Fiona’s blog
The current Covid-19 outbreak is a reminder of how important it is to look after our mental and physical wellbeing. Looking after our mental wellbeing is important because it helps us deal with the stress and uncertainty that the virus causes for our work and home lives.
Staying physically well also helps us cope better with stress, and puts us in a stronger position if we’re unlucky enough to catch the virus. Quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and boosting lung capacity by exercising can all increase our body’s ability to fight the infection.
So it’s important to stay healthy – in addition to following the Covid-19 ‘golden rules’ of washing hands, maintaining physical distancing, staying home and getting tested if unwell, and using the Covid-19 app to keep a record of where we’ve been.
Safetree has developed some easy-to-use fact sheets that summarise key things people can do to look after their health. These are designed to be used at team or tailgate meetings to encourage and remind people to take care of themselves.
Health can have a big impact on safety and productivity at work. And it’s even more important while we’re trying to bring this latest Covid-19 outbreak under control. Key messages from our health cards are below.
Get your Covid-19 tracer app QR code poster
It’s been great to see so many forestry people doing their bit to stop Covid-19 by putting up QR tracing code posters for their businesses.
Remember by midday August 19 all businesses must display Covid-19 QR code posters for visitors to use with the Covid-19 tracing app. This means you can be contacted quickly if someone who’s been exposed to the virus has come to your workplace.
Print out the posters and put them up at you place of work. If you don’t work out of a building, put them in your site container, in vehicles or by access gates.
You also need a paper register to sign in people who don’t have the Covid-19 tracer app on their phones.
KEY MESSAGES FROM SAFETREE’S HEALTH CARDS
Stressed out?
• Check on each other. It’s OK to ask a mate how they’re doing.
• Try to change what is stressing you out. Take care of your physical health and make time to see people – these make you mentally stronger.
• Get help if you need it. Call or text 1737 free to talk to a trained professional about anything stressing you out.
How big is your waist?
• The size of your waist is a good indication of your health.
• Your health could be at risk if it measures more than 100cm for men, or 86cm for women.
• If you are above that you should take action to reduce your waist size.
Fatigue
• Get enough rest between shifts – aim for at least 7 hours’ sleep, try to go to bed and get up about the same time each day even when you’re not working, sleep in a dark, quiet, comfortable place.
• Get exercise, and lots of daylight, eat at regular times – but not just before bed – drink water to stay hydrated.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks, alcohol, nicotine, or using digital devices within two hours of going to bed.
Type 2 diabetes
• Know your risk for type 2 diabetes. See your GP for a blood test.
• Change what you eat – eat less processed food, avoid sugar, eat more vegetables.
• Change what you drink – water is best, avoid sweet drinks that give you a boost but make you feel tired later.
Reduce high blood pressure
• Get your blood pressure checked because high blood pressure can cause heart attacks and strokes.
• If it’s high, make sure you stop smoking, eat less salt, and manage your stress.
• Try to reduce your waist size by changing what you eat and drink, and getting more exercise.
Leadership courses postponed
We’ve postponed these courses at Alert Level 2 because of the close proximity work needed when we do the practical exercises. These are key to the success of the training and we don’t want to take them out. Dates will be rescheduled as soon as we are advised of a change in the alert levels.
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