Reflecting on 2015

The work of the ‘Listen today, hear tomorrow’ working group
came to fruition with the launch of the campaign at the Safety and Health Expo
at ExCel in June.

The need for the campaign originated from continued concern
that the basic necessities of protecting your hearing at work and the effect
that ignoring them can have on you and your loved ones are still not fully
understood.

The campaign is supported by a brochure and workplace poster
explaining the irreversible damage that can result from exposure to hazardous
noise levels, and providing straightforward guidance on steps to prevent it. The
campaign material has been widely promoted, quoted and supported elsewhere
since the launch, helping to spread its messages.

The BSIF ‘Clean Air? Take Care!’ campaign became due for
review this year and the working group reformed. For a number of years this
campaign has provided similar support material to reinforce the importance of
reducing or avoiding exposure to respiratory hazards at work and, if you do
have to use respirators, providing some simple guidance on selecting the
correct types. With incidence of death or long term illness due to occupational
respiratory diseases still far too high, the campaign is being refreshed to
update its message, signpost new video based information and training
materials, and ensure the emphasis is in line with the latest information. The
work is on schedule to re-launch the campaign early in 2016.

These and our other campaigns enjoy input, support,
endorsement and promotion from our stakeholder partners, which include HSE,
IOSH, SGUK, BOHS, IOM, TUC and IIRSM, who put their names to our activities and
many of which add members and expertise to the working groups, and new BSIF
guidance is planned for 2016 on how to relate product markings to users’ needs,
and therefore select the most appropriate protection, for safety footwear,
protective gloves, and combined head and hearing protection.