Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering
Value Based Safety and Off-the-Job Safety Safety as a Value; Choice vs. Compliance Off-the-Job Safety (Residences and Public Places) Safety as Related to Health Practices
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in Safety Management ChE 325
Submitted by: MARCELINO, Gilianne C. SUPREMO, Journel Ann T. Zafra, Alister Mae A.
Submitted to: Engr. Clydelle M. Rondaris
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering 12 February 2014
Safety as a Value; Choice vs. Compliance Definition of Terms
Safety – The condition or state of being safe; freedom from danger or hazard; exemption from hurt, injury, or loss. Value – val· ues, plural noun; principles or standards: the accepted principles or standards of a person or a group. Ethic – Ethical; moral. The philosophy of morals; the standard of character set up by any race or nation. Choice – A decision to choose one thing, person, or course of action in preference to others. Compliance – Acting according to certain accepted standards; to conform, submit, or adapt as required or requested; conformity in fulfilling official requirements.
Creating and sustaining safety in the workplace is a common goal for companies, although one that few accomplish. It is possible, though, so why does this goal elude so many companies? One issue is that of the status quo repeating itself— the relationship and response to safety is typically one of reaction-prevention instead of proactive-prevention. Until the cycle is reversed, companies will continue the unnecessary and frustrating struggle for a safer working environment. History tends to repeat itself at organizations: react, prevent; react, prevent. Examining the daily management of safety reveals that on good days, prevention prevails, but on bad days, reaction takes over. Our best managers will often shift to prevention mode even when things go wrong. Even so, much of the efforts to prevent incidents are based on a desire to avoid the consequences of those incidents. In fact, employees and supervisors are most often more concerned about preventing the organizational consequences of a first aid injury, for example, than they are about preventing a first aid incident itself. It is once said, “Prevention often turns out to be reaction in disguise.” From a Priority to a Value
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering Safety as a value is a simple statement, but one that is not always as easily executed as one would assume. Safety as a value and #1 priority is a common goal of many managers; however, it can lead to difficulties because it requires transforming the behavior and beliefs of leadership, individual employees and the general culture. A typical view by hourly employees is that production (schedules, productivity and cost) are the real priorities. Leadership must change this perception by consistently treating safety as a value—a value that places human safety above production. The way in which managers speak about their commitment to safety must align with their actions. Disregard for this challenge undermines even the most sincere effort. Management’s task is to ensure that the safety culture has transformed, and continually reinforce open communication and authentic relationships. To be effective, management must quickly bring to the surface perceptions that are a barrier to realizing the commitment to eliminate injury and greet employee’s views and opinions with an open ear. They must be eager to manage and change the environment. One of the tests of whether safety is sincerely held as a value is management’s approach (toward attitude) about off-the-job injury. If leadership is seen as being unconcerned or less than genuine in their speaking about safety off the job, they will be perceived as less than sincere about their professed concern for safety on the job. Safety is a value not a strategy. Safety is a value. This phrase is being bandied about more and more. Although the notion that safety is a value is a good one, what exactly is meant by values? Values have been defined as “a constant set of core beliefs held by an individual concerning how s/he should behave over a broad range of situations” that develop through the socialization process experienced during life (Ravlin 598). To paraphrase, this means that a value is deeply held belief which is beyond compromise, initially learned from others, but reinforced by one’s own experiences. From such values individual attitudes and opinions are formed, which in turn direct one’s behavior. Since good safety attitudes and safe behavior are vital to successful safety programs, it makes sense to seriously examine the proposition that safety should be treated as a value that is never compromised. The concept of safety as a value can simply be viewed as an ethic that guides the way an individual views safety and safety-related behavior – be it at work, in public or at home. This ethic dictates behavior in the same way as other ethics. In 2 | Page
