Men at Work

In the run up to Father’s Day (15 June) we take a little time to consider the measures that can be taken to improve men’s health in the workplace.

Men’s health has always been of concern perhaps purely for the fact that they tend not to worry about it as much as women and go for the ‘ostrich’ approach when feeling under the weather.

Men’s Health Week is all about reversing the status quo and trying to make men and their families more aware of the health issues that can and do affect them.

This year Men’s Health Week (9-15 June) concentrates on health at work. The aim of the week is to ensure health and safety and risk avoidance better targets men in the workplace, to use the workplace to reach men with health promotional interventions and to link into the government’s Health, Work and Wellbeing strategy.

Recent studies have concluded that work can be so stressful for some people, usually men, that they can’t cope with it or that they find their job so depressing they don’t want to work. These are obviously mental health issues, but Men’s Health Week will look at avoiding physical ill health too.

A recent report by Carol Black for the government on work and health – Working for a Healthier Tomorrow – has been welcomed by the relevant bodies including the Male Health Forum, despite the fact that it does not take gender into account.
“Of the 2.2 million British workers who currently have an illness that was caused or made worse by their work, the majority (by a ratio of about 3:2) are men suggesting a truly comprehensive study of health at work would need to take gender into account.

“However, the report is the first of its kind to make clear the close link between work and health.”
Currently, at least two million people in the UK are seriously ill or sick as a result of something that has happened to them at work and every year over 400 people are killed in workplace accidents.

It might be that you have a dangerous job and therefore strict health and safety procedures must be in place, or it may be that your workload is too much causing stress. Work is one of the biggest single causes of stress among men and is probably responsible for as many deaths as heart disease.

And it is not only work that can cause stress, but also the lack of it. No job, no pension security – these are increasingly common in the flexible labour market we currently live in and stress is a factor here too.

As stated earlier, men often don’t take time to care for their health even if they have worrying symptoms and admitting to health problems at work can be even harder. High blood pressure is a particularly prevalent problem that stress at work can certainly exacerbate, as it can coronary heart disease. Many of the ill health problems in men are preventable – they generally smoke more, drink more and are more likely to be involved in risk taking leading to accidents.

Mental health issues are now recognised as a priority for men. The increase in suicides by young men in Scotland suggests something really does need to be done about this worrying trend.

Unfortunately men don’t tend to make good use of health services and are less likely to discuss their health or other sensitive issue with friends. This is where occupational health initiatives in the workplace can really help. If they exist, why not use them? It may be a counselling service or it may a weekly football match to help with fitness.

The new Healthy Working Lives (HWL) Award Programme in Scotland has seen some great success. Launched early last year and building on the success of Scotland’s Health at Work (SHAW) programme, HWL encompasses a wide range of topics enabling organisations to select those that are most relevant to the workforce, including health promotion, occupational health and safety, health and the environment, mental health and well-being, community involvement and employability.

MEN’S HEALTH WEEK
9-15 JUNE

COMPUTERS AND HEALTH
Taking one issue of how your health can be affected at work, let’s look at computer use.
Computers can affect your health in several ways – repetitive strain injuries (rsi) from sitting in the same position typing; eye strain from the screen or sickness produced by the electro-magnetic fields which all computers and other electrical equipment emit.

RSI
Repeating the same movement over and over may strain the tendons and muscles involved. It can happen at a checkout or in a factory but the major cause at work is the computer. To reduce the risks take breaks (at least once every twenty minutes) and get up frequently. By law, your boss must provide breaks. Several short ones are better than one longer one. There are some simple exercises you can do to help and your boss must make sure that your computer work-station is assessed to make sure it is set up safely.

Eye strain
By law, you can ask your boss to pay for an eye-test if you use a computer screen regularly. Make sure you ask for this, especially if you start getting headaches.

Electro-magnetic fields
Anything electrical produces an electro-magnetic field and how dangerous these are is debatable. Tiredness, colds, headaches, itchy eyes and skin are all said to be possibly caused by these fields.

A more natural environment in the workplace is best. Plants can help normalise the temperature, carbon dioxide and humidity levels. Or simply open the window and let some fresh air in.

Computer advice courtesy of www.malehealth.co.uk

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