Sleep Awareness Week

Sleep Awareness Week

by | Aug 18, 2020 | Workplace Education

Earlier this month was Sleep Awareness Week.

What are the benefits of a good night’s sleep on your work performance?

  • Increased alertness
  • Improved memory
  • Increased productivity
  • Higher levels of reasoning
  • Decreased stress levels
  • Levelled mood
  • Increased attention to detail
  • More focused, reasonable thinking
  • The ability to think more clearly

 

On top of this, sleep can help you to:

According to healthline.com (2018)

  • Maintain a healthy body weight
  • Decrease your risk of developing heart disease or stroke
  • Decrease your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes
  • Avoid depression
  • Increase your immune function
  • Decrease inflammation in the body

 

What can you do to ensure a good night’s sleep?

According to sleepfoundation.org, the best tips are:

  • Stick to a sleep schedule – same bedtime and same wake up time, even on weekends
  • Practice a relaxation bedtime ritual – A relaxing, routine activity (such as reading or meditation) conducted away from bright lights
  • Avoid naps – power naps may get you through the day, but if you find you can’t get to sleep at bedtime, cut them out
  • Exercise daily – vigorous exercise is best, but even light activity is better than no activity
  • Evaluate your room – your bedroom should be cool, free from any noise or light. Consider ear plugs and eye masks
  • Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows – invest, full stop
  • Avoid bright lights at night time – save this for the morning
  • Wind down – spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. For some people, electronic devices such as a laptop can make it hard to fall asleep
  • If you can’t sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired – it is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the bedroom. Save your bed for sleep
  • If you’re still having trouble sleeping – don’t hesitate to speak to your local GP
Tradies’ National Health Month

Tradies’ National Health Month

by | Aug 18, 2020 | Drug & Alcohol Testing, Flu & Travel Vaccinations, Health Assessments, Skin Checks, Workplace Education

August raises awareness of the risks posed to those who work in trade occupations.
According to Victoria Health and Queensland Health, some common health issues that tradies are faced with include:
• Consistent sun exposure
• Psychological pressure
• Poor mental health
• Poor nutrition
• Insufficient exercise
• Alcohol and drugs
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
We offer 𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 to construction sites from qualified 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠, 𝑝𝑠𝑦𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠.
Our 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠 are skilled in educating what foods to eat at certain times of the day to fuel your brain, how to maintain a healthy body weight and considerations for shift workers.
Our 𝑝𝑠𝑦𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 are skilled in educating worksites on well being within the workplace, the effect of drugs and alcohol on one’s ability to work, coping with stress and anxiety, managing conflict and maintaining a work-life balance.
Our 𝑝ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 educate on lifting techniques in the workplace, stretches and strength exercises to minimise the risk of workplace injury.
On top of this we offer skin checks from qualified 𝐺𝑃’𝑠, health assessments conducted by 𝑁𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑠 and Drug & Alcohol testing.
Get in contact with us to celebrate and support your tradies – [email protected] or 0456 387 569.
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

by | Aug 18, 2020 | Health Assessments, Workplace Education

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is held each year in Australia to:

  • Raise awareness of signs and symptoms;
  • Share stories of real women affected by the disease;
  • Highlight the risk factors of ovarian cancer;
  • Educate Australians on diagnosis and treatment;

What are the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer?

According to Ovarian Cancer Australia:

  • Increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal boating;
  • Abdominal or pelvic (lower tummy) pain;
  • Feeling full after eating a small amount;
  • Needing to urinate often or urgently;
  • Changes in bowel habits;
  • Unexplained weight loss or weight gain;
  • Lower back pain;
  • Excessive fatigue;
  • Indigestion or nausea;
  • Bleeding after menopause or in-between periods;
  • Pain during intercourse or bleeding after;

It is important to remember all the symptoms mentioned can be caused by other, less serious medical conditions. However, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, which are persistent and troublesome, you should see your doctor. They will be able to examine you and if necessary, do further tests to find the cause of your problems.

