Should a man with a possible heart problem be working in a heavy lifting area of the factory? Should a woman with the start of diabetes be a taste tester for food products?  Obviously the answer is no.  After reading Jim Mitchell’s and Dr. Ellen Kessler’s’ article entitled: “Medical Exams: A Driver of Work Force Wellness” I see how the health of employees contributes to job performance and possible workplace safety issues.  I would be interested in seeing how many companies really take employee’s long term health into consideration.

The article talks about how required medical exams can actually be used as a building block to creating a wellness initiative within the company.  The exams give the company a good sense of the health of their aging workforce and help them see any health trends that are going on within the company.  These results can be used to create a centralized wellness initiative, encouraging all employees to make healthy choices both at work and at home.

This was a statement that really stood out to me “The Wellness of employees shows up as both a direct and indirect cost savings: increased productivity, fewer sick days, and even fewer workers’ compensation claims.  Businesses pay for wellness one way or another and savvy employers know proactive wellness initiatives pay in the long run.”   It seems to me that proactive wellness would be something that any employer should focus on to keep their workforce strong.  Especially in times when they may be cutting back on the number of employees, those employees should be the best that they can be.

It was an interesting article and I think that it gave a clear idea and steps to follow in order to create a wellness initiative and healthy employees.  Some companies may consider cutting back on their workplace safety and wellness initiatives due to the economy.  However, it is the companies that maintain and even increase their workplace wellness and safety initiatives that will enjoy the long term benefits such programs have to offer.

Mitchell, Jim and Dr. Ellen Kessler. “Medical Exams: A Driver of Work Force Wellness.” EHS Today April 2009: 36-38.

Filed under: Workplace Safety by Beth Faraci