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering the workplace, it means that safety is not simply viewed as a top priority par with productivity; rather, it is an ethic that guides everything employees do – safety is never compromised. The two fundamental underlying philosophies of treating safety as a value are (1) aiming for zero incidents and (2) actively caring for others. Many safety efforts focus on developing rules and procedures; providing safety training, posting safety signs and posters; conducting weekly inspections; and developing themed campaigns. Some forward-thinking companies try to involve the workforce, but many rely solely on line management to ensure compliance. When incidents occur, many employers cite the involved employee’s unsafe behavior, poor attitude or laziness. Although these factors may, on occasion, be involved, in most cases, an employee’s perceptions of the work environment, combined with his or her safety values, will dictate actual behavior. Many facilities have gone some time – be it days, months or years – without an injury incident. If it is possible to achieve zero injuries for some period, one can argue that it is possible to achieve this level of performance all the time. It has been said, “A company gets the level of safety performance it deserves” (Du Pont). This simple yet insightful phrase reinforces the view that adopting safety as a value may be an effective way to improve safety performance. Furthermore, it will help to bring about the safety culture “product,” which is “that observable degree of effort to which all organization members direct their attention and action toward improving safety on a daily basis” (Health & Safety Commission; Cooper 111+). Two key factors are involved for safety to become a value: (1) a value is learned from others; and (2) everyday experiences will either reinforce or weaken the strength of the value in forming attitudes, opinions and behavior. Thus, values cannot be instilled solely by prescriptive methods. It requires more than merely telling employees, “You will treat safety as a value.” It requires consistent, demonstrable safety leadership whereby the entire management structure proactively and visibly shows its leadership of – and commitment to – safety on a daily basis. People often emulate the behavior and espoused philosophies of those they respect. The more such behavior is reinforced by their experiences, the more habitual it becomes – and the more the philosophies evolve into deeply held values. Because senior managers are a company’s most-highly regarded people, they must actively demonstrate that safety is a value if others are to embrace safety as a value. To achieve this, senior managers in particular must commit to the vision and spread it throughout their sphere of operations; they must “walk the talk” and lead by 3 | Page
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering example. Such actions reflect management commitment and dispel perceptions that the company merely pays lip-service to safety. As a result, employees believe that safety is taken seriously and will follow suit. How others approach people also affects their subsequent behavior and values. Top-down edicts that demand compliance simply will not work, much like telling people to act safely does not work. The primary goal is to change the behavior – a change that must originate within workers themselves. For this to occur, management must “actively care” about employee safety and well being (Geller). In turn, employees will demonstrate caring behavior toward colleagues. As a result, the “safety is a value” ethos will become deeply embedded within the company’s culture; unsafe behavior and conditions will diminish; and the zero injury goal will be achieved. To ensure success in this area, management must strive to ensure that employees receive positive consequences as the result of any caring effort. Judgment and Choice vs. Compliance In an injury-free environment, management must be willing to recognize compliance-based safety processes and procedures, while stretching their thinking and beliefs beyond the rules. While we will not take the time here to delve into the limits of compliance as a basis for safety management, suffice it to say that it is necessary and should be enforced, but it does not guarantee sound judgment and choice. Compliance does not require that people be safe—it merely requires that they give the appearance of being safe. Being “legally safe” is a poor and potentially dangerous substitute for transforming a culture into one that embraces and believes in safety. Respecting People for Their Intrinsic Value Treating people with genuine respect and concern is one of the most effective ways to help create an injury-free environment. Low morale, feelings of disrespect and loss of dignity, and ‘quality of life’ issues are all indicators of discontented workers, which can lead to careless work habits. An environment in which individuals are seen primarily in terms of their instrumental worth, such as their value as a worker instead of their value as a human being, does not elicit the safest, most productive work. An environment in which morale is high, and employees feel dignified and
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering respected, enjoy a high ‘quality of life’ at work, and feel recognized primarily for their intrinsic worth, will elicit the maximum contribution and capacity from employees. When companies experience enterprise transformation, extraordinary results happen. Through our work we see employees harness their intrinsic value in service of eliminating injury on their job. When management and employees consistently take the high road and create environments in which people know they are valued and cared about, they are more likely to give more to their work, by working harder, better and more safely. The moment the culture transforms into a values-based environment instead of a strategy, real and lasting change can occur. Breakthrough results are not produced simply by going after the results, but by doing the right things.
