The <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.ssg.co.uk/courses/nebosh-national-general-certificate-in-occupational-health-and-safety">NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety</a> is a globally recognised qualification designed to provide individuals with essential knowledge and skills to manage health and safety in the workplace.The NEBOSH General Certificate offers significant benefits for both individuals and organisations, from career advancement and legal compliance to creating safer and more efficient workplaces.Below are some of the key benefits of obtaining the NEBOSH General Certificate:1. Enhanced career opportunitiesGlobal recognition: The NEBOSH General Certificate is recognised internationally, making it a valuable qualification for those seeking a career in health and safety across various industries.Increased employability: Employers often prefer candidates with a NEBOSH certification, as it demonstrates a strong understanding of health and safety principles, making you more attractive in the job market.Career advancement: Having the NEBOSH General Certificate can open opportunities for promotions and higher-level roles in health and safety management.2. Improved workplace safetyRisk management: The course provides a solid foundation in identifying workplace hazards and managing risks, leading to a safer working environment.Legal compliance: It ensures that you understand health and safety laws and regulations, helping organisations comply with legal requirements and avoid costly fines.Reduced accidents: By applying the knowledge gained, you can contribute to reducing accidents, injuries, and illnesses in the workplace, enhancing the overall safety culture.3. Knowledge and skill developmentComprehensive understanding: The course covers a wide range of topics including risk assessment, hazard identification, control measures, and emergency procedures.Practical skills: It equips you with practical skills to handle real-world health and safety challenges, from conducting safety audits to developing safety policies.4. Cost saving for employersReduced insurance premiums: Companies with trained safety professionals often see reductions in insurance premiums due to fewer accidents and claims.Minimised absenteeism: A safer workplace leads to fewer injuries, resulting in less absenteeism and greater productivity.Improved efficiency: By identifying and mitigating risks, businesses can reduce downtime and improve operational efficiency.5. Enhanced reputation and trustStakeholder confidence: Companies that invest in health and safety training, including the NEBOSH General Certificate, build trust with clients, partners, and regulators.CSR and ethical practices: Organisations that prioritize safety demonstrate a commitment to corporate social responsibility, which can improve their reputation and public image.6. Foundation for further qualificationsStepping stone to advanced certifications: The NEBOSH General Certificate is often a prerequisite for more advanced health and safety qualifications, such as the NEBOSH Diploma, which can further enhance career prospects.7. Personal satisfactionConfidence in knowledge: Obtaining a NEBOSH General Certificate boosts personal confidence in your ability to address health and safety issues effectively.Professional recognition: Completing the qualification allows you to join the growing community of safety professionals, gaining professional recognition and respect within your industry.8. Flexibility of learningVarious learning formats: NEBOSH offers multiple learning options including classroom-based, online, or blended learning, making it flexible for different types of learners.Tailored for different industries: Although it’s a general qualification, the skills learned are transferable across various sectors such as construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail.SSG provide the <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.ssg.co.uk/courses/nebosh-national-general-certificate-in-occupational-health-and-safety">NEBOSH General Certificate</a> in the traditional classroom setting as well as enabling people to attend virtually, offering a flexible, accessible, and efficient alternative for learning whilst retaining the important interaction benefits for all attendees. Whether you're looking to enhance workplace safety, improve your leadership skills, or ensure legal compliance, our delivery options provide a practical and impactful solution for all without losing that all important factor of personal like engagement with both online and classroom attendees.

A globally recognised qualification designed to provide individuals with essential knowledge and skills to manage health and safety in the workplace. 

Transform your career in 2025 with SSG’s NEBOSH General Certificate

The <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.ssg.co.uk/courses/iosh-managing-safely">IOSH Managing Safely®</a> course is accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), a globally recognised authority in health and safety. Having this qualification enhances credibility and shows a commitment to maintaining high safety standards.In today's rapidly evolving work environment, health and safety have become central concerns for businesses across all industries. Ensuring that managers and supervisors are equipped with the knowledge to effectively manage workplace risks is critical for reducing accidents, maintaining productivity, and ensuring legal compliance.This course is highly beneficial for individuals and organisations for several reasons:1. Enhanced workplace safetyThe course provides essential knowledge on identifying hazards and risks in the workplace, helping managers prevent accidents and ensure a safer environment for employees.2. Improved legal complianceBy completing IOSH Managing Safely, managers are better equipped to comply with health and safety laws, minimising the risk of legal issues or penalties related to workplace accidents.3. Risk management skillsIt helps managers learn how to assess and control risks effectively. This reduces the likelihood of incidents, leading to fewer injuries, lower insurance premiums, and reduced downtime.4. Increased awareness and responsibilityThe course empowers managers to take responsibility for the health and safety of their teams, fostering a culture of safety within the organisation and ensuring that safety is embedded in everyday operations.5. Boosted organisational reputationOrganisations that invest in training like IOSH Managing Safely are seen as more responsible, improving their reputation with clients, partners, and stakeholders. This can lead to better business opportunities.6. Cost reductionBy reducing accidents and improving safety, organisations can lower costs associated with workplace injuries, absenteeism, compensation claims, and regulatory fines.7. Improved employee moraleA safer workplace means less anxiety for employees regarding their wellbeing, which can improve morale, increase productivity, and reduce staff turnover.At SSG, we offer the IOSH Managing Safely® course both in the classroom and online, offering a flexible, accessible, and efficient alternative for learning yet retaining the important interaction benefits for all attendees. For more information on our delivery styles, click <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.ssg.co.uk/about/booking-types">here</a> or speak to a member of our team on 01752 201616.Attending this 3-day course is an invaluable resource for organisations and individuals aiming to prioritise workplace safety. By investing in IOSH training, businesses can enhance their reputation, improve employee morale and ensure long-term sustainability. Whether attending in the classroom or online, SSG courses offer a flexible and engaging learning experience to equip delegates with the skills needed to create safer, more productive work environments.

In today's rapidly evolving work environment, health and safety have become central concerns for businesses across all industries. 

Improving workplace safety: the benefits of IOSH Managing Safely®

The government is encouraging employers to do social prescribing as a way of enabling their long-term sick employees back to work.&nbsp;The term social prescribing relates to involvement with other people in your community. It can involve coffee with a neighbour, volunteering and group hobbies or activities. Crucially it makes you feel good!The concept is being used for return to work support because it can help reduce social isolation as well as making a long-term sick employee feel good. Social isolation and loneliness can increase during periods of long-term sickness. Because social prescribing builds social contact it helps reduce the sense of isolation. Medical evidence also shows that loneliness and social isolation can have negative health impacts. So social prescribing helps to reduce both the sense of isolation and the wider health impacts on long-term sick employees.The awareness and use of social prescribing is growing. GPs have been social prescribing since 2020 and the government’s forthcoming WorkWell scheme (being launched in England) aims to help around 59,000 people with disabilities and health conditions to access social prescribers such as community groups, running clubs and life coaches.How can employers utilise social prescribing?<ul><li>Understand the needs and traits of your employees. Someone with a more extrovert personality might prefer a type of prescribing which would trigger a stress reaction in your more introverted employees. Similarly, an employee with no history of exercise may not appreciate or get value from being signposted to a running group.</li><li>Create a bank of social prescribing options that you can sign post to employees.</li><li>The most popular social prescribing option amongst employees themselves is volunteering. Consider how you can enable employees to access volunteering though time allocation and providing resources. Build relationships with local organisations that are seeking volunteer support.&nbsp;</li><li>Consider employee representative groups and internal networks to bring cross sections of employees together to interact. These can meet in person or virtually so your home worker / hybrid workers are not excluded.&nbsp;</li><li>In-house clubs and societies, especially ones that extend to external activities, are important options. For example, here at SSG we have a walking group who meet monthly either after work or at weekends.</li><li>Consider ways to fully enable social prescribing to succeed. For example, consider granting employees the flexibility within their day to connect with their local community whether that be singing in a choir, crafts or fitness.</li></ul>

The government is encouraging employers to do social prescribing as a way of enabling their long-term sick employees back to work.  

Social prescribing – An alternative way to support employees in returning to work 

Season’s greetings from all of us at SSG!As the holiday season approaches, we want to take a moment to thank you for being a valued part of our journey this year. Your support means the world to us, and we’re excited to continue working together in 2025.We wish you a holiday season filled with warmth, happiness, and a prosperous New Year.Please note that our offices will be closed from 24 December 2024 until 02 January 2025.The SSG team.

Season’s greetings and a thank you from SSG.

SSG's 2024 Christmas closing dates

In the UK today the number of employees either leaving the workplace due to ill health or working with an ongoing medical condition are at near record highs. With such a high prevalence of ill health many line managers gained experience of considering and implementing reasonable adjustments that might enable team members to remain in work. &nbsp;But discussions on reasonable adjustments can lead to a difference of opinion between an employee’s expectation and the manager’s view of what is feasible and manageable.Currently the most requested reasonable adjustment is to be able to work from home even where this is impractical. Managers must consider requests for reasonable adjustments based on the facts and specifics of the employee’s health situation. An employer is not legally required to grant an adjustment because it has been requested, but they should record the reasons it is rejected.Other recent examples of reasonable adjustment requests have included never having to attend meetings, never taking a phone call and asking for the agenda before all meetings.So how can managers determine what is reasonable and what is not reasonable when it comes to adjustments. The key considerations are:<ul><li>Make an objective assessment. Look at the request from both sides and consider what might work as well as what might not work.</li><li>Consider the medical information available.</li><li>Consider the reasonable adjustments identified by any medical specialist and/or occupational health and not just what the employee thinks is reasonable.</li><li>Consider each request on a case by case basis.</li><li>Consider the requirements of the role and the wider business.</li><li>Consider the impact of accepting the request on colleagues and operations.</li><li>Consider if a trial period of the adjustment might be feasible.</li></ul>Tribunals are usually more understanding towards employers that show the adjustment would have significantly impacted operations or increased the workload of colleagues.What are the tests of reasonableness that tribunals look at?Tribunals will assess whether an adjustment was reasonable by considering the following factors:<ul><li>The extent to which the adjustment would have helped remove the disadvantage the employee was experiencing.</li><li>How practicable the adjustment was.</li><li>The cost of the adjustment.</li><li>If the adjustment would have impacted the employer’s operation / activities.</li><li>The size of the organisation.</li><li>The nature of the organisation’s activities.</li><li>The resources available to the organisation (especially financial resources).</li><li>Whether other external assistance was available.</li></ul>Record keeping and communication with employeeWhen you decide what is reasonable or what can be trialled ensure you document this in a plan that can be regularly reviewed and updated with the employee. These are called Personal Adjustment Plans (PAPs) and are a shared record or what has been agreed so all parties are clear.Hold regular welfare discussions with the employee to review their plan and amend it to meet the health needs of the employee and the operational needs of the organisation.Trial periods are a useful way to assess whether an adjustment is reasonable or feasible as they enable both manager and employee to check if the adjustments do enable the employee to carry out their role.&nbsp;Remember to clearly communicate to the employee that a trial means the adjustment is temporary whilst the effectiveness is assessed.If you decline a request for a reasonable adjustment, ensure you tell the employee the reasons why and retain a record which can be referred back should there be a challenge at a later time.

In the UK today the number of employees either leaving the workplace due to ill health or working with an ongoing medical condition are at near record highs. 

Reasonable adjustments – When do they become unreasonable?

What could be worse than a male line manager asking a younger female colleague about whether she was pregnant? How about that manager asking the employee if she wanted help getting pregnant and then being involved in the investigation into his own conduct after the employee raised a complaint!This is precisely what happened when a medic at Event Medical Group was twice asked by her manager if she was pregnant and twice asked if she wanted a hand with getting pregnant.The employee followed up the conversation with her line manager in an email saying the comments were offensive and possible sexual harassment. The employee also said that she was resigning with immediate effect.The company manager then convened a panel to investigate the allegations. An investigation meeting was postponed by the employee as she needed external guidance first. Then four weeks later the company manager wrote to the employee saying that as she had failed to put forward an alternative date the matter was deemed closed.In the meantime, the company manager had sent the draft investigation report to the line manager and commented that he had ensured that he had highlighted that the employee was “wrong and malicious.” The line manager responded by saying the report might need a few changes and that the company manager “should bring your laptop.”The company manager then sent the report to the investigation panel saying that the employee’s comments were unfounded. The investigation panel subsequently concluded that the comment “are you pregnant” was “made without causing harm or offence.”The employee was not informed of the investigation report nor the findings of the investigation panel.The tribunal found that the aim of management at Event Medical Group had been to pressure the employee to withdraw her complaint or at least to disengage from the process instead of genuinely investigating and learning from the incident. It found that the conduct of the management was related to sex and the tone of their messages inferred that the employee was “a silly young woman who needed to be put in her place.”The tribunal found that the line manager had been involved in the investigation into his own conduct from the outset. He was monitoring the situation and approving emails drafted by the company manager before they were sent out. The investigation report was even found to have been sent to the line manager for his approval. The investigation had not set out to establish the facts, consider what had happened or identify future training needs.Employer learning from the caseThis case highlights the following requirements to employers:<ul><li>Conduct full, fair and detailed investigations into all allegations of harassment.</li><li>Provide regular training to line managers on investigation and disciplinary procedures.</li><li>Ensure an alleged perpetrator of harassment is not involved in their own investigation nor be able to steer / influence the outcome of an investigation.</li></ul>Remember any line manager found to have made the comments such as those made by the manager in this case will inevitably lead to a finding of direct sex discrimination and harassment at tribunal.

What could be worse than a male line manager asking a younger female colleague about whether she was pregnant? 

Manager who harassed female colleague investigated his own wrongdoing

Join us for the final free midweek masterclass of 2024!The session will be delivered by Manuela Grossmann and Adam Worth on the application of law in the modern workplace.Book your spot and join our team on Wednesday 18 December at 10:00am here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlce-tqTItHNJQP4BOk__xRQnS1faicMNX?mc_cid=439cda933b&amp;mc_eid=c690442c9a#/registration">Meeting Registration - Zoom</a>

The application of law in the modern workplace.

Join our December's free midweek masterclass

A recent tribunal case has shown that referring to an employee as “sour and bitter” could amount to sex discrimination. An appeal tribunal has found that such comments made by a line manager, especially when used alongside references to “that woman”, could amount to discrimination.In the case, Ms Kemsley worked for Cambridgeshire County Council in their archive service. The language was used about her in emails sent by her manager, Mr Anderson, with whom she had a strained working relationship. Ms Kemsley made it clear to her employer in 2018 that she did not want to be supervised by Mr Anderson.Ms Kemsley kept a log of the issues with Mr Anderson and claimed he repeatedly made derogatory remarks about her including telling her that her top was “revolting” and recommended she go and “see a psychiatrist” due to her “serious psychological problems.” Then in August 2018 Mr Anderson sent an email to her line manager at the time in which he labelled Ms Kemsley a “sour and bitter individual.”Ms Kemsley informed the appeal tribunal that such a comment alongside using the term “that woman” showed Mr Anderson had discriminatory attitudes towards her sex.Ms Kemsley claimed that comments about her “revolting top” and the suggestion she seek psychiatric help could constitute detriments. The appeal agreed with Ms Kemsley’s claims and referred the matter for a new hearing at a first stage tribunal.Employer learning from the caseThis case highlights key lessons for employers:Investigate any concerns raised by an employee about potential discrimination in the workplace. Investigations need to be unbiased and thorough.<ul><li>Investigating managers must consider the impact of comments upon the recipient and how they are perceived. &nbsp;</li><li>The investigation must explore and consider the impact of comments on a recipient and the feelings they create. Consider the significance of what the recipient has experienced.</li><li>Investigation managers must probe why the perpetrator said what they did to understand the intention behind comments and remarks.</li><li>Investigators need to be aware that comments made about an employee’s demeanour, dress sense and appearance may be deemed as unwelcome or offensive to the recipient. The investigators need to consider if such comments risk being seen as sexual harassment.</li><li>Investigations should give equal weight to both sides of a dispute.</li><li>Managers (and employees) should keep detailed records of issues as they arise.</li><li>Ensure employees at all levels are clear on how to report concerns about harassment and bullying.</li></ul>

A recent tribunal case has shown that referring to an employee as “sour and bitter” could amount to sex discrimination. 

Manager referring to an employee as “sour and bitter” found to be discriminatory

In today’s fast-paced world, creating and maintaining a healthy and safe work environment can often feel like a challenge. However, the benefits of prioritising health and safety in the workplace are immense, leading to happier employees, increased productivity and reduced absenteeism. This article will guide you through essential steps to help foster a positive culture of health and safety within your workplace.<h3 id="a158bfba-7d21-4863-8b4f-ed5362373511" data-toc-id="a158bfba-7d21-4863-8b4f-ed5362373511">Addressing common health hazards</h3>Recognising physical hazardsPhysical hazards are often the most noticeable threats in any workplace. Poor ergonomics, for example, can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, while cluttered or poorly maintained spaces increase the risk of slips, trips and falls. Regular inspections and risk assessments are vital to identifying potential physical hazards. Implementing solutions such as adjustable chairs and desks, along with maintaining a clean and organised workspace, can not only minimise accidents but also promote efficiency, boost productivity and prevent long-term injuries.Understanding chemical and biological hazardsWhile not always visible, chemical and biological hazards can present serious risks to employees’ health. Exposure to harmful chemicals can cause respiratory issues, skin irritations, or even more severe conditions over time. Similarly, bacteria and viruses can spread rapidly in enclosed spaces, potentially leading to illness outbreaks.Providing proper ventilation, encouraging the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and enforcing strict hygiene protocols are key to minimising these risks. Furthermore, training employees in the safe handling and storage of hazardous materials ensures a safer work environment for everyone and can reduce waste and costs.Managing environmental and technological hazardsEnvironmental hazards, such as poor lighting and extreme temperatures, can have a significant impact on both comfort and productivity. Technological hazards, such as faulty equipment or cybersecurity threats, can disrupt workflows and compromise workplace safety. Regular maintenance checks and audits are essential to identify and address issues before they escalate.Installing energy-efficient lighting and temperature control systems can enhance the overall work environment providing guidance to staff on the benefits of good lighting, ventilation and temperatures. Moreover, equipping employees with the knowledge to recognise and address technological hazards helps foster a proactive approach to safety.Creating a positive health and safety cultureWhen health and safety is prioritised at every level of an organisation, it becomes an integral part of the company culture. A workplace that values safety and empowers employees to take responsibility for their own well-being and that of their colleagues. A safety-first culture encourages employees to speak up about potential hazards, adhere to best practices, and support one another in maintaining a healthy work environment.Leadership plays a critical role in fostering this culture. By setting a strong example and providing the necessary resources, managers can ensure that health and safety is recognised as a core value. Regular training, clear communication, and continuous monitoring and improvement of safety protocols are all vital to ensuring that the workplace remains safe, healthy, and conducive to long-term success.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="link" href="https://www.ssg.co.uk/contact">Contact us today</a> to learn more about our comprehensive range of services including training, consultancy and membership options.

In today's fast-paced world, creating and maintaining a healthy and safe work environment can often feel like a challenge.

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