Greater emphasis on health needed, says riph
June 1st 2008

The Royal Institute of Public Health (RIPH) has said it would like to see more emphasis put on the 'health' part of 'Health and Safety' and would endorse the different emphasis that the phrase 'occupational safety and health' portrays.

With the increasing onus being put on employers to focus on staff health and wellbeing at work, RIPH recommends that employee engagement and ownership of such programmes would be further strengthened by the appointment of 'health champions' within the workforce.

RIPH's latest qualification 'Understanding Health Improvement' – supported by the Department of Health – directly supports this model through recognising and rewarding designated workplace health champions. It enables and equips the champions to signpost public health interventions and services – the more local the better – to workplace colleagues, supporting them in choosing and adopting healthier lifestyles.