Off-the-Job Safety What is off-the-job safety? Off-the-job safety is the extension of an organization’s on-the-job safety culture. Off-the-job safety programs educate employees about being safe while not a work. A growing number of businesses now consider off-the-job safety critical to good management of health care costs, productivity and profits. More importantly, off-the-job safety programs help save the lives of employees and their families.
Off-the-Job Safety Safety is a 24-hour attitude, not a switch that is turned on when employees are at work and turned off when they go home. According to the National Safety Council’s 2011 Injury Facts, nearly three times as many workers suffer a nonfatal injury when they are off the job. Fewer accidents and injuries occur on the job because safety becomes part of a company’s value system, worksite culture and lifestyle of the worker. When on and off the job safety programs are integrated or when off-the-job safety topics are included in wellness programs, safety becomes part 5 | Page
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering of the lifestyle of the employee not only at work, but at home and in the community as well. It can also extend to the worker’s families and friends. These types of interventions support a culture of Total Worker Health™ and can lead to a safer and healthier workforce. It is a well-known fact that more injuries and deaths occur off the job than on the job and that unintentional off-the-job injuries are a burden to employers. According to the National Safety Council’s 2011 Injury Facts, for every worker killed on the job, approximately 15 workers are killed off the job. In addition, nearly three times as many workers suffer a nonfatal injury when they are off-the-job than when they are working. Fewer accidents and injuries occur on the job when safety has become part of a company’s value system, worksite culture and lifestyle of the worker. Employers can incorporate off-the-job safety programs as a way to extend their on-the-job safety culture and/or integrate off-the-job safety topics into their wellness program. Both strategies support a culture of Total Worker Health™ and can lead to a safer and healthier workforce. Off-the-job safety programs can demonstrate that employers truly care about their employees and their families both at work and away from work. They may also help build trust and increase employee engagement in other workplace health and wellness programs.
For the Employer Off the job injuries to employees and their families can be a burden to their employers.
They can lead to on the job injuries, increased healthcare costs,
increased absenteeism, and decreased productivity.
They can also be especially
critical for smaller employers, where an employee’s absence from work can significantly impact daily operations.
By extending an on the job safety culture
and/or wellness program to incorporate off-the-job safety topics, employers 6 | Page
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering demonstrate they truly care about the well-being of their employees and their families at work, at home and in the community. They can also help build trust and increase employee engagement in other workplace health and wellness programs.
Requirements 1. Each worksite shall: a. Conduct on-the-job safety and health activities to encourage employees and their dependents to be safe off the job, in the home and in all activities. b. Educate employees about off-the-job safety through items/activities such as safety meetings, publications, posters, bulletin boards and flyers. c. Conduct promotional campaigns, such as seat belt use, fire prevention for the home and recreational safety. d. Provide and/or encourage employees to participate in health/fitness activities. Responsibilities
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering 1. The Risk Management Program Manager shall be responsible for developing a yearly calendar of “Off-the-Job Safety” topics for distribution to the Regional Safety Managers one month prior to the start of each new fiscal year. In addition, the Risk management Program Manager will prepare timely safety alerts for pertinent topics as they develop for regional distribution. 2. The Regional Safety Manager shall be responsible for forwarding “Off-the-Job Safety” topics to all operating units and for ensuring that the Region’s and park’s safety programs include off-the-job promotional activities. 3. The Park Safety Officer or Collateral Duty Safety Officer shall be responsible for developing site-specific off-the-job safety programs cooperatively with the park’s safety committee. They must also ensure supervisors and managers are provided with promotional materials and yearly agendas to assist them in this effort. 4. Employees are charged with participating in any off-the-job safety programs established at their work unit and encouraging safe behaviors in all activities on and off the job. Suggested Ideas and Schedule for Off-the-Job Safety Activities October
November December
January February
March
