Keeping an office environment stress and injury-free is no easy feat, so having set solutions that target common worker afflictions is important. The first step is recognizing the primary stressors and causes of injury, and followed by working to actively create targeted occupational health solutions, and finally implementing and monitoring them.
Some of the most common occupational health concerns affecting office workers today are repetitive motion injuries, creating an inclusive and healthy office place for workers with disabilities, stress induced mental health issues, and parental needs. In order to facilitate a stress-free and inclusive workplace strategies must be in place to foster communication, create safe zones, and ensure that every effort is made to prevent common injuries. One of the best ways to create, implement, and monitor these occupational health solutions for these common issues is through OHS software.
How Can Software Help Reduce Repetitive Motion Injuries and Stress?
Repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome are some of the most common injuries found among office workers. They can make it extremely difficult to complete otherwise simple job-related tasks such as typing, answering and dialling telephones, and hand-writing notes.
Not only can these injuries be incredibly painful they can also directly affect the mental health of workers if they are both in pain and unable to complete tasks in a timely manner. This is why it is so important that health solutions take a direct approach to prevention. Equipment in the office should be assessed to see if it is ergonomic, and workers should be provided with regular health checks if they are at risk of developing a repetitive motion injury.
Software can facilitate this process by compiling personal profiles on each employee, and resources can be made available to workers so that they can seek medical attention should they need it, and which healthcare providers they should work with directly according to the plans in place by their workplace. Health and safety software is able to perform all of these functions as well as providing tutorials on how to avoid workplace injury. If there is a notable increase in certain job-related injuries then statistics can be analysed and an effective plan put in place to limit future injuries.
Creating an Inclusive Workplace
Nobody enjoys being stressed, especially at work, but it is inevitable that it will happen. However, in order to minimize the occurrence of interpersonal stressors, the office environment itself should be one that fosters communication and is inclusive for everyone including those with disabilities and new parents. Each worker provides different capabilities and is an asset to the business they work for. However, the needs and capabilities of each worker may vary, which is why occupational health solutions must take this in to account.
Workplaces must be ADA compliant, so workers should be well-versed and provided with the necessary training programs so that everyone can work harmoniously together and communicate in an effective and constructive manner. This can be provided through entrenched training programs.
The key to a healthy workplace is communication and ensuring that everyone is on the same page and understands the inclusive standards upheld by the company.
