tideway Tunnel are critical to raising the standards of health management, but also good practices will need to be universally adopted in small-to-medium-sized enterprises if improvements throughout the construction sector are to be sustained in the future."

Topics:
Health
Construction
News
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Health and Safety Manager

Manchester
Up to £45000.00 per annum + Plus travel and benefits
Reference
5447867

Health and Safety Advisor

Lambeth
£42000 - £48000 per annum + Car allowance + Excellent benefits
Reference
5447864

Health & Safety Lead

Bracknell
£45k - 48k per year
Reference
5447863
See all jobs »

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

Copyright © 2021 IOSH. IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites.