Healthy working community week launched is on in Wakefield

A number of events have been organised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Wakefield council to encourage good health and safety practices in the workplace.

A lunchtime walk and a Good Practice Health and Safety Awareness event have already taken place as part of the Wakefield Healthy Working Community initiative while a six-a-side football tournament will be being held later in the week so teams can compete for the Health Working Community Cup.

Prior to the start of the week Wakefield Council and the HSE visited 320 businesses in the south of the town to offer help and advice on work-related health risks such as stress, asbestos, asthma, dermatitis, back and other musculo-skeletal disorders.

Geoff Cox, HSE's head of operations in Yorkshire and Humber, said that the visits got the week off to a good start.

"The response from companies has been really encouraging and it opens the way for the real change we want to achieve through this initiative," he said.

Meanwhile, a firm in Doncaster has been using Formula One technology to improve its health and safety standards.

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