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Your health and wellbeing

in eight2O.Your personal guide to a healthy lifestyle.

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Your Health and Wellbeing in eight2ODid you know that construction workers are 100 times more likely to die from an occupational disease than from a workplace accident?

eight2O are therefore committed to a healthier future for everyone working for us:

This booklet is aimed at offering practical, no-nonsense advice on the most common health and wellbeing issues facing most people and includes information about the major health risks in construction.Please read it, follow our ‘Top Tips’ and enjoy a healthier future!

ContentsGeneral HealthHealthy Lifestyle 04Office Workers 05Healthy Eating 06Waist-Hip Ratio 07Blood Pressure 07Smoking 08Drinking 09Mental Wellbeing 10Fatigue and Tiredness 11

Health Risks in ConstructionHierarchy of controls 12 Occupational Health and Wellbeing Sector 13Dust and Silica 14Asbestos 14Noise 15Vibration 16Diesel Fumes 17Manual Handling 17

Other Health Promotion Calendar 18Services eight2O Offer 19Useful Numbers 20

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“Your health and wellbeing is just as important as

your safety”Mike Evans

Head of SHE eight2O

Physical HealthEveryone working within eight2O, regardless of role or responsibility, will have access to a confidential ‘personal medical assessment,’ on an annual basis, enabling them to better understand their health status.

Mental Healtheight2O will work with all alliance partners to promote the provision of mental health training for their staff and will focus on delivering awareness sessions to all employees.

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What does a Healthy Lifestyle look like?Living a healthy life means you’re usually making great choices when it comes to exercise, nutrition, water intake, sleep and stress management.

A recent study found that four bad behaviours - smoking, drinking, not exercising, and poor diet can hustle you into an early grave, and, in effect, age you by as much as 12 years.

Office workersToo much sitting and too little exercise is bad for your health. Try to take a break from your desk every 30 minutes - go get a cup of water, go to the printer etc.

When sitting at your desk, follow these tips to avoid back/neck and shoulder issues.

Laptops allow us to be able to work more flexibly, but can cause back, neck and shoulder problems.

Key tips for laptop users:

• Put your laptop on a stand at eye level

• Use a seperate keyboard and mouse

• Use your laptop on a stable base not on your lap.

Top tips• Exercise with a friend/colleague

to keep you motivated.• Ride a bike to work• Have walking meetings• Bring your own lunch to work Top tips

• Take the stairs

• Set a reminder to get up and move

• Walk to a colleague’s desk if nearby instead of emailing/phoning

• Stand up periodically at meetings

• Log your activity using a “fitbit” or other activity tracker

• Go for a walk on your break• Set yourself a goal and reward

yourself• Snack on fruit and nuts

Benefits of fitness and exercise include:• Reducing your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by

up to 50%

• Lowering your risk of early death by up to 30%

• Reducing stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s

• Improving the quality of sleep

• Increasing energy, self-esteem and mood

Screen at eye level

Shoulders should be relaxed

Try and keep elbows at 90°

Hips slightly higher than your knees

Forearms and wrists horizontal to the desk

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Be Label Aware!It is best to choose foods which have mostly (if not all!) green indicators on the label as these foods are the healthier choice. Foods that mostly contain Amber and Red indicators should be consumed less often and in smaller amounts.

Healthy eatingEating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best.

Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR)WHR is used as a measurement of obesity, which in turn is a possible indicator of other more serious health conditions.

Blood PressureGET THIS CHECKED before commencing your exercise programme!

Regular exercise helps to reduce your blood

pressure and maintain a healthy weight

How do I work out my waist-hip ratio?

What results should I be looking for?

It’s simple...divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference.

For males...aim for a WHR lower than 0.90 For females...aim for a WHR lower than 0.80

Top tips

Remember - Not all fat is bad fat!

• Don’t skip breakfast

• Aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day

• Cut down on saturated fats

• Keep your red meat intake to 70g or less per day

• Eat plenty of fibre (roughage)

• Keep your alcohol intake low

Ignoring the effects of high blood pressure can result in damage to your heart, kidneys and blood vessels. High blood pressure is also a contributing factor to suffering a heart attack or stroke.

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Top tips• Avoid temptations

• Remember all the reasons why you’re quitting (better health/save money etc)

• Use help if needed (apps/Nicorette patches/ talk to someone)

• Keep busy, if you find a certain time of day hard, try a new routine

Drinking20% of eight2O employees are referred to their GPs due to impaired liver function. The main cause is alcohol or drug abuse.

How many units of alcohol in typical drinks?

Smoking30% of eight2O employees are heavy smokers, this is above the national average of 20%.

