examples of total workplace safety and health : reflections
TRANSCRIPT
Turning Discovery into Healthier Communities
Examples of Total Workplace Safety and Health :
Reflections
Dr. Jeff HWANG Lecturer, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
Occupational Health Consultant, Office of Safety, Health and Environment National University of Singapore
Aim of this talk
• To share some experience from a few Total WSH projects• Give some ideas on how departments may adopt Total WSH
Introductions
About me
2016 2018
Total WSH Work• NUS SSHSPH• Office of Campus Security • National University Health System
(NUHS) • Teaching
ResidentLecturer,
OH Consultant
What is Total WSH?
https://www.wshc.sg/totalwsh
Total WSH
Protection (Health and Safety) Health Promotion
How TWSH is done
https://www.wshc.sg/totalwsh
WSHC Desired Outcomes for Total WSH
https://www.wshc.sg/totalwsh
Are these what we want for our own departments too?
Example 1: Vaccination of healthcare workers in a local hospital
Vaccination of healthcare workers
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/parliament-43-measles-cases-in-first-four-months-of-2019-three-quarters-are-not-vaccinatedhttps://q13fox.com/2019/05/09/possible-chicken-pox-outbreak-at-western-state-hospital-controlled-quickly/
Vaccination of healthcare workers – Steps taken
1. Vaccination catch-up program for all existing staff
• Vaccination policy on the required vaccinations based on job risks
• Support from senior management: endorsing policy, encouraging staff to undergo vaccinations etc
• Vaccination rates reported to senior management regularly
2. New employees must be vaccinated before starting work
3. Staff refusals: counselling, other actions
% o
f sta
ff va
ccin
ated
Vaccination of healthcare workers –Reflections
1. Senior management support critical2. Useful to have targeted policies for
different groups based on risk3. Integration with ongoing regular
processes allows for sustainability4. Importance of regular monitoring with
follow-up actions
Example 2: Total WSH Structure at NUHS
NUHS member institutions
Hospitals, Polyclinics, Academic Health Sciences Institutions
Total WSH Structure at NUHS –“OneNUHS”
TWSH Steering Committee
Sharps Injury Vaccination Health Screening
Mental Health
Health Promotion
PROTECTING HEALTH IMPROVING HEALTH
OneNUHS TWSH Focus Areas
Workgroups and Plans
Lower Injury Cases
• Identify root causes
• Implement
intervention
Improve Take-up Rate
• Implement cluster policy
• Standardize reporting
• Adopt best practices
Sharps Injury Vaccination
PROTECTING HEALTH
Health Screening Health PromotionMental Health
Improve Health Status• Implement cluster
Screening Policy• Standardize reporting• Propose intervention
Raising Awareness• Conduct root cause
analysis• Introduce primary,
secondary & tertiary prevention
• Introduce cluster level mental health support
Healthy Workplace Ecosystem• Enhance the
environment for physical exercise and healthy eating
• Implement cluster Healthy Food Policy
IMPROVING HEALTH
Total WSH in NUHS –Reflections1. Importance of identifying priorities
• Programs and activities based on these priorities
2. Improved efficiency when different institutions come together to address common priorities
3. Senior management support and involvement (setting priorities, reporting etc)
4. Will be useful to define goals and objectives for each task group – still a work in progress
Example 3: Total WSH at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
Example 3: Total WSH at SSHSPH
2015 2016
Assessment Phase
Continuing ProgramsAnnual Management Review
New Priorities
Post-Implementation Health Survey
Interventions
2019
Repeat Basic Health Survey
• 36% meet recommended physical activity levels
• 27% consume sweet drinks daily
• 61% consume 2 or more servings of veg daily
• 22% has body pain in past 4 weeks
On-site influenza vaccinations
44%
20%
64%
17%
Example 3: Total WSH at SSHSPH – Structure
Example 3: Total WSH at SSHSPH – Reflections1. Importance of continuous monitoring and
review 2. Integration of Total WSH with Department
Health and Safety Management System3. Support from all levels, from senior
management to mid-management, on the various initiatives
4. Challenges: • Sustaining efforts over long-run • “What’s next?”
Summary
Summary of reflectionsExamples Reflections
1. Vaccination of healthcare workers
1. Senior management support critical2. Useful to have targeted policies for different groups based on risk3. Integration with ongoing regular processes allows for sustainability4. Importance of regular monitoring with follow-up actions
2. Total WSH at NUHS 1. Importance of identifying priorities, for programs and activities to base on2. Improved efficiency when different institutions come together to address common
priorities 3. Senior management support and involvement (setting priorities, reporting etc)4. Will be useful to define goals and objectives for each task group
3. Total WSH at SSHSPH 1. Importance of continuous monitoring and review 2. Integration of Total WSH with Occupational Health and Safety Management System3. Support from all levels, from senior management to mid-management, on the
various initiatives 4. Challenges: Sustaining efforts over long-run; “What’s next?”
Success factors of programs –Good programs are..
Phase 1: Assessment / Planning
• Senior management sponsored and driven
• Needs-oriented• Well planned
• clear responsibilities, sufficient resources and SMART goals
Phase 2: Implementation
• Targeted to specific groups• not: one-size-fits-all
• Evidence based • Multi-level and comprehensive• Aligned with other company objectives,
programs and processes• Planned for integration and
sustainability
Phase 3: Monitoring and Evaluation
• Monitored and evaluated
Ron Z. Goetzel and Ronald J. Ozminkowski. The Health and Cost Benefits of Work Site Health-Promotion Programs. Annu. Rev. Public Health 2008. 29:303–23
Total WSH program for a research-based department: How would it look like?
1. Have a responsible team in charge of Total WSH • e.g. Department Health and Safety Committee• Regular reporting to senior management
2. Identify priority issues for both protection and promotion of health and safety
• Using existing and additional data sources
3. Plan, implement, monitor and evaluate programs or other interventions to address the identified priorities
• Refer to pointers previously
4. Regular review of entire Total WSH program, setting new priorities
• Becomes a regular business process
http://medicine.nus.edu.sg/phys/safety/safetyindex.html
Department of Psychology, YLLSOM: Department Safety Programmes
Total WSH program for a research-based department: How would it look like?
Success factors Limitations
1. Incentives 1. Not well-communicated2. Information provided at
events cliché and boring3. Not context-specific or
culturally sensitive4. Needs assessment not carried
out5. Lack of engagement results in
low participation
Table: Success factors and limitations of workplace health promotion initiatives in a South Africa University
Chigumete et al, Facilitating and limiting factors of workplace health promotion at Rhodes University, South Africa. Work. 2018;59(4):599-606.
“I think we are not including staff. We just assume what’s good for them.”
1. Have a responsible team in charge of Total WSH • e.g. Department Health and Safety Committee• Regular reporting to senior management
2. Identify priority issues for both protection and promotion of health and safety
• Using existing and additional data sources
3. Plan, implement, monitor and evaluate programs or other interventions to address the identified priorities
• Refer to pointers previously
4. Regular review of entire Total WSH program, setting new priorities
• Becomes a regular business process
Conclusion
?? Employees
? Remain healthy? Not sustain any work injuries or
diseases ? Keep job ? More support for different work
and life stressors ? Others…
Ultimately – it is about how we can manage the health of our staff well
Departments / supervisors
• Reduced sickness absence• Reduced workplace health and
safety incidents• Improved job performance• Reduced staff turnover • Others…
Desired Outcomes or Success
