A new TV and multimedia advertising initiative will be launched today (Monday 9 February) promoting the need for awareness of how your health could be damaged in the workplace. This initiative is a key part of the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI)’s Workplace Health Campaign.
Launched in April 2025, HSENI’s Workplace Health Campaign continues to raise the need for awareness of workplace health concerns, the impact they can have, and the need for appropriate controls.
With figures estimating that past workplace exposures to dusts, fumes and gases amongst other harmful substances could be resulting in over 300 people dying each year in Northern Ireland, the initiative illustrates how serious the issue is and the need for awareness of work-related health in all workplaces. Analysis also estimates a societal cost to Northern Ireland running into hundreds of millions of pounds per year.
In this new multi-media phase of the Workplace Health Campaign, HSENI urges employers and employees to recognise and manage the risk to health in workplaces, approaching it the same way as the more familiar safety risk. The TV adverts focus on the prevention of three priority occupational health risks – occupational lung diseases, occupational cancers, and musculoskeletal disorders.
Launching the advertising initiative, Economy Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, said it sends a clear message to all employers that work-related illnesses are unacceptable and preventable.
“Work should never come at the expense of health or life. Yet each year, many people continue to develop serious, life-changing conditions because workplace risks are not always identified or managed effectively.
“Tragically, more than 300 people are estimated to die annually from work related illnesses. Thousands more experience health problems linked to their jobs, with an annual cost of more than £390m to our society.”
The Minister continued: “This campaign highlights the importance of recognising and addressing workplace health risks. By encouraging open conversation and greater awareness we can help ensure that good jobs support both safety and wellbeing, strengthening our workforce, communities, and the economy.”
Robert Kidd, Chief Executive of HSENI, said he hoped the advertising initiative would create greater awareness amongst employers and workers of what is a very real issue in Northern Ireland workplaces.
“We are urging employers of every size to actively engage with this Workplace Health Campaign and make full use of the guidance and support HSENI provides, QR codes for information are also readily available. Too often, serious ill health develops because risks are not identified or adequately controlled – yet prevention is always better than cure, and simple, practical changes at work can prevent lifelong harm and dramatically improve quality of life.
“Everyone has the legal right to return home with their health protected, not just their safety. With this advertising initiative we hope we can reach more employers, share clear and practical guidance, and drive real, lasting improvements in preventing work-related ill health. No one should get ill as a result of a job choice. The legal requirement to protect health in the workplace is the same as safety.
“Our message is simple – look again at the risks to health within your workplace, use the guidance available from the campaign pages to manage it and most importantly act today! Delaying action only puts people’s health at risk—and that is avoidable,” he said.
The advertising initiative, which will run on TV, radio, newspapers, social media channels as well as outdoor advertising including buses, is underpinned by the findings from HSENI’s ‘Workplace Health Statistics and Analysis for Northern Ireland 2025’ publication:
Occupational Lung Disease
- 110 deaths estimated from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) due to work in 2023.
- 6,400 people estimated to have suffered from work-related COPD in 2023
- 15 Asbestosis-related deaths registered in 2022.
Occupational Cancer
Average per year figures indicate:
- Around 200 deaths could be attributable to occupational cancers.
- 47 deaths from Mesothelioma with the same number of deaths (47) estimated from Asbestos-related lung cancers.
- 20 lung cancer deaths estimated due to exposure to Silica dust at work.
- 80 other work-related cancer deaths estimated, such as bladder, lung, and other cancers, due to exposure to cancer-causing agents, for example, diesel engine exhaust emissions (15), mineral oils (15), and other (50).
Other work-related illnesses (caused or made worse by work in 2023-24):
Estimated number of cases:
- 18,000 people suffered from musculoskeletal disorder (MSD)
- 15,000 people suffered from stress, depression, or anxiety.
- 4,000 people suffered from illnesses other than stress, depression, or anxiety such as skin conditions and hearing loss.
Days lost
- 640,000 days lost estimated in 2023/24 due to work-related illnesses.
For our Workplace Health Campaign information and resources visit Workplace Health | Health and Safety Executive
Further information can be found on the HSENI website at: https://www.hseni.gov.uk/topics/workplace-health