Back to Office: Health and Heart First

As Singapore eases into gradual re-opening, workplaces will once again welcome the return of employees working onsite. According to research by Cisco, 97% of workers want a safer office to return to. Here are 3 ways employers can create a healthy workplace to house happy and productive staff.

• Focus on safety

  Ensuring health and safety in the workplace has always been important before COVID-19. Take a holistic approach and enhance safety practices beyond COVID-19 measures, such as ensuring that your workplace is heart safe too.

  There are around 6,200 cardiovascular deaths in Singapore every year, with an increasing number classified as work-related by the Workplace Safety and Health Institute. For example, a worker died at the workplace while carrying out strenuous work that triggered a heart attack. Work Injury Compensation records showed 68 such deaths in 2017, up from 26 in 2012. With these statistics in view, consider what you would do if an employee were to face a life threatening cardiovascular event such as a sudden cardiac arrest.

  Appropriate and swift emergency responses matter in these moments. If CPR+AED is applied immediately after a sudden cardiac arrest, the victim’s chance of survival reaches close to 50%.

  Raise your workplace’s responsiveness to cardiovascular emergencies by installing an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in highly visible, easy-to-access common areas. Registering your AED in the national AED registry will also increase its visibility to other building occupants and community first responders who use the myResponder app. This allows bystanders to retrieve AEDs quickly and help with CPR till emergency medical services arrive.

• Promote wellness

  Care for your staff’s mental and physical well-being by offering scheduled breaks for workers to refresh, as recommended by the WSH Council.

  Company HR teams can also consider introducing weekly exercise programmes before or after work to encourage healthy habits and promote interaction between workmates after a long period of isolation. The Singapore Heart Foundation has easy-to- follow workout videos on Facebook and YouTube. All you need is ample space and the right attire!

• Increase engagement

  As hybrid work arrangements become more commonplace, workspaces have to create opportunities for interaction and community engagement when all staff are scheduled to work from office.

  Team building activities can encourage colleagues to get to know one another better and bond closer, creating a positive workplace environment.

  CPR+AED training is an example of a team bonding activity that combines the above while levelling up the capacity of your staff to be competent in responding to cardiovascular emergencies at work.