EM Richland Operations Office contractor HPMC Occupational Medical Services created a series of presentations and webinars for Hanford employees to use at safety and all-hands meetings, or to view independently to advance worker well-being.
EM Richland Operations Office contractor HPMC Occupational Medical Services created a series of presentations and webinars for Hanford employees to use at safety and all-hands meetings, or to view independently to advance worker well-being.

RICHLAND, Wash. – EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor HPMC Occupational Medical Services (HPMC) created an innovative approach to providing health and wellness services to workers during the COVID-19 pandemic that centers on employee engagement.

Total Worker Health at Hanford stems from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s Total Worker Health program that explores opportunities to protect workers and advance their health and well-being by improving workplace conditions through policies, programs and practices.

Risk factors in the workplace can contribute to health problems previously considered unrelated to work, such as sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease, depression and obesity. These risks factors have always been an issue; however, during the pandemic, more mental health issues emerged. These risk factors tie into total wellness, which can help workers with their mental well-being.

The Hanford Total Worker Health program focuses on how the workplace environment can mitigate worker safety and health hazards and enhance overall worker well-being. This ties into the strong safety culture at Hanford and provides a bridge to individual wellness.

“We have more than 30 topics that include presentations with full audio and additional resources linked throughout,” said Audrey Wright, health education specialist with HPMC. “With part of the workforce teleworking and others being onsite, it allows everyone to see and hear from others and have an opportunity for engagement.”

Workers can access this information at any time through the HPMC website on the Hanford intranet or subscribe to receive semimonthly presentations via email. The presentations can be used during safety meetings or plan-of-the-day meetings, which are a big part of the site safety culture.

“The Total Worker Health program offered at HPMC has been beneficial to Hanford worker safety and health,” said Hiram Seth Whitmer, HPMC president and program manager. “Employees have been able to maintain and improve their health while teleworking and limiting personal interactions. Those improvements benefit the worker, our workforce and the community.”

For more information about the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s Total Worker Health program, click here.