Wellness in the Workplace

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Introduction

This presentation covers issues and procedures in maintaining a healthy workplace and can be used for all employees.

This is a sample presentation that must be customized to include and match the employer’s own policies and practices.

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Why is preventing contagious illnesses important at work?

• Sickness means you and others can be affected

• Lost productivity at work

• Creates stress and concern among employees

• Sick employees can transfer the virus to others (i.e., family, co-workers)

• Persons who are ill may suffer complications that lead to more serious health problems

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What can we do to reduce the spread of illness?

• Live a healthy lifestyle

• Follow the recommendations of health care professionals

• Pay attention to good hygiene habits

• Use common sense in crowded conditions

• Take special care when traveling

• Get medical treatment when you are sick

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Maintain a healthy immune system

Take good care of yourself:

• Exercise regularly

• Get adequate sleep

• Eat balanced meals

• Manage your daily stress level

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Follow the advice of health care professionals to prevent illness

• Get your flu vaccine!

• Limit exposure to people who are sick, and wash hands often

• Educate yourself about illnesses and how to mitigate risk to disease exposure

• Check reliable health sources

• www.who.int/en• www.cdc.gov

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Good personal hygiene habits

• Keep household and work surfaces clean with disinfectant solution including:

• Countertops• Bathroom sinks• Cell phones• Telephone handsets• TV remote controls• Computer keyboards

• Avoid sharing towels, telephones or other common utensils with others

• Consume only thoroughly cooked food including eggs, meat, poultry

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Social Distancing

Social distancing is designed to minimize the kind of social contact that enables virus transmission from others. It is a good practice to set boundaries for your physical distance from others in business and social settings.

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Be courteous to others

When coughing or sneezing:

• Cover your mouth and nose• Face away from others

Photo Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Cover and clean up!

• Use tissues when coughing or sneezing

• Then place used tissues into the trash

Courtesy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Germs hang around!

• Remember tiny infectious droplets can remain airborne, in some cases for hours

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Stop germs

Wash your hands

• After you cough or sneeze• After using the bathroom• Before you eat food• After visiting public places• Before you touch your eyes,

mouth or nose

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Effective hand washing method

• Wash fingers, palms and back of both hands with soap and warm water for at least 10 seconds

• Use alcohol-based disinfectant hand sanitizer

• Use disposable towels for drying hands

• Cover hands with a towel before touching door handles and fixtures after washing

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Don’t Bring Anything Home!

• Travel with a health kit• For information see the Centers for Disease Control

Travel Kit www.cdc.gov

• Travel with alcohol-based disinfectant or hand sanitizer

• Clean hands often

• Consume only thoroughly cooked foods

• Drink bottled water

• Monitor your health for at least 10 days after you return

• If you become ill with fever or respiratory symptoms, consult a physician

When traveling….

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In general, get medical care

• If you become ill with fever or respiratory symptoms, consult a physician right away…Don’t wait until it gets worse!

• If diagnosed with influenza…Don’t go to work while you are sick!

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Preparation at home

• Teach your family good hygiene:> Instruct them on taking time to wash hands thoroughly> Make sure you have available soap and/or hand sanitizer> Stock up on tissues and paper towels

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Preparation at home

• Post a family contact list with:> Work and school phone numbers> Doctor’s phone numbers for each family member> Emergency services and hospitals

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Preparation at home

• Have an emergency kit with:> Water, food, a first aid kit, clothing, bedding, tools, supplies and

special items (e.g., medicine, cash) > Items you would need in case of an evacuation should be kept in

an easy-to-carry container

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Preparation at home

• Keep in touch by:> Watching TV> Listening to the radio> Checking the Internet often for official news and information as it

becomes available

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Historical flu/illness reflection

• 1918 Spanish Flu: 675,000 people died in the US, many of pneumonia

• 1957-58 Asian Flu: 70,000 people died in the US

• 1968-69 Hong Kong Flu: 34,000 people died in the US

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What is the flu?

• Flu is caused by a virus

• Viruses can not be “cured” with antibiotics

• When people get viruses, they often get “secondary infections” like pneumonia, which can be very serious

• Vaccines can stop people from getting a bad case of a virus

• Vaccines can only be created when a virus has been “identified”

• Viruses change or mutate which makes the development of a vaccine a challenge

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The ABC’s of flu

• Influenza A Has many hosts – especially wild birds – sometimes called bird or avian, could cause a pandemic (world wide illness)

• Influenza BOnly makes humans sick, some epidemics, no pandemics

• Influenza C Mild illness, no epidemics

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Why is it called “bird flu?”

• Most flu viruses come from birds

• Practice good hygiene precautions at all times, but especially when around birds

• Wash hands after touching areas that might have bird feces

• Exercise caution when disposing of dead birds

• Notify authorities if you observe a large number of “sick” birds

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Wellness

• Staying healthy is a desired goal for organizations and their employees

• Understanding communicable disease can avoid fears (i.e., “bird flu”, HIV/Aids, Hepatitis)

• Keeping healthy is everyone’s job

• Being proactive can assist in mitigating the spread of certain diseases

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Exercise good wellness habits

• No one can prevent the spread of all disease

• Common sense and exercising good health habits can mitigate certain risks

• We are all responsible for doing our part

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Course Evaluation

Please be sure to complete and leave the evaluation sheet you received with your handouts.

Thank you for your attention and interest!

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We would like to acknowledge that the preceding presentation was prepared by the Employee Health, Safety & Security, and the

Employee Relations Special Expertise Panels.

Questions? Comments?