Founding members of the Financial Services Group -- the 17th IOSH group -- meet for the first time today.
It has been set up to bring together health and safety professionals who work for organisations such as banks and insurance firms and individuals connected with the provision of financial services.
Tony Bough, Chair of the group, said risks faced in the industry range from safety hazards for insurance claim assessors and those who repair damaged vehicles to health issues for office-based employees.
He said: "It is often unrecognised, but the financial services sector has a diverse range of risks. These risks include those to both the safety and health of employees.
"With that in mind, I felt there was a real opportunity for a new IOSH group, to be able to bring together health and safety representatives from across the sector. This will enable the sharing of good practice and exploring of new ways of protecting workers.
"Take the insurance services for example. Many employees, particularly those investigating claims, have to visit hazardous environments. Strong and robust safety management systems are required for these."
Tony added: "There are a lot of office-based people in financial services as well. Ergonomics is a well-known risk factor but there are also a number of general wellbeing and mental health issues in such environments.
"These can lead to illness, which can of course be a burden on firms. Health and safety professionals are in a unique position to help promote health and wellbeing at work. So, our group will be able to look at the ways that firms help these workers remain healthy.
"There are some great examples out there, and our events will draw on these and through networking we can have the opportunity to share what we do."
The Group will run regular events for its members to allow for sharing of good practice and networking.
IOSH members who work in finance and related professional services are invited to apply to join the committee or be part of the group and attend its meetings.
For more information, contact Julie Littlejohns, Relationship Manager for the Group, by emailing [email protected]