Connections Newsletter July - Sept 2011

Building On Our Success at Farringdon 

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected by Costain Laing O’Rourke Joint Venture to provide full time occupational health support for the Farringdon Station Construction Project.  Already providers of drug & alcohol testing to the project, our professional services will now be extended to include the provision of full time nursing staff overseeing construction medicals, health surveillance and on-site treatment services.

Mick Franks, Project SHE Manager at the Farringdon Station Construction Project, says “We chose HCC due to their flexibility and enthusiasm to provide the service. The support being received on and off site has been very good with everyone willing to help.’’

The work at Farringdon is part of the Thameslink Programme - a £5.5bn scheme to improve journeys running north-south through London and will link in to work on the Crossrail scheme improving journeys east-west through London.
 

Railtex 2011 Roundup

Railtex 2011 proved a great success for Healthcare Connections. Our team was on hand to discuss our range of services, as well as demonstrate the benefits of our on-line medication checking & absence management platforms.

Proving particularly popular this year was the presence of one of our nurses who was available to give advice and perform basic health checks on visitors to our stand.  

Like some of these visitors, many of us don’t know our cholesterol levels, or whether our blood pressure is within a healthy range.

With this in mind, why not have one of our Occupational Health Professionals operate a 'Well at Work' clinic for your employees on-site to you?

For more details contact one of our sales team who would be pleased to work with you to tailor a clinic to perform health checks relevant to your business.

Increase in Construction Industry Deaths

Official statistics published by the Health & Safety Executive on 28th June 2011 show the number of workers killed in the construction industry last year (April 2010 to March 2011) has increased.

The figures show the number of workers killed was 50, an increase on the previous year, when 41 died. Philip White, HSE’s Chief Construction Inspector, said “HSE will continue to work to reduce the number of fatal accidents, however, it is ultimately the responsibility of those who create health and safety risks to control them and prevent people being killed and injured”.

As experienced providers of fully integrated occupational health, Healthcare Connections is able to provide medical services under the Fitness for Task Standards for the Construction Industry. The standards, issued by Constructing Better Health (CBH), give contractors clear guidance on maintaining a healthy company health and safety policy.

 How can we help? We can develop a bespoke offering to suit you and the size of your organisation. 

• Health Checks
• Health Surveillance
• Health Promotion Programmes
• Tool Box Talks and Seminars
• Attendance Management
• Rehabilitation & Return to Work
• D&A Screening, Including For Cause
• First Aid & Emergency Response
• On-site Treatment/Testing Service

Source: www.hse.gov.uk/press/2011/hse-fatalstatscon.htm 

Spotlight on... Holiday Health

Organisations such as Constructing Better Health are supporting Skin Cancer Awareness 2011 and promoting the campaign to their members - www.cbhscheme.com. Help protect against the disease by staying safe in the sun:

• apply a high UVA protection sunscreen before you go out into the sun and remember to reapply, especially after swimming
• stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm when the sun is at its hottest and take special care of children, those with fair skin and anyone taking medications which sensitise the skin to sunlight
• wear light clothing and hats which provide added protection.

If you’re going abroad always check the safety of the local water - if in doubt stick to safe beverages such as bottled carbonated drinks or hot tea and coffee made from boiled water. Use bottled water for teeth brushing, avoid food which may have been washed in local water such as salads and avoid ice. If you do get struck down with holiday tummy, rehydration solutions made up with bottled water will replace lost fluids and electrolytes. Sachets are readily available from your local pharmacy. Remember to check the seal on bottles of water to make sure they haven’t been refilled from local taps.

And finally, a last minute holiday may seem like a bargain but do take care if the break is to an area requiring travel vaccinations and malaria tablets which should be started days or even weeks before you travel. Travelling without adequate protection can be extremely dangerous and can turn a bargain break into a nightmare. We can assist you with the planning and organisation of specialist travel vaccines, as well as malaria treatment if you are visiting a high risk region.