What happens when a smoker quits.A 15 year timeline

The facts• The recommended units per week is 14 units (for both men and women)

• As little as 1 unit of alcohol can impair your driving

• It takes roughly 1 hour for 1 unit to leave your system

20 Minutes after quitingThe heart rate and blood pressure drop back to normal levels.

12 Hours after quitingThe level of carbon monoxide in the blood drops to normal.

2 Weeks after quitingCirculation and lung function improve.

1-9 Weeks after quitingSmoker “norms” (like a constant cough and shortness of breath) become less pronounced. The tiny hairs lining the lungs (olia”) work normally again and clean the lungs to reduce risk of infection.

1 Year after quitingThe risk of getting coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.

5 Years after quitingThe risk of contracting mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder cancers is half that of smokers. Risk of cervical cancer and stroke also decreases.

10 Years after quitingThe risk of dying from lung cancer is half that of smokers’. Risk of getting pancreatic and larynx cancer also decreases.

15 Years after quitingThe risk of heart disease is equivalent to non-smokers’ risk.

2.3 units

2.6 units

1.0 units

2.3 units

182 calories

216 calories

61 calories

159 calories

1 pint of standard 4% beer

1 pint of standard 4.5% cider

1x 25ml measure of 40% spirit

1 medium glass of standard 13% wine

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Mental WellbeingMental health is everyone’s business.Construction has a higher risk of depression, anxiety and stress of other industries.

Key facts and stats?• 1 in 4 people will have a mental health

issue at some point in their lives

• Anxiety and depression are the most common issues

• If unmanaged, mental health issues can spiral out of control and impact on work and our everyday lives

1 in 4 people in the UK will suffer from

a mental health problem at some stage of their life.

Fatigue and TirednessConstantly tired? Feeling exhausted? You’re not alone. Many of us experience tiredness and fatigue.

The main factors that cause fatigue are:• Lack of sleep

• Poor quality sleep

• Long working hours

• Inadequate breaks during the working day

Losing just one hour of sleep a night can lead to sleep deprivation, which can effect judgement, co-ordination and reaction times, in some cases affecting you as much as being drunk.

Here’s a few do’s and dont’s to help you get some more zzz’s at night.

Dos Don’ts• Try to go to bed at the same

time every night

• Aim for at least 8 hours per night

• Reduce caffeine prior to bed time

• Make sure that your mattress supports you properly

• Drink caffeine in the afternoon/ evening

• Drink to much alcohol

• Oversleep - it will only make you more tired

Top tips

• Change in mood

• Change of appearance

• Increased intake of alcohol or increased smoking habits

What can you do?Start the conversation.

• Attend one of the frequently run mental health awareness sessions

• Speak to one of our mental health first aiders

• Make use of your employers EAP service or call one of the helplines

Please see table at the back of the leaflet for more details.

“As a guide, we should be questioning anyone

whose working day is more than 13 hours long including their

travel time.”

Spot the signs - what can you look out for in yourself and others?

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Construction sector

Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services

Hierarchy of Controls

It’s no secret that there has been much more focus on safety than on health.

These 2 graphs show the impact that has had...

The below Hierarchy of Controls applies equally to health as it does safety and seeks to explain that removing the hazard is always more effective than trying to protect yourself from it.

eight2O is shifting the focus. Health and Wellbeing is just as important as safety.

The prime responsibility for providing you with Occupational Health and Wellbeing services rests with your employer. eight2O mandates that your employer provides you with a safety critical medical and statutory health surveillance where relevant.

eight2O also encourages all employers to raise their game on the provision of wellbeing services, such as annual medical assessments and health education

In order to help employers with the above, eight2O OH resource will:

• Be used to provide annual medicals to those individuals who are unable to obtain a medical assessment through their employer.

• Deliver health promotion and education events

• Deliver mental health awareness sessions

Estimated

79,000cases of self-reported

work-related illness

Musculo-skeletal

Disorders 64%

Other Illness18%

Stress,Depressionor Anxiety

18%

Health Risks in Construction

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DUST and SILICAOccupational lung disease is a result of exposure to dust, gasses, fumes and vapours at work. Exposure to dust is one of the highest and most common health risks in construction.

NoiseProlonged exposure to high levels of noise can cause hearing damage that is permanent and disabling.

Exposure may also lead to temporary hearing loss and other complaints such as tinnitus.

Symptoms• Dry or productive cough

• Shortness of breath

• Wheeze or rattling in chest

Remember Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), such as dust masks and respirators, is the last line of protection.

AsbestosAsbestos can be found in any building built before the year 2000 (houses, factories, offices, schools, hospitals etc.) and causes around 5000 deaths every year.

