Integrating wellness and occupational health and safety (OHS) provides benefits for both employers and employees. Wellness-driven OHS strategies can contribute to a reduction in disability, work absenteeism and compensation claims.

Unfortunately, too often wellness and occupational health are managed in silos by different departments, resulting in disparate information and policy inefficiencies.

There are proven advantages to incorporating wellness into OHS management strategies to reduce workplace injuries and occupational hazards. For starters, it can engage workers at the highest risk of exposure to hazardous conditions and prone to risk-related behaviour.

Here are a few ways to include wellness activities into the company’s OHS management.

Provide access to wellness coaching

Wellness coaches can play an integral role in employee wellness and further support occupational health and safety programs by ensuring that employees adhere to prescribed rehabilitation and exercise programs.

Wellness coaching can address common health hazards such as obesity issues, known as the main cause of worksite-related musculoskeletal injuries. It can also extend beyond the physical to emotional needs such as coping with stress and access to trauma counselling.

These integrated services are more likely to ensure that employees remain safe, injury-free and productive while on the job. On-site clinics, as well as virtual counselling, can provide health coaching services, physical therapy and other health-related needs.

Introduce wellness screenings and workshops

Health screenings and workshops are an important resource for wellness programs. Employees have the opportunity to identify their health risk areas and learn how to manage their health conditions better and make lasting lifestyle changes.

Integrated wellness policies can help increase high-risk workers’ participation in wellness programs, which may include stress management, weight/obesity management, nutrition and dieting requirements, and the tracking and monitoring of healthy habits.

Wellness screenings are also important to ensure that employees pass OSHA requirements in certain industries that require compliance with specific health parameters – mining, manufacturing, construction or transportation.

In conclusion, an integrated health and wellness management approach to management benefits the broader organisation and environment through increased productivity and reduced absenteeism.

Looking for an integrated occupational health and wellness management system that drives compliance, employee wellness and business performance for your organisation?

Our Occupational Health and Wellness Management Solution (OCCX), part of the XGRC Software range, integrates recruitment and hiring, employee/occupational health, medical interventions, medical surveillance, workplace injury management and employee wellness programs into one comprehensive solution.