National Fire Prevention Week (second week of month), National School Bus Safety Week (fourth week of month), Children’s Health Month Personal Protective Equipment Month National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Week (second week of month), Safety Toy Month, Holiday Safety, Cold Weather Awareness Safe Driver Month, National Glaucoma Awareness Week (third week of month) Ergonomics Awareness Month, American Heart Month, National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week (second week of month) Health and Wellness Month, Save Your Vision Week (first week of month), National Poison Prevention Week (third week of month)
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering April
July
Environmental Awareness Month, World Health Week (second week of month), National Building Safety Week (second week of month), National Public Health Week (1st week of month), National Playground Safety Week (third week of month) Equipment/Machine Safety Month, Safe Kids Week (second week of month), Buckle Up, America! Week (third week of month), Clean Air Month, National Melanoma Awareness Month, National Electrical Safety Month, World Asthma Day (May 4th) Safe America Month, National Safe Boating Week (first of month), Community Home and Public Safety Week (second of month), First Aid Awareness Week (third week of month), Defensive Driving Week (fourth week of month) Occupational Health Month, Eye Injury Prevention Month
August
Housekeeping/Maintenance Month
September
Child Safety Month, National Farm Safety Week (third week of month)
May
June
Different Off-the-Job Safety and Health Programs of Different Companies 1. Intel At Intel, the same logic used to build computers is used to develop the company’s offthe-job
safety
program.
This
logic
includes
following processes, creating value and making connections. It begins with process. Intel started by defining the processes for workplace safety at all of its locations and business units. In a company of 80,000 employees with differing work responsibilities at multiple locations, a single large program isn’t the best strategy. “We began our journey to safety excellence with tremendous discipline,” said Jim Wick, Intel’s worldwide environmental health and safety manager. “This was how we needed to do it.” 9 | Page
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering With workplace safety processes in place, Intel then created value for those 80,000 employees. “We introduced an injury-free culture to our employees as a value,” Wick said. “It’s about people, choices and value systems,” he said, adding, “It’s good for morale, and good for business.” How good for business was it? Recordable incidents at Intel are down from 2,000 to about 200 during a 10-year period. Intel’s 2004 total recordable rate is 0.27 – with the greatest
improvement
in
the
manufacturing units. 2. Medtronic More than 340,000 people die each year from coronary heart disease, according to the Dallas-based American Heart Association. Most of these are sudden deaths caused by cardiac arrest. Medtronic Emergency Response Systems wants to reduce that figure. The Redmond, WA-based company recently set up free training and certification in CPR and automated external defibrillator use for its own 1,000-member team. These two life saving measures give Medtronic employees the knowledge to reverse cardiac arrest no matter where they are. “The training is really there so we can help other people,” said Rob Moe, senior human resource manager at Medtronic. “That includes family members and people in the community – that might be someone sitting next to you at a football or basketball game, or somebody at church.” The idea to certify employees was the brainchild of Medtronic President Bob White, who recognized an increase in AED use off the job and wanted to make sure Medtronic’s employees, knew what to do if they witnessed someone suffering a heart attack outside the office. “[Bob] thought it would be appropriate for us, since we manufacture AEDs,” Moe said. “The more people who know how to use [CPR and AEDs] the better off and safer we will all be wherever we are.” 3. Duncan Aviation
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering Keeping drivers safe on the road is a big challenge – more than 2.4 million Americans were injured or killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2004. Despite the high amount of roadway incidents, Lincoln, NE-based Duncan Aviation manages to keep the number of employee driving accidents low. The aircraft service company has created a number of aggressive off-the-job programs to help its aviation experts drive with caution. Bob Perry, safety director at Duncan Aviation said his company assessed the hazards and then sought assistance from Marvin Kohout, director of traffic safety at the Nebraska Safety Council. “Four years ago we started working on our employees to wear seat belts in their own vehicles,” Perry said. “Seat beltchecks went from 37 percent to 92 percent this year.” Along with the belt checks, Duncan Aviation held quarterly child safety seat inspections, and offered employees the opportunity
to
buy
discounted
bicycle
helmets and fire safety equipment. Duncan also obtained radar trailers to help reduce speeding. “We have one on the east side of the airport and one on the west side of the airport. We put the radar trailer out before the
holidays,”
Perry
said.