Remember Don’t touch it, call in the professionals

Top tips

Top tips

• Avoid creating dust• Avoid working in or near dust

wherever possible• Use water spray systems and

proper ventilation when in confined spaces

• If you have to go into a dusty environment, always use respiratory protective equipment

• Take advantage of our PMA - which includes lung function tests

• Thouroughly wash your hands before eating

• Shower and change into clean clothes before leaving work to avoid contamination of your car or home

• The 2 meter rule, if you have to raise your voice to have a normal conversation with someone 2 metres away, it is too noisy for prolonged exposure

• Seek to reduce the noise level eg. replace noisy equipment

• Use accoustic barriers to isolate people from the noise source

• If you have to enter a noisey area use hearing protection such as ear plugs or defenders

• If in doubt, talk to your line manager

Symptoms and early signs of hearing loss:

• Conversation becomes difficult or impossible

• Your family complains about the television being too loud

• You have trouble using the telephone

• You find it difficult to catch sounds like ‘t’, ‘d’ and ‘s’, so you confuse similar words

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VibrationVibration white finger also known as Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).Hand arm vibration can be a significant health risk wherever powered hand tools are used for significant lengths of time.

Early Warning Signs

• Tingling - numbness • Loss of sensation and strength • Skin colour changes, not always able to see if you are wearing PPE.• You can’t feel things with your fingers• Later - difficulty picking up small objects

Who is at risk

• Users of breakers, pokers, sanders, angle grinders, scabblers, needle guns, drills and jigsaws

• Those with diseases that reduce blood flow• Smokers• Workers in cold, damp conditions

Manual HandlingGood manual handling is pivotal in reducing the risk of injury.

The basic principles to consider when carrying out any manual handling are:

• Plan the lift• Adopt a wide stable position• Get a good hold• Keep the load close to the waist• Avoid twisting the back or leaning sideways, especially

while the back is bent• Keep the head up and move smoothly• Don’t lift or handle more than can be easily managed

Top tips• Ask to use suitable low

vibration tools

• Consult the HAVS risk assessment before carrying out a task using vibrating tools

• Keep track of the time spent using vibrating tools

• Avoid gripping or forcing a tool or workpiece more than you have to.

• Reduce the amount of time using a tool in one go by doing other jobs in between

Diesel Fumes Prolonged exposure to high levels of diesel fumes could eventually lead to lung cancer or bladder cancer.

Telltale signs that diesel may be a problem:

• Walls or surfaces are covered in soot

• There’s a smoky haze when diesel engines are used

• There’s blue or black smoke coming from the exhaust of diesel vehicles

Top tips• Switch to other forms of fuel where possible, eg gas or electric

• Replace old engines with newer versions with lower emissions.

• Avoid exhaust fumes wherever and whenever possible.

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Health Promotion Calendar 2018re

Fres

h

JanuaryOne Inch Challenge

Beat the Belly

February Exercise

Get moving

March No Smoking

reM

ind

April Cancer Awareness

Coping with Cancer

May Mental Health &

Mindfulness

June Sun, Skin and Hydration

reC

harg

e

July Fatigue/ Shift Work

Sleep Hygiene

August Work life balance

September Flu

reFl

ex

October Back Care

November MSK & Foot Health

December Seasonal Health

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Services eight2O OfferPersonal medical assessmentWhat is included

• Height/weight• Blood pressure• Cholesterol• Glucose• Hip/waist ratio (rather than BMI)• Heart age• Lung function test (spirometry)• Basic vision test • Blood test for liver function • PSA (Prostate) for men over 55 years of age

Health education

Mental Health: Getting helpAll eight2O alliance partner companies provide their employees with an ‘Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that is a confidential source of assistance for a range of issues including mental health.

eight2O provides promotional talks on a variety of topics including

• Musculoskeletal• Mental Health• Alcohol awareness• Exercise

Mental Health - Getting helpSamaritans

24 hours a day. Whatever it is, give them a call, you don’t have to be in crisis. It’s FREE, no chargeCall: 116 123Email: jo@samaritans.orgWebsite: www.samaritans.org

Mind info-line

Their lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays). Calls are charged at local call rates.Call: 0300 123 3393Email: info@mind.org.ukWebsite: www.mind.org.uk

Construction Industry Helpline

Calls cost 5 pence per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.Call: 0345 605 1956Email: info@LighthouseClub.orgWebsite: lighthouseclub.org

Helpline Phone NumbersNHS helpline call 0800 224 488

Smokefree National Helpline call FREE on 0300 123 1044

Drinkline is a confidential helpline if you’re worried about your drinking call 0300 123 1110

British Heart Foundation call us on 0300 330 3311 (similar cost to 01 or 02 numbers)

Cancer Awareness UK number: 020 7470 8755 hello@cancersupportuk.org