Health and safety issues regarding one's business should never be far from mind of a company owner. A safe, protected workforce and workplace is conducive to increased sales.
For example, the Principal Financial Well-Being Index found that over two out of five American workers surveyed believe if their company had a wellness program, it would make them work harder and perform better.
The Des Moines, Iowa-based firm has recently introduced a prepacked wellness program. Lee Dukes, president of Principal Wellness Co., said "It's not surprising that healthy organizations create healthier employees."
Meanwhile, as baby boomers get older, they create workplace health and safety challenges of their own.
Warren, N.J.-based Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. sites studies by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that aging workers have fewer workplace injuries, but diabetes, hypertension and other age-related ailments are helping to increase employers' costs associated with medical insurance and lost work production.
But businesses can help mitigate their losses by improving policies and workplace design to allow employees to continue to work in a safe and healthy environment, said Tina Minter, a loss control specialist with Chubb.
"Older workers are highly valued by employers for their judgment, flexibility, experience and creativity," Ms. Minter said. "Fortunately, many of them will work beyond the traditional retirement age of 65, due partly to advances in health care. This presents both opportunities and challenges to businesses, which will need to adapt to maintain a safe work environment for these workers."
Last year, she and a colleague did a presentation at a conference that noted while injury rates among older workers are lower than those of their younger counterparts, according to the BLS, other factors can contribute to increased health and safety exposures: age-related chronic disorders and diseases; loss of hearing; impaired vision; and physical and cognitive limitations.
Some examples of what businesses can do include: Allow for flexible work hours so that those with poor night vision can adjust their start and finish time to coincide with daylight hours; encourage employees to use the health care system for preventative well visits; encourage employees working at a computer to take small breaks every 30 minutes; and don't rely on sound as the sole means of emergency communications, as employees with hearing loss may not hear announcements.
Speaking of emergency communications, Capital One Financial Corp., McLean, Va., had created a disaster-planning checklist for businesses.
Todd Kennedy, managing vice president, Capital One Small Business, said "Just like a family should have a disaster-preparedness plan, so should businesses. Each business should tailor its disaster plan to its specific types of operations, and the checklist Capital One has created can help in developing the plan."
The checklist includes:
- Develop a continuity plan that addresses post-disaster recovery procedures;
- Consider alternative operational locations;
- Equip backup operations sites with critical equipment, data files and supplies;
- Safeguard property;
- Gather current contact information for employees, vendors and customers;
- Develop multiple and reliable communication methods to reach employees;
- Communicate details of the plan to employees;
- Let customers and vendors know the business' plan and what to expect from the business;
- Develop a detailed action plan in the event of a mandatory evacuation; and
- Prepare for emergency cash management to handle cash flow.
In the event of an emergency, chief concerns for many businesses include: meeting payroll obligations, paying bills, restoring critical technology and communicating with employees, customers and suppliers."Businesses should develop comprehensive plans to address critical issues such as payroll, restoring technology and communicating with stakeholders, and they should test their plan before an emergency occurs," he said.
For more information on emergency planning and preparedness for your business, visit