“If
you’re
supposed go 25 mph and you’re over, it tells you how fast you’re going and starts blinking at you. It doesn’t take pictures, it doesn’t get your license plate, but it does remind people to slow down.” Duncan Aviation now offers a variety of classes on driving safety, including safety and wellness sessions on driving in winter conditions, a basic car maintenance course that shows employees how to change tires, how to check the fluids in their vehicles, how to check air pressure in their tires, and a talk on drinking and driving. “We did that when school was out so people could have their teenagers come in,” Perry said. “We wanted to show them why it’s important not to drink and drive, and to let them know if they are drunk they should call someone to pick them up.” 4. Morton Salt 11 | P a g e
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering 5. At Morton Salt, they successfully build safety awareness away from work means involving workers’ families. “In our culture we believe we need to address off-the-job safety,” said Michael Resetar, director, health and safety. “We foster this concept, not only for our employees, but for their families. We feel a real obligation to send safety home.” The decision to do this is based on four principles Morton Salt believes are a necessary part of the company’s safety culture for the present and the future: • For excellence in safety performance on the job, the company wants to ensure the “Safety Hat” is not taken off as employees leave the worksite. The rules off the job must be the same as those on the job if people are to remain injuryfree, no matter what the circumstances. • The concept of responsible leadership makes it paramount that family health and safety become a part of Morton Salt’s identity. It is also an investment in the communities Morton Salt is a part of in North America. Morton Salt wants to emphasize that it is not only a business, but family that cares for and acts responsibly to its own. • The children of current employees will be running the company sites in the future. The company wants them to be able to come in with a safety culture and to continue some of the things the company is doing today. The company does not want them to have to reinvent safety; rather, to make sure excellence in safety is just a part of their future work culture, what they do naturally without even thinking about it. • Morton Salt employees value the opportunity to share off-the-job safety knowledge with its families. Implementing Off-the-Job Safety Programs It is recommended that off-the-job safety programs be localized and delivered as a series of suggestions or helpful hints, rather than as a series of mandates. A localized approach is effective for targeting issues relevant to 12 | P a g e
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering employee’s daily lives and information can be shared through paycheck stuffers, emails,
social
media
or
a
company
newsletter. Off-the-job
safety
can
also
be
incorporated into regular safety talks, staff meetings include
or
trainings.
sharing
data
Useful
methods
and
statistics,
explaining how off-the-job injuries affect the whole team, relating workplace safety to home and community safety, encouraging personal storytelling, and offering personal protective equipment for free, at a lower cost, or on a sign-out basis (e.g. masks, goggles, gas detection equipment, bicycle helmets, fire equipment).
Off-The-Job Safety Would you believe that more than one-half of the injuries suffered by workers occur off the job? Someone once said that your home is your castle. If this is true, castles are very dangerous places. Approximately 24,000 individuals are killed each year in home accidents--an average of about 65 deaths per day. The National Safety Council reports that about 3.6 million people are injured in home accidents, which means that one person in 60 was disabled for one or more days in a home accident. About 100,000 of these injuries resulted in some permanent impairment. With these statistics, it cannot be over emphasized that what you do away from your job is vitally important. At home, we become all too familiar with our environment. Then, to our surprise, we have an accident and wonder why it didn't happen sooner. Falls and burns by gas or electrical equipment lead the list.
