Workplace Health Expert Committee (WHEC)
Introduction
It is important that HSE's work is built on sound science and informed by the best available evidence. To this end, we have appointed the Workplace Health Expert Committee (WHEC) to provide independent, authoritative, impartial and timely expertise on workplace health.
WHEC will provide independent expert opinion to the Health and Safety Executive, on:
- New and emerging workplace health issues;
- New and emerging evidence relating to existing workplace health issues;
- The quality and relevance of the evidence base on workplace health issues.
WHEC is a scientific and medical expert committee whose purpose is to consider the evidence linking workplace hazards to ill health. Working under the leadership of an independent expert Chair, it considers chemical and physical hazards, and human, behavioural or organisational factors in the workplace (for example shift work) leading to physiological and psychological ill health. It does not consider wellbeing, sickness absence management or rehabilitation as these issues are dealt with elsewhere in government. Nor is it able to consider individual cases of ill health.
WHEC will assess the evidence base concerning health issues within its remit and will seek to effectively and appropriately communicate the resultant health risk.
Members
The Committee membership is as follows:
- Chair:
- Professor Sir Anthony Newman-Taylor
- Members:
- Professor Peter Buckle
- Professor John Cherrie
- Dr Emma Donaldson-Feilder
- Professor Len Levy
- Professor Martie van Tongeren
- Dr Joanna Wilde
- Dr Paul Litchfield
Secretariat
HSE provides the secretariat for WHEC. Use email WHEC.info@hse.gov.uk to refer an issue of concern to WHEC. The committee will decide whether your issue falls within its remit. Please note that WHEC are unable to provide individual responses to issues referred. Evidence reviews are made available as reports; do not include anything in your issue referral that you would not wish to see published.
WHEC reports
WHEC's reports cover evidence reviews and position papers giving their independent expert opinion on key topics for workplace health. The contents of WHEC reports, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.
The following WHEC reports are available from The National Archive.
2023
- The likely prevalence of occupational noise induced hearing loss across British industry - WHEC-19 (2023) (PDF) [1]
- WHEC Seminar: Occupational noise induced hearing loss.[2]
2022
- Work-related suicide WHEC-18 (2022) (PDF) [3]
- WHEC Seminar - Work Related Suicide: An Evidence Review [4]
- WHEC Seminar: Evaluating interventions in work-related ill health and disease [5]
2021
- Evaluating interventions in work-related ill health and disease. Evidence review paper. WHEC-17 (PDF) [6]
- WHEC Seminar: Evaluating interventions in work-related ill health and disease [7]
- SARS-CoV-2: testing and the workplace: Rapid review to 16th February 2021. WHEC-16[8]
2020
- Statement on Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19) WHEC-15 (PDF) [9]
- Asbestos exposure as a criterion for low-dose CT (LDCT) screening for lung cancer WHEC-14 (PDF) [10]
- The adverse health effects of green waste recycling bioaerosols and noise WHEC-13 (PDF) [11]
- Hand-arm vibration syndrome – review of evidence on prognosis WHEC-12 (2020) (PDF) [12]
2019
- Assessment of the strength of evidence underpinning the IARC reclassification of welding WHEC-11a (PDF) [13]
- WHEC seminar: Assessment of the strength of evidence underpinning the IARC reclassification of welding[14]
- Exposure to respirable crystalline silica and the requirement to carry out health surveillance WHEC-11 (PDF) [15]
- Shift work and breast cancer WHEC-10 (PDF) [16]
- Occupational Exposure to Inorganic Low-Toxicity Dust and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease WHEC-09 (PDF) [17]
- Confidence and uncertainty WHEC-08 (PDF) [18]
- Diesel engine emission exposures and risk of lung cancer in the UK WHEC-07 (PDF) [19]
- Sedentary work and health WHEC-06 (PDF) [20]
- Interrelationship between musculoskeletal problems and mental ill health. WHEC-05 (PDF) [21]
2017
- Work-related stress and psychological health. Position paper. WHEC-04 (PDF) [22]
- Silica and lung cancer. Evidence review paper. WHEC-03 (PDF) [23]
- Work-associated musculoskeletal pain: the role of HSE. Position paper. WHEC-02 (PDF) [24]
- Risks of bakery work: the adverse effects of working in high temperatures and of occupational asthma. Evidence review paper. WHEC-01 (PDF) [25]