Wether you work on a construction site, a factory or an office. You can take small steps to improve worker’s health and safety:
Here are five ideas to improve workers health:
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Look at workers’ eating habits
If lunchtime fare is fast food high in saturated fats such as burger and fries. Encourage staff to bring their own meals, provide fruit bowls, order healthier food when catering, change the contents of vending machines and promote the use of water bottles.
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Physical Activity
Encouraging your workers to be more physically active – especially if jobs involve little movement for long periods of time – can have a significant impact on health. Offer flexible working hours to allow exercise time, organise discounts at local fitness clubs, encourage staff to exercise more on their morning commute, hold meetings outside and promote events like Walk to Work and Ride to Work days. Lead by example!
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Get sedentary workers moving
Help sedentary workers incorporate activity into their daily routines. Provide exercise routine guides, consider hiring a personal trainer to visit the workplace, position printers further away from desks to promote walking and encourage car-bound staff to take regular stop and stretch breaks.
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Emotional Wellbeing
Workplace pressure combined with external factors can affect social and emotional wellbeing. Be flexible with working arrangements, set up a break room for personal calls and quiet time, and organise advisory posters from mental wellbeing organisations such as beyondblue.
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Help them quit smoking
Helping to assist workers quit smoking has major benefits; not just in terms of increased productivity due to less smoking breaks but making them healthier too. Non-smokers are more likely to exercise and are less vulnerable to potentially terminal diseases. Provide quit-smoking information and allow workers time to consult with GPs.
Visit the Get Healthy at Work website for more great ideas on how you can help your workers get healthier and your business better.
Original article from SafeWork NSW e-Newsletter (www.safework.nsw.gov.au)