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering In 1982, over 1,036,500 fires in homes claimed more than 5,000 lives and caused $6.4 billion dollars’ worth of damage. More than twice as many fires occurred in homes than in any other occupancy put together, including restaurants, hotels, schools, manufacturing plants, etc. You're protected at work and in public places by fire codes and laws that require early warning devices (smoke and heat detectors)
and
fire
extinguishers.
It
is
highly
recommended that you obtain the appropriate fire protection equipment for your home as soon as possible. It is the cheapest form of life and fire insurance possible. Smoke detectors of an approved type are a good investment to provide early warning of a
One half of home fire deaths occur in the 6 percent of homes with no
smoke
alarms.
(NFPA Report)
fire in the home. Good Housekeeping should be practiced throughout the home. Avoid using the basement, attic or utility room for a dumping ground, especially for combustible materials. The yard should be kept clear of broken glass, nail-studded boards, and other litter. Electric utensils or tools should be properly grounded if they are not of the "double insulated" type and should always be disconnected when not in use. You should always tag and identify your main gas and water Make sure there are no frayed cords
valves and electrical cut-offs. Be sure that others in your family know where they are located and how to cut the supply in the event of an emergency.
Fuses or circuit breakers should be labeled to identify outlets and fixtures they protect. Good lighting should be available for work areas, stairways, and in the 14 | P a g e
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering bedrooms of children and elderly persons. Keep emergency phone numbers handy (utilities, doctors, poison control, etc.). Falls are the greatest killers in the home. Always have non-skid backing on small rugs and avoid using them at the top of stairs. Use a step stool or utility ladder--never a chair or table--when reaching into high cupboards or shelves. Keep ladders in good condition by replacing loose rungs, worn ladder shoes, and frayed ropes on extension ladders. Replace cracked or frayed electrical appliance and extension cords. Don't use aerosols near open flames or while smoking. Keep firearms secure in a locked rack or cabinet and ammunition stored separately from the firearms. Always use the right tool for the job and always get help from a neighbor or friend for heavy or difficult jobs. Prepare and practice a family escape plan in case of a fire that might occur during the day or night. This plan should include two ways out of every area and a pre-determined meeting place outside of the home.
Don't stand on the top of a ladder!
Kitchen-Bathroom-Utility Wipe up liquid spills immediately. Turn hot handles away from the stove front so they don't tempt little children, but don't place them over another burner. Keep in mind that water should never be poured on a grease fire. 15 | P a g e
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering Washers and dryers should be electrically grounded. Always keep household cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides, drain openers, and medicines in their original labeled containers--separate from food--and preferably locked up and out of reach of small children. Read the label before taking any medicine. Keep emergency phone numbers like police, fire, doctors, utilities, handy by your telephone.
Wear eye protection when working with power tools. Garage-Workshop Keep all tools properly guarded and out of reach of small children. Flammable paint thinners and solvents should be kept in metal cans. Their vapors will travel along the ground, so it is important to keep them stored away from gas hotwater tanks, heaters, or other sources of ignition. When operating a power mower, keep children and pets a safe distance away. Always shut off the mower and make sure the blades are stopped before adjusting the blade or emptying the grass catcher. Keep the garage door open while running the car engine inside to avoid asphyxiation.
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering Motor-vehicle accidents are the #1 accidental killers of our children ages 5 and under. Using a child safety seat is estimated to be 80 to 90 percent effective in preventing fatalities.
