Health
Safety Expert Urges NAN Workers To Prioritise Workplace Health, Warns Against Prolonged Sitting
By Itohan Abara-Laserian
A Safety Expert, Mrs Nafisat Adeniran, has urged workers to prioritise their health and physical fitness to improve their lifestyles.
Adeniran is the Head of Safety at Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd., operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two.
Adeniran warned that prolonged sitting and poor workplace posture could negatively affect productivity and overall well-being.
She gave the advice during a workplace health and fitness programme organised by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Lagos, with the theme: “Working Together for Health and Excellence” on Saturday.
She said maintaining a healthy workforce was critical to achieving productivity and excellence, noting that Bi-Courtney had introduced initiatives to support employees in keeping fit.
According to her, the company had previously engaged Bodyline Fitness Gym and subsidised membership fees for employees to encourage them to exercise regularly.
She said the initiative allowed staff members to work out either before or after their official working hours, adding that employees should be intentional about maintaining their physical fitness.
Adeniran, who spoke extensively on the health risks associated with sedentary work, identified prolonged sitting as one of the major workplace hazards facing office workers.
She said many employees might not consider themselves exposed to occupational hazards because they worked in air-conditioned offices rather than construction sites or other physically demanding environments.
“Some people, when you ask them what the hazardous areas are in the job they do, they say they don’t face any hazards.
“They come to their office, sit inside the air conditioner and work. You sit down from morning to night; you are killing yourself gradually,” she said.
She urged workers to regard office chairs with caution and avoid remaining seated for extended periods without taking breaks.
Adeniran recommended that employees stand up and walk around regularly during working hours, including making deliberate efforts to use facilities such as restrooms located farther away from their workstations.
She also advised workers to maintain proper sitting posture, explaining that employees should sit at approximately a 90-degree angle, with their backs properly supported and their feet flat on the floor.
According to her, using an inappropriate chair height could also contribute to back pain and other physical discomfort.
“Sometimes sitting right is another thing. Your legs must be flat. You should be looking like this, angle 90.
“If we have to be productive, health is no longer wealth. Health is life,” she said.
She further encouraged workers to incorporate simple exercises into their daily routines, saying regular physical activity could improve cellular energy, cognitive focus and mood while reducing stress.
She also advised employees to stay hydrated and use opportunities during the workday to move around rather than remaining at their desks continuously.
Adeniran noted that technological advancements and the rise of remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic had increased the amount of time many workers spent sitting.
She said while working from home had eliminated the need for some employees to commute, it had also created new health challenges associated with prolonged inactivity.
According to her, workers should therefore take regular breaks from their computers and avoid staring at screens continuously for extended periods.
Dr Dayo Osholowo, the Medical Director of Kasi Healthcare, an Aviation Medicine firm applauded the initiative for workers and also for Nigeria.
Osholowo said that workers in general, should be more conscious of their health, taking 10,000 steps a day, recommended by the World Health Organisation.
“We already know from the research that taking 10,000 steps a day can help reduce the incidence of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and reduce the overall disease burden on the health system.
“We know that there is a big burden on the health system today also because our population is growing at an amazing rate,” he said.
Osholowo said that Nigeria’s population in a few years would hit about 400 million, which would pressure the public healthcare system, hence, the need to take health issues more seriously.
He urged workers to keep walking, advising the general public that 10,000 steps a day was not so easy, but achievable through various means.
“The average person needs to take 10,000 steps so you have to do something extra.
“Whether it is dancing like we did here today or yoga or taking a walk with your colleagues and your friends and family,we all need to keep walking,” he said.
Also speaking at the exercise, the Managing Director of NAN, Mr Ali M. Ali said that promoting physical wellness among workers had become paramount.
Ali urged NAN staffers to make physical fitness and healthy living a regular part of their lives to improve their health and productivity at work, not withstanding the nature of the job.
He urged NAN workers in Lagos and other parts of the country to embrace fitness as a lifestyle rather than an occasional activity.
“The demanding nature of journalism makes it important for journalists to pay attention to their physical and mental well-being. A healthy workforce is key to productivity.
“The exercise is not only about physical fitness but also about building teamwork, bonding and camaraderie among staff across different departments.
He added that at the NAN headquarters in Abuja, the official working time was shortened by one hour on Tuesdays and Fridays to enable workers to use the agency’s gym.
The Head of Lagos Operations, NAN, Mrs Ifeyinwa Omowole said that the exercise provided an opportunity for staff to learn healthy practices.
Omowole added that proper sitting positions and taking regular breaks from computers and other gadgets to rest their eyes was very crucial.
NAN reports that the exercise is the maiden edition of NAN fitness work in partnership with Alfa Designs Nigeria Ltd. (NAN)( www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa
