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Changes to your Occupational Health Service
The University of Essex Occupational Health Service provides services to protect health at work, assess and advise on fitness for work and to ensure that health issues are effectively managed.
Our aim is to promote and support a culture where the physical and psychological health of staff, students and others involved in the University is respected, protected and improved whilst at work.
Up to date news of service provision changes in Occupational Health
The Occupational Health Service (OH) welcomes new contracts now providing OH services to Writtle College, Colchester Institute/Braintree College and University Campus Suffolk.
With the growth of these services we now welcome two new staff to the OH team, Sarah Lyster, Occupational Health Advisor and Michelle Burrows, Occupational Health Assistant.
OH is now providing physiotherapy and rehabilitation services for all staff. Physiotherapy is being offered free for staff with a clinical need, this is being provided by physiotherapist lecturers from HHS and in time they may have students working with them on clinical placement.
In conjunction with the sports centre, staff who have been recommended physical rehabilitation can access the sports centre with an OH rehab pass. The will be shown what equipment to use by the Physiotherapists. Plans are underway to run classes for back, hip and knee, cardiac and rehab with the sports centre staff.
We are also delighted to announce another rehabilitation service through Zurich Insurance. Working in partnership, we can refer any member of staff who has been injured at work for physiotherapy/physical or mental rehabilitation.
Any staff wishing to access physiotherapy must be referred to Occupational Health by their line manager, the referral form can be found on the OH website.
We continue to provide counselling services for all staff, please contact OH for contact numbers or any other questions regarding this service.
Lara Carmel
Head of Occupational Health
Stress Awareness Events 2011
To mark National Stress Awareness Day on 2 November the University held a week of events at the Southend and Colchester Campuses to raise awareness of stress at work and how to manage the symptoms. This included incentives to encourage you to take time for a lunch break, anti-stress freebies for participants in events and entry to our free prize draw.
Southend Campus started the week on Monday 31 October with mini health checks provided by the Occupational Health Service and a relaxation room with gentle music and soft seats in the gateway Building Chaplaincy. On Thursday 3 November staff were prepared to giggle and have fun at a light-hearted Laughter Yoga session that combined laughter exercises with yoga. The week at Southend ended on Friday with Sam Haylock taking staff for a lunchtime walk and ice cream.
A Tuesday Taster started the series of events at Colchester. Dr Valerie Gladwell and Dan Brown from Biological Sciences spoke about their latest research. They explored what stress is, described how it can be measured and give the opportunity to discuss methods of reducing stress in the workplace.
On Wednesday 2 November there was an information stand on Square 4, where the Health and Safety Advisory Service and Human Resources gave tips on dealing with stress and provided information on what the University is doing to help you.
The Occupational Health Service held an open clinic offering mini health checks and advice on stress management. This proved to be particularly popular with over 200 people attending. Advice on relaxation and posture was available from Yasuko Milner, a specialist in Shiatsu.
The Staff Common Room Association opened its doors to non-members offering free tea and cake and the opportunity to see the facilities and find out more about membership.
On Thursday 3 November Thomas Yap our Anglican Chaplain invited staff to join him for a cup of tea with a choice of teas from around the world, including a demonstration of a Chinese tea drinking ritual. While the Knit & Natter Group also welcomed staff to join them for a chat and tea. Contact Liz Gordon-Hancock for more information on (01206 87) 3072 or email lizgh
The Occupational Health Service presented an interactive session on Stress and Resilience.
To finish the week Kim Brunning brought the light hearted Laughter Yoga session to Colchester and Sara Stock guided staff on a lunchtime walk around the grounds.
Prize draw
The winners of the prize draw were:
- Winner (£25 book voucher):
- Dr Nicky Slee, Biological Sciences, Colchester
- Runners up:
- Debbie Hall, Psychoanalytical Studies, Colchester
- Christopher Green, Health and Human Sciences, Southend
Stress at Work Awareness Events - 31 October to 4 November 2011
Please see the Stress at Work Awareness document (.docx) for more information.
New Stress Management Policy
The University's new Stress Management Policy was approved by Council on 14 July 2011. You will find the new Policy on the Work-related Stress webpages.
Wellbeing News: Issue 5
The fifth edition of Wellbeing News (.pdf) is now available. In this edition:
- Driving for work
- Fire safety in the great outdoors
- H&S responsibilities of Principal Investigators
- Organising events: new guidance
- Changes to hazardous substance labelling
- Safe disposal of sharps
- May Green Fair
New Guidance on Health and Safety in Fieldwork
New guidance on Health and Safety in Fieldwork has just been published by UCEA / USHA. This supersedes their 2005 document Safety in Fieldwork. The guidance can be found on the UCEA website by following the link below:
Health and Safety in Fieldwork (UCEA/USHA)
Fire Safety in the Great Outdoors
NEW: Read our tips on fire safety in the great outdoors including barbeques and camping.
Hazardous Substances: changes to labelling symbols
If you
handle, use, store or transport hazardous substances, you may already
have seen changes to warning labels on products and also to the
information on Safety Data Sheets.
Your COSHH
assessments and methods of work may require review with any updates
communicated to your team.
Health and Safety Course Dates 2011-12 now available
Health and safety course dates for the 2011-12 academic year are now available. Please follow the Induction and Training link to view them.Driving for Work: New standard
A new health and safety standard covering employees who drive their own vehicle for business has just been published. The Standard has been approved by Helth and Safety Committee.
The site gives guidance on health and safety when employees drive their own vehicle for University related business. It explains what heads of department, managers and employees need to do to manage driving risks. It includes a generic risk assessment and a Driving for Work Checklist to enable managers to check that suitable measures are in place for the safety of employees who drive for work. There are also links to information on safe driving.
Find out more at: Driving for Work 
Event Safety
A new website giving guidance on organising events safely has just been published on this site. It includes guidance on managing fire and health and safety risks. You will also find some generic risk assessments to help you. Find out more at: Event Safety.
OHSAS: Structural changes
The Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Service (OHSAS) has become two discreet functions:
- the Occupational Health Service managed by Lara Carmel and
- the Health and Safety Advisory Service (HSAS) managed by Claire Saunders.
There will continue to be strong collaborative and partnership working between the two units but the separation is necessary as part of the planned accreditation of the Occupational Health Service to ensure the provision of a high quality OH service.
Over time this website and our documents will be amended to reflect the new structure. The web-link www.essex.ac.uk/OHSAS will continue to be used for now.Lunchtime walks
If you are based on the Colchester campus, you are welcome to join one of the regular lunchtime walks, organised by Sara Stock.
The starting point for walks is the round bench in Square 5 at 1:05pm. Walks take place on a two week pattern, Tuesday and Thursday one week and Wednesday and Friday the next. No need to book – just turn up!
Walks are usually led by Sara Stock. On days when she can’t be there please gather and walk without her.
Sara is happy to be contacted for more information – e-mail sstock or ring 4853.
The dates are published on the daily events list, which you can subscribe to by visiting https://www2.essex.ac.uk/secure/cs/mailinglists/daily.asp then clicking the 'Join' button. Alternatively contact Sara to find out the date of he next walk.
If you are interested in finding out more about the wildlife on the Colchester campus, have a look at the new Biodiversity site.
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