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Policy Suggestions and Environmental Supports for Injury Prevention
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
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Motivate employees to start or continue with positive health behaviour
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Stimulate employees who have not been involved in changing their health to consider adopting positive health behaviour
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Reduce employee health risk at the workplace by providing a safe working environment
What Does “Think Smart – Injuries Aren’t Accidents” Mean?
Health Canada reported in 2002 that injuries cost almost $15 million annually in health care and lost productivity, not to mention the costs to individuals and their families. However, as with many causes of premature death and disability, injuries are predictable and preventable.
Having some risk in our lives can be beneficial as it allows us to push ourselves and experience new opportunities. However, when we take risks, we also need to take steps to reduce the risk of injury, i.e. “think smart”. This involves educating ourselves about what we can do to eliminate or reduce the risks that are within our control, and to be aware of those outside of our control.
Most injuries can be prevented if we take precautions. These may include following the rules of the road when we are driving, cycling or walking, along with wearing the proper safety gear for recreation and work activities, and identifying and eliminating potential hazards in our home, at work and in our community.
Supportive Environments that Promote and Support Injury Prevention
The following suggestions show how a workplace can support employees in their efforts to reduce the risk of injury. We recognize that all workplaces are unique and that not all suggestions will apply. Further, some of the following suggestions will overlap with many topics that you currently address as part of your Health and Safety Program. Consider those that may be suitable to your workplace environment.
Injury Prevention Supports |
TrainingOffer training opportunities to update or review a variety of injury prevention topics, such as proper lifting techniques, selecting footwear that provide adequate support and grip, or other proper ergonomic work practices. |
Vision and Hearing ScreeningConsider offering screening sessions that encourage employees to monitor their hearing and vision status. This could be in the form of a health fair set-up or a presentation organized through the Health and Safety Committee. |
Bicycle SafetyWhether employees cycle to work or cycle for recreational purposes, consider offering a bicycle safety and repair workshop. Include safety topics such as: how to properly fit a bicycle helmet, the rules of the road, tips on cycling in traffic, making hand turn signals, etc. |
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Use of Cell Phone Consider developing a policy that restricts cell phone use while driving on company business. Employees would carry a cell phone, if necessary, but only use it when parked or pulled safely off to the side of the road. |
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Prevention of Slips and Trips According to the Worker’s Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB, 2003), slips and trips account for 65% of all fall injuries. To reduce the risk of falling, minimize fall hazards. For example, ensure that there are dry, non-oily floor surfaces, uncluttered work areas, well-secured mats on floors, properly maintained and used equipment, and proper lighting inside the workplace as well as in the parking lot. For more information, visit www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite.nsf/public/ReferencePreventionHazards |
Safety on the AgendaConsider making safety, along with health, a top agenda item at all business and staff meetings. This will help create a workplace culture of safety. |
Regular Evaluations of the Health and Safety PlanConduct a periodic review of the performance of your health and safety programs and make improvements as needed. |
Entranceway MatsPlace non-skid, high pile mats at entranceways so employees can dry most of the moisture from their footwear to reduce the risk of falling on slippery floors. |
Balance and Core-strengthening ProgramConsider offering a core-strength training program to help promote back health. Provide an instructor to lead a weekly 15- to 30-minute class in which employees can learn and practice a routine that they could repeat on their own. Recommended core-strength equipment may include the following: stability balls, resistance tubes and bands, rubber mats, and light free weights. |
Comprehensive Back Health PolicyConsider developing or, if already in place, enhancing your workplace’s back health policy. No matter what kind of work is done (sitting, standing or more physical labour), supporting employees’ back health will help reduce the risk of work-related injuries. Topics to consider include: lifting policy, training opportunities for employees, ergonomic assessment of workstations, elimination of tripping hazards, etc. The policy should also include how to manage an injury if it occurs. For more information, visit www.wsib.on.ca/wsib/wsibsite.nsf/public/Policy |
Workplace Health Promotion Wellness Program Award |
Workplace Health Promotion Wellness Program AwardApply 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 http://www.wechealthunit.org/workplace-wellness-program Click on "Initiatives" and then on “Policies and Environmental Supports” on the menu of options on the left.
Key Reference
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. (2003). Slips and falls factsheet. Ontario: Author.