Karen Seal

Professional Health Services, Inc.

Good physical, mental and emotional health

Maintained by an appropriate diet, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications.

US costs of obesity among full-time employees is $73.1 billion! That’s the same as hiring 1.8 million workers per year at a salary of $42,000.

Costs of being overweight: Men: $322 (overweight)-

$6087 (obese grade III)

Women: $797 (overweight)-$6694 (obese grade III)

Reduced energy, at work & at home

Reduced concentration, leading to

accidents

Poor attitude due to personal

distractions

Overall low morale because people just

don’t feel as well as they can

Obesity rate – over 20% in 49 states!

The leading causes of death in the US are:

Heart Disease & Stroke – 31%

Cancer – 23.2%

Accidents – 5.1%

Alzheimer’s Disease – 3.1%

Most of these are age-associated, and

increasing as the population ages.

Average age of worker in your industry is

45.7 years old, vs. National average of 42.1

years.

Many Americans don’t see a doctor once a

year:

22.7% of 18-44 year olds

15.4% of 45-64 year olds

Muscle strength & bone density decreases

Reaction time and neurological function

decline

Senses decline – hearing, vision

Increase in fatigue, shortness of breath, and

a lowered capacity for physical exertion

Shift workers have increased risk of:

Injury or accident

Cardiovascular disease – 40% higher

Diabetes – 50% higher

Cancer – breast, colorectal, & prostate

Depression

The negative effects start as soon as 10 days

after shift work begins

Workers are aging, so will have:

Delayed reaction times

Fatigue faster

Difficulty performing functions they previously

performed

Greater likelihood of injury

Obesity increases likelihood of injury, illness,

and death

Operators sit all day back injuries

Linemen are active all day, but usually don’t

prevent injuries by stretching

Administrative staff - glued to computers

Leadership & others – working long hours,

lacking sleep & proper nutrition

Raise the awareness!

Discuss wellness at safety meetings

Implement exercise breaks and stretching

regimens

Put healthier options in the vending

machines

Create some personal challenges, & share

them

Lowers the risk of stroke by 27%

Reduces the incidence of diabetes by 50%

Reduces the incidence of high bp by 40%

Reduces the risks of many cancers

Reduces the risk of developing Alzheimers’s

by 40%

Decreases depression

Decreases obesity and all its associated

risks

Stretch!

Long hours outside – sun protection is

important

Hydrate & Stay in the Shade

Limit time outside between 10am-2pm if possible

Emphasize importance of covering up with hats,

long sleeves, sun screen

Buy Broad Spectrum sunscreen with SPF > 15

Must re-apply sunscreen every 2 hours

Sitting for prolonged periods

Increases risk of back injury like slipped disks

Increases mortality rate by nearly 20%!

Make twice daily exercise or stretch breaks

Come up with fun challenges that get people

moving around

In a group of fire fighters, the costs of injury decreased almost $150,000 in stretchers vs. nonstretchers

Sample stretching program:

5 minute warm-up prior to stretching – walk, jog, jumping jacks, etc

Use static stretches – hold stretch constant for 30 seconds, don’t bounce

3-4 repetitions per muscle group

Trained instructors should lead stretches

Tailor stretches to job duties

Company commitment to the work time and overhead costs

Stretch throughout day – ex. morning & after lunch

Monitor compliance

Change out the vending machines…slowly

Have walking meetings

Change out the candy jar for dried fruit

packets or nuts

Notice behavior changes & encourage them

Make a personal commitment, and tell

someone about it

Challenge them to join you

Vegetarian lunch Mondays

Walking meeting Tuesdays

Get 7-8 hours of sleep Wednesday evening!

Walking lunch Thursdays

No-intercom Fridays

Change it out

Park your car further away all week

Use the stairs wherever possible

Find champions, wherever you can

Who is already exemplifying a wellness lifestyle?

Form teams, create challenges

What fun ways can we get people involved?

Promote family events

Local charity walks

Take small steps

Nutrition – sample meals, recipes, grocery

lists, new nutritional guidelines

Exercise – different types of exercises,

benefits of exercising, problems people face

Importance of regular check-ups with their

doctor

Provide information on warning signs for

health risks

Incentivize Structure of rewards: Participation

Reaching a goal

Tiered

Rewards: Reduction in premiums

Gift certificate or gift card

Day off

Gym membership

Attendance to a special event

Item of some kind

Entry into a raffle to win a big prize

Evaluate where your company is now

If you have a program, examine the program

and search for ways to improve

If you don’t have a program, get together a

group of champions

How do your safety professionals integrate

wellness

Into their lives?

Into their meetings?

What message is your entire company

sending about wellness?

What foods are you serving at company

functions?

What are you doing now in your wellness and

safety programs?

Do they work together, or at odds?

How do you talk to your workers about

wellness?

What message is coming from leadership?

Make a wellness committee to control and

modify the program if one doesn’t exist

Qualitative - Employee feedback &

satisfaction through surveys, suggestion box,

or focus groups

Quantitative - Participation numbers,

completion rates, changes in biometric

information, changes in HRA results

Risks facing your workforce are increasing as

they age

Wellness and safety go hand in hand

Integrate wellness into your safety program

Educate!

Motivate!

Evaluate!

Think about what your company is doing now,

both for wellness and safety, and build upon

it.