Exchange Discusses Wellness Initiatives

At the March 10 meeting of the Des Moines County Safety Exchange, the group entered into a discussion of promoting company wellness initiatives, and just what the function of the Exchange should or could be in regards to wellness.

After much discussion, we found that we were really all over the place. We all described various levels of management support, available resources, and interest in general. But then, an interesting thing began to happen. We began to share stories of what had worked in the past, and what hadn't. We talked about what got people interested and what didn't. We talked about what companies could do, without too much management support or resources. In short, we began to do what the group was put together to do in the first place--serve as a swap meet or flea market of ideas and experiences.

We finally determined that the most effective function the Exchange could undertake right now is to provide information to the folks who want or need it. Our meeting discussions cover a lot of what works and what doesn't. You might also get a few, "What if you try...?" questions.

So we will continue to discuss and share individual company wellness efforts, share contact info, share ideas, offer help when we can, and support each other in these efforts. As we "mature" in these efforts, it may be more feasible to tackle more ambitious wellness projects.

A Bad Day in the Warehouse

or "Seat Belts Save Lives"

You say you don't believe that it's necessary for forklift drivers to wear seat belts? I wasn't so convinced, either. We've heard all the excuses: "I'm up and down all the time", "Nothing can happen-I'm operating on level ground"--fill in your own. But we finally decided just to enforce the seat belts as a compliance issue. Shortly afterward, this incident occurred. The operator escaped this incident with minor injuries that did not require medical treatment. Wearing the seat belt saved, at a minimum, serious injury from occurring. Needless to say, I'm now a believer. Non-believers: do so at your own peril.

Into the Blogosphere

Well, I've been toying with this idea for a long time, and I've finally taken the plunge. Who knows how it will turn out. Hopefully, this develops a lot more interaction than monthly meetings. Hopefully, it will also generate a synergy with our group and develop new membership.

The idea is to share ideas, problems, frustrations, resources, news, comments, and about anything else you care to throw against the virtual wall. I think it can be informative and fun-but we'll see how it goes.