Wellbeing 24/7
Promoting a culture of health, fitness and safety
Features for September
September is National Preparedness Month
After a summer of severe thunderstorms, the hurricane season is now upon
us. Winter's snow and ice won't be far behind. Extreme weather
isn't the only potentially dangerous situation that you may face. What
plans have you made in case of a house fire? What will you do if there
is a prolonged power blackout? Are you prepared if someone is injured
in your home?
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security offers information about
how to prepare
for all of these situations and more. The Nassau and Suffolk Chapters
of the American Red Cross have a Hurricane
Guide with local emergency phone numbers and a listing of local TV and
radio stations that provide updated information during a hurricane or other
emergency.
Taking a few simple steps in advance can help you protect your family and
your home.
Regular Features
Due to order processing problems and security concerns, the
discount website for home-use PPE is not available at this time. We
hope to be able to provide this service again soon.
Program of the Month - BNL Life Insurance
BNL provides, at no cost, basic life insurance coverage to
all regular employees who work 20 or more hours per week. Additional
options are also available. National Life Insurance Awareness Month is
a good time to re-evaluate your coverage (see Denise DiMeglio's article in
the
BNL Monday Memo).
National Events
- Life Insurance Awareness Month. When a loved
one dies without adequate life insurance coverage, surviving family
members often face very difficult financial consequences. As many
as 68 million Americans may have no life insurance; many others have
inadequate coverage. Yet in today's difficult financial climate,
those most at economic risk may question the cost of life insurance.
The life insurance industry (LIAM) offers information about insurance
needs at different life stages. You can estimate your life
insurance needs using on-line tools at the
LIAM
website or at
http://www.prudential.com/HowMuchDoINeed.
- National Celiac Disease Awareness Day is September
13. Celiac is a genetic disorder that causes an autoimmune
reaction when someone eats a food containing gluten. In addition
to wheat and wheat products, gluten is found in other common grains
including oats and rye. Even small amounts of "hidden" gluten,
such as occur in starches used to thicken processed foods, may cause a
reaction. Celiac disease is more common than many people realize,
yet only about 3 percent of people with celiac have been diagnosed.
Diagnosis may be difficult because the
symptoms may
vary from person to person.
Learn more about celiac disease and how to live with it.
Safety, Health and Fitness Programs and Activities
at BNL
Municipal employees in
Toronto missed 3.35 fewer days in just the first six months of a fitness
program, compared with colleagues who didn't participate. Many BNL
employee injuries on the job are so-called "life-style" injuries that are a
consequence of a sedentary lifestyle. Many back injuries can be
avoided through improved abdominal strength and weight loss. Physical
activities such as yoga or dancing help improve balance, reducing the risk
of injury from slips and falls.
Brookhaven Employees Recreation Association (BERA) Clubs and fitness
activities
BERA offers a wide variety of clubs and activities to employees and their
families. There are over twenty
clubs that
promote fitness and health along with fun. They range from league sports and
ultimate Frisbee to ballroom dancing and a Reiki Community Circle.
Other activities and classes are offered at various times during the year.
Check the BERA
fitness activities web page for details.
Recreation Facilities
Indoor and outdoor
recreation
facilities provide opportunities for both team sports and individual
activities. Facilities include a gym, weight room, tennis courts,
indoor swimming pool, and par course (exercise trail). A Recreation
Park is located at the east end of Brookhaven Avenue. It features athletic
fields (softball, football, soccer and cricket pitch), an archery range, and
volleyball courts. There is also playground equipment is for children.
Employee Discounts
Many local businesses offer
discounts to BNL
employees on health, safety and fitness products and services.
These include:
- Personal protective equipment (PPE), includes clothing, emergency
preparedness kits, flu prevention, more, for home use. Watch for
the PPE Featured Product of the Month.
- Massage and wellness services
- Discount nutritional supplements
- Exercise equipment and accessories
- Fitness club memberships
Health Promotion
Program
BNL's Health Promotion Program fosters a work environment that supports
positive health and fitness practices so employees can reduce health-risk
factors, achieve healthy lifestyles, and become more fit. The Health
Promotion Program provides health education seminars, workshops, fitness activities,
and
screenings for the BNL community.
Employee Assistance
Program
Safe and healthy employees are BNL's greatest asset. Personal and
family concerns can distract workers, causing them to pay less attention to
safety and reducing productivity. The
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
offers a wide range of programs and services to employees, including
articles, videos, health screenings and self-assessments, and counseling
services.
Defensive Driving Class
BNL sponsors a
defensive driving class several times each year. This New York State approved program not only emphasizes safety on the
road, it saves you money on your car insurance. The course is open to
BNL, BSA and DOE employees, BNL facility-users, contractors and other
guests, and their family members. The
2008
schedule is now available.
Sitewide
Safety Steward (S3) Recognition
The
Sitewide Safety
Steward (S3) program seeks out and recognizes
people in the Lab community who demonstrate outstanding awareness and implementation of health and safety improvements
and corrective actions. All BNL employees, contractors, visitors, and guests are eligible for
an S3 award. See the
Sitewide Safety Steward website for information on how to nominate a
candidate and the criteria used for selection.
On March 27, 2008, five Brookhaven employees were given the second annual
Sitewide Safety Stewardship (S3) Award. Four others received Honorable
Mention at the award ceremony.
Read about the
winners...
Safety
Solutions (S2) Program
The BNL Safety Solutions (S2) Program is designed to seek out and fund
health and safety improvements and corrective actions derived from employee
suggestions. All BNL employees, contractors, visitors, and
guests are eligible to submit a project for funding consideration. The
scope of the program includes eliminating or reducing safety and health
hazards and enhancing safety and health through equipment and process
improvements. See the
Safety Solutions website for information on criteria used to select
projects and how to apply for funding.
Recent S2 award-winning projects have included installation of automatic
external defibrillators at large experimental areas in RHIC; purchase of
UV-blocking eyewear; replacing a broken curb with a ramp; and closure of a
driveway at Bldg. 179.
Wellbeing 24/7 is a philosophy that emphasizes a "whole person" approach,
that promotes physical and emotional health in a culture of safety at work and
off the job, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Wellbeing 24/7 has three components:
- Awareness - There are fewer accidents when awareness of
safety and health is part of everyone's value system and lifestyle.
-
Participation
- Being aware of health and safety opportunities is just the start. To
enjoy the benefits of a culture of health, fitness and safety, you need
to participate.
- Ownership - Let's face it: no one cares more about your
personal wellbeing than YOU. When you take ownership of your
wellbeing, it's an ongoing way of life that also touches your family,
friends and co-workers.
Wellbeing 24/7 is the one place where you can come to find information
about all of the Lab's many health and safety programs, events and
facilities - information that you can use at home and at play, as well as at
work. Each month a different program or special event and an item from
the BNL home discount PPE catalog will be highlighted.
As Wellbeing 24/7 continues to develop, it will feature a member of the
BNL community sharing his or her safety or health-related personal
success story. Your friends and colleagues have taken charge of their
own safety and health and improved their lives in the process.
Last Modified: September 9, 2008
Please forward all questions about this site to:
Mary Daum
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