June 2022 The WELLesley Employee

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

June Wellness Activity - Wellesley Walkers!

_{Submitted by Jen Glover}   

The Town of Wellesley Safety & Wellness Committee is excited to invite all employees to be a part of the Wellesley Walkers Challenge in June! This is a self-paced walking program that runs June 1 – 30.

 Prizes are awarded each week!  Bragging rights for the top department --- so motivate your coworkers!

 Every week we will have a drawing to win a $50 gift card to a local establishment.

 At the end of the challenge, the top walkers will win a $100 gift card!

 STEP 1: Sign up here: Wellesley Walkers Sign Up   

(Just enter your info, hit submit, and you are done!)

 STEP 2: Starting June 1, log your minutes walked here: Walking Log  

(You can log your minutes daily, weekly, or a few days at once. Just enter your info, hit submit, and you are done! You must have logged minutes no later than each Wednesday at 10 pm to be eligible for weekly prize drawing)

 STEP 3: Get walking!

Heat and Sun Exposure

_{Submitted by Michael Carmody}

Every season in New England brings changes in weather and the environment. Spring and summer bring new life and life emerging from hibernation. Not all of these changes are welcome.

With the sun’s rays strongest in summer, so are risks for sunburn and skin cancer. Our skin reacts to sun exposure by producing more melanin, which protects from sunburn, but offers light-skinned people little protection from skin cancer. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, accounting for 7,600 deaths annually in the U.S.

There are a few protective measures you can take to limit your sun exposure. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or more. Sunscreens with SPF50+ offer only marginally better protection. Wide-brimmed hats protect the face, ears and neck from the sun’s rays. Many clothing lines now have SPF ratings (though maybe they’re just now being marketed that way).

Those with fair skin are at extra risk for all types of skin cancer, and should know how to detect moles that may be pre-cancerous. It is always a good idea to ask your primary care physician to do a skin cancer screening by checking for moles during an annual physical. The screening takes less than two minutes.

Heat stress is another potentially dangerous summer hazard. High heat, especially combined with high humidity decreases the body’s ability to regulate heat through perspiration. When it’s hot, we intuitively slow down our activity level to avoid overheating, though at times we need to keep front of mind the basics: water, rest, and shade.

A very helpful cell phone app called Heat Index, is available for free from NIOSH. It provides up to the minute readings of the heat index in your locality, and lists strategies to minimize heat stress. Knowing the heat index where you are or plan to be can help you plan activities and avoid injuries such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

The chart below indicates how temperature and humidity combine to heat effects on the body. The Heat Index app and National Weather Service offer advice on moderating or postponing activities when the heat index is in the danger or extreme danger ranges

STOP!

Did you know there is a stop sign at the corner of Town Hall? By the looks of the number of cars that drive on through it, I don't think many people do! Please stop. Completely. Thank you!

JUNE WELLNESS - BONE HEALTH

Healthy bones are an important component of overall well-being. Strong bones support our bodies and movements, and they decrease the chance of fractures. People of all ages can incorporate healthy lifestyle habits, such as physical activity and good nutrition, to increase bone strength.

The basic preventive measures for increasing bone health are: ensuring adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, participating in weight-bearing exercise and following safety tips to prevent falls.

There are some risk factors for weakened bones that are out of your control. Some of these factors include age, sex, family history and some medical conditions. However, there are many risk factors that you can take control of to enhance your bone health. Some of the actions you can take to increase bone health include:

• Eat foods with calcium. Calcium-rich foods include: milk, cheese, yogurt, tofu, fortified oatmeal, soybeans and orange juice fortified with calcium. For additional foods, click the list below to see a chart, including the amount of calcium in each food.

• Get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D is important because it helps with the absorption of calcium. Vitamin D can be found in some foods, sunshine or supplements. (Talk with your doctor before taking supplements.)

• Get weight-bearing exercise in order to keep bones strong.

• Stay at a weight that is healthy for you. Being underweight increases the chance of bone loss and fractures.

• Practice healthy habits such as not smoking and limiting alcohol. Smoking and heavy alcohol use can both have negative effects on bone health.

Along with the above tips for maintaining healthy bones, it is also important to prevent falls as a means for reducing the risk of breaking bones. Some suggestions for preventing falls include:

• Participate in regular exercise. Exercise strengthens your muscles and bones, and some forms of exercise also help with balance and coordination.

• Stay current with your eye exams to ensure healthy vision.

• Examine your home for ways in which you can prevent falls. Implement ideas such as: grab bars in your bathroom, removing small area rugs, using nonslip mats in the shower and clearing pathways from items you may trip on.

For additional recommendations on home safety and lifestyle habits; as well as much more information on the bone health, click here: The Surgeon General's Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-booster-frequently-asked-questions

Upcoming Trainings 

Click to see MIIA Training Calendar        

MIIA EAP REINTRODUCTION ORIENTATION WITH SERVICES OVERVIEW  Online June 1st, 2022 12:00pm - 1:00pm

EXPERT COMMUNICATION : SKILLS FOR WORKING EFFECTIVELY WITH OTHERS  Online  June 9th, 2022 2:00pm - 3:00pm

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

 MIIA's New E-learning Center provides quality training to meet annual requirements and tracks compliance for organization members at no cost to you. Train anytime, anywhere with our vast online library that includes more than 3,000 diverse courses and videos. 

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 Emma Weiler}

June is National Zoo & Aquarium Month!  Did you know you can get free passes (https://www.wellesleyfreelibrary.org/beyond-wfl/museum-passes/) to both the Boston Museum of Science and to Zoo New England from the Wellesley Free Library?  

Why not visit this weekend?