Safety as Related to Health Practices
INTRODUCTION Health practices are voluntary activities affecting health, such as sleep, exercise and diet. In humans, health is the general condition of a person's mind and body, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain (as in "good health" or "healthy"). The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living organism. TWO ASPECTS OF HEALTH A. Physical health Another term for physical health is physical well-being. Physical health relates to anything concerning our bodies as physical entities. Physical health is defined as something a person can achieve by developing all health-related components of his/her lifestyle. Physical health means a good body health, which is healthy because of regular physical activity (exercise), good nutrition, and adequate rest. Other contributors to physical wellbeing may include proper nutrition, bodyweight management, abstaining from drug abuse, avoiding alcohol abuse, responsible sexual behavior (sexual health), hygiene, and getting the right amount of sleep. Fitness reflects a person's cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition. Some people divide physical health into two separate sections: Structural health This refers to sound bones, muscles, organs etc. that the structures in the body are performing the functions they were made for properly. Structural health is associated with a person's height/weight ratio, their BMI (body 17 | P a g e
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering mass index), their resting pulse rate (heart rate), and recovery time after doing exercise.
Chemical Health Good chemical health means that the chemicals in the person's body are correct, that tissues contain the right balance of nutrients, etc., and there are no toxic chemicals. We may inhale or swallow natural and synthetic chemicals; they can also get into our body through skin. In most cases, the body can break these chemicals down or excrete them, so that there is no risk of toxic overload. Some chemicals can harm or destroy cells and tissues, while others may affect genetic material directly, which can increase the risk of developing cancer.
B. Mental health Mental health refers to people's cognitive and emotional well-being. According to WHO, mental health is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". Mental health refers to the absence of mental illness. Mental health includes the ability to enjoy life, the ability to bounce back from adversity, the ability to achieve balance (moderation), the ability to be flexible and adapt, the ability to feel safe and secure, and self-actualization (making the best of what you have).
MAIN DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH The health of individual people and their communities are affected by a wide range of contributory factors. People's good or bad health is determined by their environment and situations - what is happening and what has happened to them, says WHO. WHO says the main determinants to health are: A. The social and economic environment (Our economy and society) The higher a person's socioeconomic status is, the more likely he/she is to enjoy good health. The link is a clear one. Socioeconomic status affects all members of the family, including newborn babies. Australian researchers found that women of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to breastfeed their newborn babies - a factor which will have an impact on the health of the baby just as he/she enters 18 | P a g e
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering the world. A South Korean study revealed a clear link between low socioeconomic status and heart attack and stroke risk. B. The physical environment (Where we live, what is physically around us) If your water is clean and safe, the air you breathe is pure, your workplace is healthy, your house is comfortable and safe, you are more likely to enjoy good health compared to somebody whose water supply is not clean and safe, the air he/she breathes is contaminated, the workplace is unhealthy, etc. A study carried out by researchers at Zuyd University, The Netherlands, found that just an hour of sniffing car exhaust fumes induces a stress response in the brain's activity. Another study carried out at Indiana University-Purdue University found that chronic lead poisoning, caused in part by the ingestion of contaminated dirt, affects hundreds of thousands more children in the United States than the acute lead poisoning associated with imported toys or jewelry. C. The person's individual characteristics and behaviors (What we are and what we do) People's longevity, general health, and propensity to certain diseases are partly determined by their genetic makeup. Researchers from Vrije University, Holland, the Medical College of Georgia, USA, and Duke University, USA showed that people's genes play a key role in how they respond both biologically and psychologically to stress in their environment. Men and women are susceptible to some different diseases, conditions and physical experiences, which play a role in our general health. For example, childbirth, ovarian cancer, and cervical cancer, are experienced only by women, while prostate cancer, testicular cancer are only experienced by men. What we eat, our physical activity, whether or not we smoke or drink or take drugs, and how we cope with stress play an important role on our physical and mental well-being.
SELF-CARE STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering In terms of health maintenance, self-care is any activity of an individual, family or community, with the intention of improving or restoring health, or treating or preventing disease. Self-care refers to actions and attitudes which contribute to the maintenance of well-being and personal health and promote human development. A holistic health approach is common to self-care which is concerned with complete system of the body rather than with individual aspects of the body.
We can't control what life gives us, but we can try to manage how we respond to life’s stressors by how well we take care of ourselves. Practicing self-care strategies can help us improve our ability to function well and better manage the stress that comes our way. The activities and exercises listed below are aimed at maintaining your physical health, decreasing stress, increasing relaxation and equanimity, and managing some challenging emotional situations.
