March 2022 The WELLesley Employee 

^{A Monthly Safety and Wellness Newsletter brought to you by The Town of Wellesley Employee Safety  & Wellness Committee}

March's Wellness Initiative - Gratitude

^{Submitted by Jen Glover}

1. Registration and Participation Link

Use this link to register for the program, and

to check off your progress as you watch 5

videos on Gratitude.

2. To learn about the program and access the videos, go to:

https://app.wellable.co/Gratitude

• Access code: WSHG

There are 7 videos on Gratitude in this

program. It is recommended that you watch

2 videos per week, and work on the exercise

from the videos.

Each Monday & Wednesday, March 7th -

March 28th, a reminder email will be sent

to you with the link to the program; along

with the link to record your progress.

All participants who have watched all 7

Gratitude Videos by Monday, March 28th, and

recorded their progress, will be entered into

a raffle for gratitude journals.

March is Ladder Safety Month

^{Submitted by Michael Carmody}

Most of us have used ladders for home repair and painting. Perhaps you’ve used a stepladder at work to store or retrieve materials on shelves. Or maybe you’ve stood on something that wasn’t a ladder because a stepladder or stepstool wasn’t readily available. It turns out that working safely on a ladder has as much to do with decisions you make beforehand as what you do when using a ladder.

    Selecting the right ladder is an important first step. Both straight ladders and stepladders need to be the right length for the height you’re working. You should never stand on the top step of a stepladder or the “cap,” (the top of the stepladder) or stand on any of the top three steps of a straight or extension ladder. Check the duty rating of the ladder to be sure it can support your weight plus any materials placed on the shelf.

    Inspect the ladder before every use. A damaged ladder should be thrown away (recycled if possible) and replaced, never repaired. Stepladder spreaders should open fully to horizontal with the floor. When climbing up and down a ladder, use three points of contact and grip the rungs or steps, not the rails.

    The ladder safety checklist below is from the American Ladder Institute. Their website provides free safety training for the four most commonly used ladders, with a nifty certificate for each course completion. To access the training, go to: https://www.laddersafetytraining.org/library

Poison Prevention Week – March 20-26

^{Submitted by Cay Meagher}

The National Poison Prevention Week Council was established in 1962 to partner with other agencies to try and bring awareness into every household related to unintentional poisonings. Every year in the U.S., over 2 million potential accidental poisonings are reported 90% of which occur in home, most of those being young children. Poisoning can take place in several forms; swallowed, skin, eye, fumes; and each is treated differently. Check your home for some common causes of accidental poisonings.

1.    Maintain working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

2.    Secure remote controls, key fobs, and other items that contain small batteries

3.    Purchase medicines in safety caps and discard unused medication

4.    Store medicine, cleaning, and laundry products in original packaging and out of reach (and sight) of children

5.    Have the phone number for poison control in your home and on your phone: 800-222-1222

March is National Workplace Eye Safety Month

^{Submitted by Vivian Zeng}

While many people think that eye injuries primarily occur in manufacturing, construction or trade jobs, nearly 40 percent of work-related eye injuries occur in offices and similar environments. 

Flying objects, tools, particles, and chemicals are the causes of most eye injuries. And in many cases, implementing safe work practices and utilizing appropriate personal protective equipment could prevent them entirely. 

March is Workplace Eye Safety Awareness Month and that is why we are taking this opportunity to remind you of a few tips to help protect your eyes while on the job. 

•    Always wear the appropriate safety eyewear for your job site or role, even if you are just passing through a hazardous area. 

•    If working in an area with particles or dust, be sure to wear safety glasses with side shields to protect against flying objects. 

•    When working with chemicals, always wear safety goggles or face shields to protect against splashing. 

So remember - something as simple as putting on a pair of safety glasses can prevent serious eye injuries. 

Diabetes Care Reward Program

^{Submitted by Jen Glover}

The Good Health Gateway Diabetes Care Rewards Program is available to our employees and their family members on the health plan who are living with pre-diabetes or any type of diabetes. Earn valuable rewards (like $0 copays on diabetes meds and supplies!) when you complete the program's diabetes care activities. Participation is voluntary and confidential.

Enroll anytime for free at GoodHealthGateway.com - choose West Suburban Health Group Diabetes Care Rewards or call 800-643-8028

COVID-19 Testing Info

COVID-19 testing for symptomatic individuals and close contacts, when ordered by your doctor, is usually covered by insurance and available at no cost https://www.mass.gov/info-details/about-covid-19-testing

Free testing is currently available at the Stop the Spread sites for MA residents: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stop-the-spread

Out of state residents should check with their home state about any free testing programs.
For example, RI: https://health.ri.gov/covid/testing/asymptomatic/  and NH: https://www.nh.gov/covid19/resources-guidance/testing-guidance.htm

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine 

Upcoming Trainings

Click to see MIIA Training Calendar        

EAP REINTRODUCTION ORIENTATION WITH OVERVIEW OF SERVICES March 3, 1pm-2pm Online

PREVENTING DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS March 16 9-12pm Online

DE ESCALATION TECHNIQUES FOR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES March 24, 2pm-3pm Online

Did you know that you have access to recorded trainings on a variety of topics through MIIA? If you don't already have a login, you can register here using your Wellesley email: https://www.emiia.org/join

 Do you have an event or training that you would like to make available to all employees? Please contact Jen Glover jglover@wellesleyma.gov

Monthly Action Item!

^{Submitted by Jeff Azano-Brown & Jen Glover}

Daylight Savings Time begins on March 13 - don't forget to turn your clocks 1 hour ahead (Spring Ahead!). This can disrupt our sleep. Read on for some info to keep our sleep on track!

Read: Six Things You May Not Know about Sleep           

Read: Sleep Well, Rest Well, Be  Well    

Complete: Sleep Self-Assessment