News

Drug user survey reveals realities of drug addiction

• 63% encountered a Class A drug in the last 6 months
• Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) have come across mephedrone

Far more drugs users are still encountering Class A illicit drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy, rather than the ‘legal highs’ recently receiving publicity, according to a survey conducted by Concateno, Europe’s most experienced drug and alcohol laboratory service provider.

Drug and Alcohol in the work place is becoming a major issue and OSHS have introduced a bright new training programme for HR and line managers giving an insight to drug types and usage along with what you can do to protect your workforce for the future.

OSHS is the largest independent Drug and Alcohol Testing Company in Scotland and offers exceptional value for money. A dip and read instant result is available a maximum of five minutes after the sample is passed. Alcohol breathalyser tests results are available in less than one minute. There has never been a more important time to ensure that your company has a safe environment for both the workforce and customers. In the event of a Chain of Custody, our laboratory Analysis Services are accredited to Gold Standard Confirmations ISO17025.

Non Invasive Cosmetic Surgery

Anti Ageing Treatments have revolutionalised the field of anti-wrinkle treatments. Forehead crease lines, brow worry lines, laughter lines around the eyes and other fine wrinkles can all be successfully treated. A few injections with minimal discomfort can now lead to a marked reduction in facial wrinkles. Techniques are now refined and the doctor at OSHS is trained to try and give a natural, youthful look to a clients face.

Juvederm Dermal Fillers: Many people develop deeper lines within the skin of the face due to the effects of ageing, sometimes combined with smoking. Treatments for these deeper lines are now effective and safe due to the development of facial fillers. These fillers can be injected under the skin to flatten these deep creases. Our doctor is fully trained to determine if you would benefit from these treatments and which areas to treat. Commonly treated areas include the cheeks, lips and around the mouth. For more information please Contact Us.

OSHS Flu Vaccination Programme

Last year saw the introduction of flu vaccinations to our clients. According to the CIPD, 8.4% working days are lost on average per year with a minimum cost to your organisation of 659 per employee (CIPD 2007) so taking the decision to vaccinate could be the best decision your company ever made.

Why Vaccinate?

Avoiding flu can be hard, especially if you travel or work in a high volume environment. Flu is highly infectious and is passed on through sneezing, coughing and hand contact, as well as indirectly from touching infected door handles, telephones etc.

Offering your staff a flu jab has a number of great benefits:

Cost effectiveness

Save money by decreasing employee absenteeism and maintaining productivity in your workforce.

Employee well being

Offering your workforce vaccinations sends out the message that you are committed to their health, both in work and at home.

Convenient

Our mobile service means that experienced and qualified nurses come to your site at a time that suits you.

Promoting a healthier work place

Vaccination is the best prevention against the flu virus.

Social responsibility

Vaccinating your workforce offers them protection against flu and plays a part in helping to protect their families and the wider community. To ensure the best possible price available to you, click on the link below. We will then contact you within 24 hours to establish approximate numbers and to confirm this year's pricing schedule to you. All our flu vaccination programmes are administered by a doctor and carry a health questionnaire. A flu vaccination costs as little as 13.00 per person.

Click here to contact us for more information.

Scottish employers asked to make New Year safety resolution

Employers across Scotland are being asked to ensure their workers are kept safe in 2010 as Britain's safety watchdog urges improvement on last year. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), last year almost 222 work related incidents occurred across Scotland each week, an annual total of 11,533 people being killed or injured. HSE hope this figure will act a stark reminder to employers and staff to make their workplaces safer this New Year and drive down casualty rates.

The 2008/09 statistics show 26 people were killed at work across Scotland while 2,735 sustained major injuries and a further 8,894 suffered injuries requiring more than three days absence. The figures compare with 31 fatalities, 2,822 major injuries and 9,156 cases of injuries requiring more than three days absence 2007/08. Including other absences due to ill health caused by working activities, this equates to an estimated 3.1 million working days lost at a massive cost to the economy and individual businesses, which is why HSE says it makes perfect sense to make work environments safe.

The organisation warns that if employers insist on compromising the health of their employees then it will not hesitate in taking enforcement action.

Dr Paul Stollard, HSE Director Scotland said: "Behind these statistics are the real life stories of hundreds and thousands of people and families dealing with real hardship, pain and suffering. The New Year is an opportune time to reflect on the number of incidents in the past 12 months, and try and stop the same patterns being repeated. Slips, trips and falls from height are consistently the chief causes of death and serious injury. Many of these injuries are entirely preventable. We implore businesses to take practical action to manage the risks people face in their day-to-day work."

He added: "In Scotland, the industries with most deaths and injuries are agriculture, quarrying and construction. HSE is determined to reduce this tragic toll. We are working closely with farmers and farming organisations such as NFU Scotland; and will be continuing our successful Make the Promise campaign, encouraging farmers and their families to make safety a priority. Earlier this year we strengthened our national team of quarry inspectors to ensure we can target this industry more effectively; and we continue to focus our inspection resources on the construction industry encouraging them to continue to drive up safety standards."

