October Is Healthy Workplace Month in Canada

In addition to being Occupational or Global Ergonomics Month, October is also Healthy Workplace Month in Canada. The key goal of this month is to increase awareness of a comprehensive approach to workplace health that involves three elements of a healthy workplace:

• Health and lifestyle practices
• Workplace culture and a supportive environment
• Physical environment and occupational health and safety.

Each week has a specific focus:

Week One: Being Well. The focus this week is on various ways to be healthy physically, such as exercising, washing your hands, sleeping enough and addressing workplace hazards. (See, The 4 Elements of a Workplace Hygiene Program.)

Week Two: Feeling Well. This week focuses on mental health and having a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.

Week Three: Eating Well. This week’s focus is obvious and much needed’after all, 52% of Canadians are either obese or overweight. (Here are 10 tips for cutting the connections between work conditions and obesity.)

Work Four: Connecting Well. In the last week, the focus shifts to the value of fun, social connections and activities such as volunteering.

The Healthy Workplace Month website has many resources you can use this month to address the above topics in your workplace. The OHS Insider also has resources on making workplaces and workers more healthy.