Health And Wellness Programs

Preventing injuries is a high priority for companies, especially in factory settings such as Honda. That’s why the company offers several

initiatives—including line-site process evaluations —to establish potential hazards and help reduce the chance of injury. As part of an

early intervention program, Honda staff members who are feeling pain can receive a massage of the affected area during work time.

Stretching initiatives are another effective tool in injury prevention. According to the Best Practices in Manufacturing Web site, Dayton

Parts, Inc. (DPI) in Harrisburg, Pa., conducted research that revealed approximately 80 percent of all manufacturing injuries occurred

within the first two hours of each shift. After starting a program that mandated production staff members to stretch for 10 to 15 minutes

at the beginning of their shifts, they saw a dramatic reduction in injuries.

While the DPI Company Health and Wellness Program costs about $75,000 a year to operate, in conjunction with other company initiatives, it

has helped bring the annual cost of workers’ compensation from $700,000 to $200,000 per year.6

To help prevent lengthy absences and reduce workers’ compensation claims, Honda instituted a work recovery program. Through the program,

workers who have had an injury can work in a modified job—getting better. Employees in the program spend their work days receiving physical

conditioning to increase overall fitness, physical therapy to restore functionality, health education and nutrition counseling. The program

is based on data that shows fewer work days are lost when an staff member stays connected to the work environment.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, www.ohiobwc.com, provides a “10-Step Business Plan” as a guide for companies in offering Employee

Wellness Plans that aim to reduce injuries. The plan includes information on safety and health initiatives to prevent occurrences of

on-the-job accidents, including:

staff member involvement – To ensure the success of any Employee Wellness Program, staff members must take part in the safety and

health-management process. This can be done through safety and health audits, accident investigations, or by forming safety and health

involvement teams, focus groups or committees.

Orientation and training plan – Conduct orientation and training sessions to educate staff members on the company’s safety policies. These

sessions should include procedures for the safe use of machinery and tools, chemical hazards and how to prevent contact or exposure,

specific job/task safe practices, and hazard recognition and prevention.

Communication – Open communication keeps staff members informed and provides suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of the Employee

Wellness Program. Through memos, bulletin boards and staff meetings, important health and safety information can be conveyed throughout the

company, keeping all management staff and staff members knowledgeable about the company’s safe practices.

The company plan also outlines incentives for post-injury procedures, including:

Medical treatment and return-to-work practices – arly return-to-work strategies help injured or ill workers return to work in a timely

manner. Companies should establish a disability management policy to help injured or ill staff members obtain quality medical treatment,

making their transition back to work quick and effortless.

Timely notification of claims – Employers should document workplace injuries immediately after they occur and promptly send that

documentation to a claims handler. Quickly offering claim information demonstrates care and concern for the injured staff member, prevents

delays and confusion with the claim process, and reduces the potential for abuse or needless litigation.

Record keeping – Internal documents should be kept to record work-time injuries and to assess the success of the company’s safety efforts.

Employer audits, surveys and injury or illness reports can all be used to analyze which safety practices and policies have proven

successful, and what areas of health and wellness need improvement.