Risk factors of ovarian cancer:

  • Increasing age;
  • Hereditary factors;
  • Having endometriosis, previous breast cancer or diabetes;
  • Use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT);
  • Being overweight;
  • Smoking;
  • Having not had children;

Diagnosis:

If you are concerned, visit your local GP  (otherwise, you can visit our doctors at Geelong Medical and Health Group – https://www.geelongmedicalgroup.com.au/)

What can you do to help?

Buy a teal ribbon for $3 or donate to Ovarian Cancer Australia – https://ovariancancer.net.au/ovarian-cancer-awareness-month/

Dry July

Dry July

by | Jul 21, 2020 | Workplace Education

Dry July is a fundraiser that encourages you to go alcohol-free in July to raise funds for people affected by cancer.

The funds you raise as part of your Dry July will provide invaluable services for cancer patients, their families and carers – whether it’s a lift to a life-saving appointment, guidance from a specialist nurse, connection to an informative voice, access to therapy programs or a bed close to treatment. (www.dryjuly.com.au, 2020)

Having a month off alcohol also has it’s health benefits! According to Healthline and DryJuly (2020), going alcohol free for a month can help:

  • Decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease;
  • Reduce your risk of cancer;
  • Aid weight loss;
  • Boost brain power;
  • Improve sleep;
  • Increase energy;
  • Reverse the fatty changes to your liver;

Get your workmates together and challenge yourself to Dry July! – https://www.dryjuly.com/contact

Workplace Drug & Alcohol Testing During Covid-19

Workplace Drug & Alcohol Testing During Covid-19

by | Jul 21, 2020 | Drug & Alcohol Testing

“Alcohol and drugs cost Australian workplaces an estimated $6 billion per year in lost productivity.” – Alcohol and Drug Foundation (2017).

The impact of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in the Workplace Setting:

According to NCADI statistics, alcohol and drug users:

  • Are far less productive;
  • Use three times as many sick days;
  • Are more likely to injure themselves or someone else;
  • Are five times more likely to file a worker’s compensation claim

“One in four workplace injuries including deaths, are associated with alcohol and other drugs.” –   (Fit4Duty, 2020).

In addition to deaths, accidents, absenteeism and loss of production, other problems that alcohol and drug abuse can cause on the job include:

  • Poor decision making;
  • Loss of efficiency;
  • Interference with attention and concentration;
  • Theft;
  • Higher turnover;
  • Illegal activities at work including selling illicit drugs to other employees;
  • Tardiness/sleeping on the job;
  • Hangover or withdrawal affecting job performance;
    (Very Well Mind, 2020)

Is it possible to conduct Drug & Alcohol Testing during COVID-19?

Yes!

It’s been a difficult time for all businesses. According to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal (2020), during the COVID-19 pandemic, 20% of Australians purchased more alcohol and 70% of them are drinking more alcohol than normal, with 33% now drinking alcohol daily. It is believed that Australians are drinking more during COVID-19 to deal with anxiety, negativity, stress and our changing environment (The Alcohol and Drug Foundation, 2020).

COVID-19 spreads through droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes. According to the National Guidelines for Public Health Units, the collection of upper respiratory specimens is considered a low risk procedure and may be performed safely using contact and droplet precautions.

As health professionals, we are skilled in managing infection, treating your staff with dignity and managing records with a strict focus on privacy.

How can Workplace Health and Safety Victoria assist your workplace?

  • On-site testing;
  • In-clinic testing;
  • Pre-employment testing;
  • Education for your staff;
  • Assistance in creating and editing your Drug & Alcohol Policy;

All results that are non-negative are sent to a laboratory and verified by a second more specific test before it is considered a positive. Chain of Custody protocols are always strictly adhered to and all information is kept discreetly, ensuring the privacy of employees and employers alike.

Education is an important part of drug and alcohol testing and we encourage all of our companies to be pro-active in this area so that everyone involved understands that this is a positive initiative that will benefit employees and employers. Please contact[email protected] or call 0456 387 569 for further information.