A. Get adequate sleep
Getting enough sleep is a vital part of functioning at our best. Human body need 8-9 hours of sleep in order to function optimally. For optimum sleep, try to keep to a regular sleep schedule, avoid caffeine and other substances before bed, and create a quiet, peaceful sleep space.
B. Maintain good nutrition
Poor nutrition can actually make us more vulnerable to stress. Having good nutrition keeps us functioning at our best. Balanced diet means getting the right amount and composition of foods and beverages according to your condition. Different people might need different amount and composition of foods. For a standard, a healthy adult usually need 2000 calorie per day. If you work harder
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering than average person, you need more calorie. Basically, our need of food can be represented as the following pyramid:
Top shelf foods are high in sugar, fat and sale are not essential in health and taken in excess can be harmful. Fats and oils are essential but only in small amounts. The foods and drinks on the bottom shelves of the food pyramid are essential for good health.
C. Exercise regularly
Exercise can be great for us both physically and mentally. Research shows that 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week can help the body produce 21 | P a g e
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering endorphins, chemicals in our bodies that neutralize stress hormones, and increase our sense of well-being. Find an activity that you enjoy and you will come to really appreciate the benefits of regular exercise.
D. Be mindful of substance use
People tend to experiment with substances. Substances, like tobacco and alcohol, can be used for relaxation and celebration. If substance use is interfering with your functioning or in reaching your goals, seek support to find more healthy ways to manage.
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering E. Develop supportive relationships
Having supportive and caring people in our lives can help us feel connected to others and less isolated. Good friends can help us when we are sad, provide insight when we need help, or have fun with us when we need to blow off steam. Being a good friend to others can also help us feel good about ourselves.
F. Accept who we are
Being realistic about what we do well and what we don’t lets us use our energy to make the most of our strengths. When we like who we are and value ourselves (i.e. have good self-esteem), this helps us to feel positive about our interactions with others. We can practice this by being kind and compassionate with ourselves and learning to listen and trust our instincts and feelings.
G. Practice good communication
Being a good communicator is something that all of us can learn. When we assert ourselves effectively, this can help us to let others know us more thoroughly, and can help us set good boundaries and limits.
H. Practice positive thinking
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering By learning to think more positively, we can move through negative experiences more quickly and effectively. Being mindful of how our thoughts affect our behavior and feelings. Negative thinking can initiate a stress response, such as increased anxiety and worry, or physical problems like headaches.
I. Practice setting realistic goals
When we set goals for ourselves, it helps us to achieve what we hope to achieve and move forward in a positive way.
This includes developing a practice of
prioritizing, planning, and approaching tasks strategically so that we can keep life’s demands from becoming overwhelming.
J. Find time for relaxation and play
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Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Engineering and Technology Department of Chemical Engineering This can help balance our lives in positive and fulfilling ways. Children understand the importance of relaxation and play better than adults. Somewhere along the line, we forget about this vital part of life. We need to continue to find ways to nurture ourselves through play and relaxation.
REFERENCES Noerdqvist, C. (2009, May 29). What Is Health? What Does Good Health Mean?. World News Today. Retrieved December 26, 2013, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150999.php FSU Counseling Center (n.d.). Self-care. Framingham State University. Retrieved December 26, 2013, from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search? q=cache:http://www.framingham.edu/counseling/self-help/index.html University at Buffalo (n.d.). Self-Care Exercises and Activities. School of Social Work. Retrieved from December 26, 2013, from http://www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/students/self-care/exercises.asp The Dow Chemical Company (n.d.). Health Resources. Dow. Retrieved December 26, 2013, from http://www.dow.com/familyhealth/healthy/ Astuti, L. D. (2013, March 15). Balanced Diet [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://healthy-life-journal.blogspot.com/
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