9 min
Should OH come under HR or Health and Safety? Working Well Sometimes...
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- Business
I’ve worked in occupational health (OH) for years and advised many companies. Some businesses put OH in the H&S department and some in HR; only once was I in the Facilities department which was strange. You would think it wouldn’t matter where occupational health and wellbeing services might sit; but you would be wrong. There are distinct differences on how each function operates, and it isn’t just about the personality of those in charge.
HR and H&S have different priorities and given higher authority in the business depending on the industry. For example, when I worked in Constructing Better Health (CBH) – I worked with H&S professionals but in local government and the NHS it was always HR.
Listen to this podcast to see what I (an experienced OH practitioner and qualified safety professional) think is better and why.
Other references:
High Speed 2Health and Safety at Work ActThe Good, the Bad, and the Smugly - Behind the Doors of Occupational Health - true stories of my time in OH, available to buy from AmazonRead the script to the full podcast on my blog
I’ve worked in occupational health (OH) for years and advised many companies. Some businesses put OH in the H&S department and some in HR; only once was I in the Facilities department which was strange. You would think it wouldn’t matter where occupational health and wellbeing services might sit; but you would be wrong. There are distinct differences on how each function operates, and it isn’t just about the personality of those in charge.
HR and H&S have different priorities and given higher authority in the business depending on the industry. For example, when I worked in Constructing Better Health (CBH) – I worked with H&S professionals but in local government and the NHS it was always HR.
Listen to this podcast to see what I (an experienced OH practitioner and qualified safety professional) think is better and why.
Other references:
High Speed 2Health and Safety at Work ActThe Good, the Bad, and the Smugly - Behind the Doors of Occupational Health - true stories of my time in OH, available to buy from AmazonRead the script to the full podcast on my blog
9 min