Britain boasts one of the best health and safety records in Europe but with 180 workplace deaths nationally last year, HSE say there is still much to be done. Dr Stollard added: "We will continue to tackle these problems through our campaigns; with partners in Scotlands health and safety community; and by taking enforcement action whenever it is appropriate. We are working much more closely now with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service through its specialist Health and Safety Division and employers across Scotland should take note that fines per conviction were on average nearly 50,000 last year."

"Simple assessments of risk, ease of tasks, accessibility, protection from harmful substances and training can and do prevent many incidents. HSE works with a number of partners to provide free advice and education to those both carrying out and managing work. We want businesses and the self-employed to work with us to help reduce injuries and make Scotland a safer place to work. Every employee has the right to return home from work safely each day and I hope employers in Scotland share that view and take steps to ensure that is the case."

National Fork Lift Safety Week Runs from 21-27th September

Medical assessment including fitness to drive sessions been run throughout this week with an additional 10% of standard rates.

Healthy Heart Promotion being run throughout September and October

Our hearts need more exercise than many of us give them. Increasing activity can help reduce other forms heart disease risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Half Day and Full Day healthy heart sessions including full medical and bloods now been run throughout Ayrshire and Glasgow. For more information please contact us.

September 2009: New measures are being introduced to protect road workers whilst working in our busy roads.

New measures are being introduced to protect road workers whilst working in our busy roads. This includes new assessments to ensure that those highway workers meet certain criteria and are indeed fit to do the job intended. OSHS offers a safety medical check include certificate for all transport workers. During the months of September and October we will be doing a Safe to Drive Project and offering discounts on our Road workers medical checks.

July 2009: 'One death is too many' - Inquiry into the underlying causes of construction fatal accidents

An Inquiry into the underlying causes of construction fatal accidents was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions in December 2008. The Inquiry arose from concern over the number of construction deaths, to examine what more could be done to tackle the underlying causes.

Many aspects were covered including Occupational Health and the need to ensure adequate health surveillance in the workplace. The full report was released in July 09 and is available on the HSE website.

May 2009: HSE Prosecutes Employer After Fall From Height Accident

Falls from height claim over 50 lives a year, or one person a week. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies to ensure that adequate precautions are being taken to prevent injuries due to falling from height and that they are meeting the requirements of the Work at Height Regulations.

The warning comes after David Rose of Portal Power was fined 10,000 pounds and costs of 607 pounds at Rugby Magistrates following an accident, which resulted in an employee falling seven metres through a fragile roof light. In addition 4,000 pounds compensation was awarded to the injured party.

Speaking after the case, HSE investigating inspector Alex Nayar said:

For more information on working at height medicals, please contact us.

October 2008: Two new doctors join the OSHS team

We are delighted to welcome two local doctors to the OSHS team who will assist the company and complement our services.

OSHS expands its services to Ireland providing Health Surveillance to local ports.

September 200

Two of our leading health professionals successfully complete phlebotomy training course.

July 2008: Barclays Trading Places Awards 2008

OSHS have been selected as one of the top 10 companies in Scotland in the Barclays Trading Places Awards 2008.

May 2008: New Contract

OSHS have secured an important contract with a blue-chip PLC, providing occupational health services.

The long-awaited Corporate Manslaughter Act has now arrived

Firstly, the new Act does not actually impose any new duties, so if you are certain that you currently comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), then you will also be complying with the new Act.

However, insufficient attention to key areas, including any of the following, will mean that as a senior manager you are vulnerable:

• the training of front line workers;
• ensuring that procedures are followed by front-line workers and junior managers;
• managing risks associated with the use of contractors.

CIPD survey shows alcohol misuse to be a significant cause of lost productivity

In a survey of 500 organisations by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 40% of employers questioned said alcohol misuse was a "significant cause" of employee absence and lost productivity. Almost a third of those surveyed had dismissed employees in the past two years because of alcohol problems. The author of the report, Ben Willmott, said employers should be doing more to help their workers fight alcohol and drug problems.

"Supporting employees with drug and alcohol problems has a high success rate, with many individuals returning to work. But organisations must make employees aware of the policies and support in place otherwise they will not have the confidence to hold their hand up and acknowledge they have a problem and need help."

Since 2001 the number of organisations with drug and alcohol policies has remained around the same (58%) and where organisations do have policies they are doing very little to actively promote them. Simply adding a policy to a rarely used staff handbook is unlikely to ensure the issue is seen as an ongoing priority. Organisations should engage with their employees to ensure that they are fully aware of its provisions. This can be done via staff briefings, poster or publicity campaigns at work, internal notice boards newsletters and email alerts.

"Training managers so that they are able to identify and manage drugs and alcohol misuse in the workplace is also essential. Yet only a third of employers train managers in how to manage these sorts of issues at work."

According to the survey, only 38% of employers provide coordinated rehabilitation support to help individuals with drug or alcohol problems return to work after treatment.

Only a third of employers train their managers in recognising and managing drugs and alcohol misuse.

The survey showed that twenty-two per cent of organisations surveyed test their workers for alcohol or drugs misuse.

OSHS provides a tailor-made drug and alcohol testing package to suit your needs.