Focus on Occupational Health and Safety

Construction workplace accident, photo by Halfpoint/Adobe Stock

Halfpoint/Adobe Stock

Every year millions of people are the victims of workplace accidents and ill health in the workplace. Causes are wide ranging and include factors such as working long hours and being exposed to hazardous substances. This has huge personal, workplace and economic costs.

Occupational accidents and ill health are preventable, and high-quality research and evidence-based policy is vital to improving workplace conditions and preventing workplace ill health and deaths.

RAND Europe’s research aims to increase understanding and better inform policy making surrounding occupational safety and health. This page features some selected recent research on issues relating to occupational safety and health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Featured research

Related commentary

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    It May Be Time to Rethink the Design of Jobs to Deliver Good Health for Workers

    Even before the COVID-19 crisis, the impact of poorly designed jobs on the health of workers was drawing attention. Now may be the time to fundamentally rethink the design of jobs so that they promote good health and lessen poor health and its costs.

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    Managing the Challenge of Workforce Presenteeism in the COVID-19 Crisis

    Presenteeism occurs when people work when in suboptimal health. Both presenteeism and absenteeism are key influences on workplace productivity, but presenteeism is by far the most significant. It's vital that employers identify and deal with presenteeism, for the health of their people as well as that of the organization.

  • Hospital worker feeling overwhelmed, photo by Dean Mitchell/Getty Images

    Is Training for NHS Staff to Manage Workplace Violence Effective?

    Going to work should not mean being subjected to physical or verbal assault, but this is the reality faced by thousands of frontline NHS staff. De-escalation training may help staff manage patient violence and aggression, but there is not enough research about what works in specific healthcare contexts.

  • People learning about wellbeing, photo by Rawpixel/Getty Images

    Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace

    Much of the mental health support provided by employers focuses on individual staff members, but it is equally important to consider how an organization itself may need to change to effectively support employees. If an organization is serious about improving staff mental health, assessing the working culture honestly and implementing appropriate changes could be one necessary step.

  • Coworkers taking a break in the office to stretch

    Measuring What Works: Workplace Well-Being

    The link between productivity and well-being is recognized and increasingly accepted as a prerequisite of strong employer and employee performance. HR professionals and CEOs believe that high employee well-being means high staff engagement and a real intention to do well for the workforce.