John Bates asked:


A employee health promotion initiative in the worksite can be designed to help mitigate an employee’s health care needs and ensure that work goals are healthful and in balance.

A worksite wellness program can’t fix something as profound as Lupus, but it can help the worker to better manage the stress and physical needs that could accompany such an disease. Many females who suffer from premenstrual headaches frequently find themselves switching from one type of birth control prescription to another, but often times, a corporate wellness program can help identify methods to better prevent such headaches without modifying prescriptions.

Health and wellness products are not usually promoted in a workplace health promotion program, although they are not discouraged. Employee health promotion programs are most frequently used to help staff members identify simple ways to enhance their health and well-being , through improving nutrition and adding routine exercise.

A qualitycorporate health promotion initiative will also tailor personal activities, meal plans or recommendations to each person depending on their own specific needs. The activity level for an individual recovering from a knee replacement surgery will look considerably  different than the exercise routine for a normal functioning person. Workplace health promotion will be unique.

A lot of businesses find that offering an occasional worksite massage is adequate to promote a good spirit of workmanship in the workplace . It’s indisputable that a massage is refreshing, but studies have found that a good deep tissue massage generally promotes good circulation, increased brain activity and enhances alertness for a few hours, all good factors in the workplace .

A workplace wellness program isn’t a guaranteed way to get all employees on the same page as far as their health and well-being , but it’s a step in the right direction. When more and more organizations promote wellness in the worksite it becomes the norm and employees are more likely to follow suit by taking responsibility for their own health and wellness by making good long-term choices .

Laura Davis asked:


 

Understand what a hazard and a risk is; a hazard is a source of danger that could cause harm, for example chemicals, electrical wires, ladders whilst the risk is the likelihood of someone being harmed by these hazards. For example an electrical wire is a hazard; if it is a live wire that if touched could cause an electrical shock then it will be a high risk to people; whilst if it is bound and insulated then it is a low risk hazard. When performing a risk assessment it is necessary to identify all the hazards in the workplace and then deduce what level of risk they pose to employees.

Conduct a walk-around of your workplace with an aim to identify all the hazards, ask employees if they are aware of any hazards. Once the hazards have been identified then they must be controlled to ensure that they do not become high level risks; how you control a hazard can depend entirely on your industry and the separate rules and regulations that may govern safe practise within the workplace.

For each hazard that you identify you must also identify who may be at risk of being harmed, doing this will help you decide on the best way to manage the risk. Experienced and skilled members of staff will be at less danger of the risk compared to an unskilled workers or expectant mothers. Further to this if you will be having non-employees on your premise then you must be extra vigilant in controlling any possible risk as you cannot predict how a member of the public will interact with the risk. In each case, identify how the different people might be harmed, i.e. what type of injury or ill health might occur, for example, ‘shelf stackers may suffer back injury from repeated lifting of boxes’.

Once a hazard has been identified you must decide how to control them; law dictates that you do everything ‘reasonably practical’ to protect people from harm. Although you can control the hazard yourself there are several good practises that a risk assessment specialist can recommend.

When controlling risks try to prevent access to the hazard, use barriers or cones to minimise the amount of interaction there is with it; depending on what type of hazard get a professional to address it to minimise the risk levels; if employees are working near the risk provide them with adequate health and safety training regarding the risk and provide personal protective clothing and equipment if required; and finally provide welfare facilities such as a washing facilities, first aid kits etc.

Ensure that you record the hazard, its level of risk and any steps taken towards minimalising this risk; in particular ensure that all health and safety training is recorded and proof that the employee is aware of the risk is noted. The Health and Safety Executive requires evidence of a risk assessment to be kept by companies; although there is not set template of what a risk assessment should include they do recommend that it does provide evidence that:

· A proper check was made;

· You asked who might be affected;

· You dealt with all the obvious significant hazards, taking into account the number of people who could be involved;

· The precautions are reasonable, and the remaining risk is low; and

· You involved your staff or their representatives in the process.

Once your risk assessment has been successfully compiled and initiated ensure that it is kept updated with any new hazards that may arise and ensure they are all recorded with the appropriate control applied. Every year, or so, the risk assessment should be formally revisited to complete an assessment of the entire building and premises once again.

John Bates asked:


With the typical U.S. citizen working 50 hours each and every  week, instead of the 40 hour week established in the 60′s, a employee wellness initiative is even more important now than ever before.

This kind of employee wellness program is created to meet the needs of every worker individually, while promoting a healthful cohesive work unit in each corporation . A employee wellness program is not created as a alternative for regular medical checkups, but in addition to the existing relationship between a personal and their doctor .

Three of the most presenting medical issues facing person in the workforce today are obesity, use of tobacco and stress. With the encouragement and support from a employee wellness program these issues can easily be addressed.

Obesity is so prevalent and is related to so many other illnesses . The worksite cafeteria is a wonderful location to offer heart healthful , low-fat meals. In addition to nutrition, exercising on a regular basis will enhance health and energy levels. Worksite fitness center and pick exercise courses are  a superb way to promote regular physical activity with a group of encouraging colleague s.

Tobacco is very addictive. A employee wellness initiative can offer ways to break the addictive cycle of tobacco use by making available alternative ways to relieve stress or by replacing unhealthful habits with new healthier activities. Again, when any activity is done as a group, it can make the whole process easier and psychologically it can make the individual participant feel more accountable to the group.

Stress is a prominent part of most worksites. Being able to deal with the day-to-day demands in a more healthy way will reduce the self-induced stress. Exercise, discussion and simple relaxation techniques can help diffuse worksite stress.

Having a worksite health promotion program in place is the most important task. Each worksite health promotion program will look different depending on the organization, the workplace and its staff members . Promoting health and wellness and offering a balanced work environment are important to an overall successful corporation .