The leading global professional body for health and safety has set up a group dedicated to ensuring workers in the financial services sector are kept out of harm’s way.
The Financial Services Group, the 18th sector-specific group of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), has been set up to bring together health and safety professionals who work for organisations such as banks and insurance firms.
Tony Bough, Chair of the group, said risks faced in the industry range from safety hazards for insurance claim assessors in mechanic workshops to health issues for office-based employees. “It is often unrecognised, but there are a huge amount of risks faced by people who work within the financial services sector. These risks include those to both their safety and their health.
“With that in mind, I felt there was a real opportunity for a new IOSH group, to be able to bring together health and safety representatives from across the sector. This will enable the sharing of good practice and exploring of new ways of protecting workers.
“Take the insurance services for example. Many employees, particularly those investigating claims, have to visit hazardous environments such as vehicle repair workshops. Strong and robust safety management systems are required for these.
“There are a lot of office-based staff in financial services as well. There are many risks caused by people sitting down for too long and not eating healthily. This can lead to illness, which can of course be a burden on firms.
“So, our group will be able to look at the ways that firms help these workers remain healthy. There are some great examples out there, and our events will draw on these.”
The group will run regular events for its members to allow for sharing of good practice and networking, starting with its launch event at Zurich’s base in Mark Lane, London, on September 7.
Among the issues it plans to address are fire safety, lone working, occupational road risk, and the management of contractors and suppliers.