Published: May 31, 2016  Updated: December 31, 2024

How to Stay Healthy While On the Job

For workers and managers alike, productivity is the measurement of job success. After all, if workers are not steadily pumping out work, how can a company produce goods or provide services, which, in turn, lead to profits and company growth? While facility managers and business owners look at a plethora of work philosophies and tools to eek out as much productivity from employees as they can, there is one often overlooked area that is often missed: the health and safety of staff.

That is not to say that safety is not foremost on every reliability manager"s mind (quite the opposite, in fact). However, most management teams look at workplace safety as a way to protect workers, reduce insurance costs, and ultimately avoid a harmful lawsuit. An added benefit to worker safety, however, is the fact that when workers are healthy, they are able to work more efficiently. With that in mind, here are tips to help you (and your staff) stay healthy on the job.

One of the most common workplace injuries are strained muscles, most commonly in the back. Because of this, it is important that any workers who will be required to lift objects be properly trained in how to do so in a manner that will not cause them harm. Encouraging stretching exercises, implementing back and knee braces, and training in proper lifting techniques will help reduce the amount of back-related injuries on the job and prevent nagging pains and weakness from developing.

Another way to keep your employees healthy and safe is to encourage proper eating and exercise routines. A fit worker is less likely to injure themselves and will have more energy throughout the day. Instead of loading up the break room with sugary drinks and fattening junk food, try offering healthy snack options such as fresh fruit and water. You may find that your crew no longer suffers from that midday crash if you provide a fruity pick-me-up instead of salty chips and candy bars. If your company is in a position to provide supplemental gym memberships (some of these cost as little as $10 per month), you may find that it is money well spent.

Getting sick is another thing that can slow workplace productivity. What's worse, one crew member can spread the sickness to others, and before you know it, your whole department is crawling on the floor and calling out sick, not a good situation to be in! While colds and the flu are unavoidable, there are some practices that can limit exposure to employees. First, make sure everyone washes their hands frequently, when they go to the restroom if they sneeze or cough, and generally throughout the day. In addition, be aware of how often you touch your mouth, eyes, and nose. You would be surprised how often you do this through the day; it is the main way that germs spread.

Finally, training staff how to use equipment and clean up spills is important, and so is ensuring that they understand how to respond in the event that an accident or catastrophe occurs. All of the above steps will help keep your team safe and out of harm's way, and if it helps to increase productivity and profits, well, it doesn't get much better than that!