What are Environmental Supports?

Both physical and social environments at a workplace can have an effect on an employee’s health. Considering that many employees spend a significant number of their waking hours at work, the factors and conditions of an employee’s work life have a great impact upon their overall health and well-being. Increasing knowledge and helping employees build skills are necessary steps in promoting health. Supportive environments that facilitate and encourage healthy living at work help employees sustain those healthy behaviours.   

Physical Environment

There are obvious ways that the physical environment can affect health, such as noise level, lighting, air quality and workstation design. The physical environment can also include tangible services that are made available to employees such as healthy food choices in vending machines or the cafeteria. The presence or absence of these types of tangible services may have a positive or negative effect on an employee’s health and well-being.

Social Environment

There are many ways that the social environment may impact employees’ health: work schedules, balancing work and home responsibilities, work organization, the quality of interpersonal relationships at work and the availability of training and support. Also, how an employee perceives the quality of their social environment at work can have either a positive or negative effect on their health.

Benefits of Environmental Supports

What Does ‘Infection Protection’ Mean?

A cough, a sneeze, a handshake, a mosquito bite, or raw meat on a cutting board - each of these has the potential to spread disease-causing germs from one person to another. Germs are all around us in the air and water, on food and surfaces we touch, and within our own bodies. While many germs are helpful or harmless, some can cause infections such as the common cold, the flu, food poisoning, West Nile Virus, or Hepatitis B.

To reduce the risk of infections in our homes, workplaces, and communities, we all need to take steps to minimize their spread. These include: handwashing with soap and water, sneezing and coughing into our sleeve, routine cleaning and disinfecting of household and workplace surfaces, taking food safety precautions, and keeping our vaccinations up to date. Also important in boosting our immune system and protecting us against infections are practicing healthy habits such as being physically active, eating a balanced diet, not abusing alcohol or other drugs, getting adequate sleep, and managing stress.

Supportive Environments that Promote and Support Infection Protection Practices

The following suggestions show how a workplace can support employees in their efforts to reduce the risk of infection. We recognize that all workplaces are unique and that not all suggestions will apply. Consider those that may be suitable to your workplace environment.

Flu Immunization Clinics    

Consider offering an annual flu clinic in your workplace to help prevent the spread of the flu. Such a program can reduce absenteeism and replacement overtime costs, as well as prevent interruption of service or product delivery and extended health costs. Alternatively, consider offering flexible work schedule arrangements to allow employee to access flu immunization clinics that are being offered in the community. For more information on organizing an on-site flu clinic visit www.beattheflu.ca or contact the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

Handwashing Stations and Signs

Place alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers (at least 60% alcohol) throughout the workplace, including outside all bathrooms and eating areas. Include handwashing signs in all washrooms and eating areas that identify how to wash hands effectively.

Paper Towels

Ensure paper towels are available at all times in all bathrooms so that employees can use them to turn off the taps and open the door without the risk of re-contaminating their hands after they have washed them.

Access to a Refrigerator

Consider having a refrigerator available to employees to store meals and snacks while at work. Keeping cold foods cold promotes effective food safety practices.

Short-term Sick Leave Policy

Consider starting a dialogue through the Occupational Health and Safety and/or Labour-Management committees about how to inform employees about the benefits of staying home if they have symptoms that identify them as being contagious to others. In the short term, employees benefit by being able to focus on getting well quickly. In the long term, the workplace benefits by reducing the spread of the infection to other employees thereby preventing large numbers of employees from being sick and unable to work. 

Pandemic Influenza Policy

No workplace likes to think about what might happen if an avian flu pandemic became a reality. However, workplaces should consider the impact to their business and services should such a situation occur. To provide some background and guidance on developing a plan, review the Interim Report of the W-EC Pandemic Influenza Plan (2006) by visiting www.wechealthunit.org (search for “Pandemic Flu Plan”) or view the City of Windsor’s Corporate Pandemic Plan at http://www.citywindsor.ca/002114.asp  

Orientation of New Employees

Provide immunization information to new employees, including immunization tracking cards for themselves and family members. For existing employees, include topics related to vaccine preventable diseases during occupational health and safety meetings on a regular basis.

Workplace Cleaning Practices

Ensure that cleaning contracts include specific requirements when it comes to products and techniques used for maximum removal of germs. In most cases, using detergents and water is very adequate. Include employees’ work areas, computer keyboards, phones, door knobs, switches, and other hard surfaces where germs can be left by human contact and live for up to two days. 

Kitchen Cleaning Supplies

Ensure that cleaning detergents and paper towels are always in adequate supply for employees to use when cleaning their dishes and counter surfaces.

Workplace Health Promotion Wellness Program Award

Apply for a Working Toward Wellness Workplace Wellness Award. To receive this award, a workplace must meet criteria that includes having health and wellness policies and environmental supports in place. For more information contact the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit at 258-2146 ext. 3100.

For more suggestions of Supportive Environments for the workplace, visit www.wechealthunit.org/workplace-wellness-program.  Click on “Initiatives” and then on "Policies and Environmental Supports" on the left.