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

SAVE THE DATE

Grab your coworkers and drop by for a little fun in your workday!

March Wellness Activity

If you are unable to watch the live webinar, a recording will be available

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR

Please refer to these two handouts during the webinar:            Handout 1               Handout 2

After you have watched the webinar, fill out this form for a chance to win a Whole Foods Gift Card! Entries accepted until March 30 (a link to view a recording of the webinar will be sent to you after March 14, but you need to register for the webinar now).

Brain Injury Awareness Month

_{Submitted by Arne Christansen, Library}

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month and to help raise awareness and increase understanding of this important social issue, Wellesley Free Library is proud to offer a collection of memoirs that explore the different ways brain injuries can affect the lives of those that suffer them and those around them.  Visit the library or go to the Brain Injury Association of America website to learn more about brain injuries and what you can do to assist, include, advocate, and educate in the community.

 Available through the Wellesley Free Library:

1. Love You Hard:  a memoir of marriage, brain injury, and reinventing love:  Abby Maslin shares an inspiring story of resilience and commitment in a deeply affecting new memoir. After her husband suffered a traumatic brain injury, the couple worked together as he recovered--and they learned to love again.
2. A Stitch in Time:  the year a brain injury changed my language and life:  An eloquent memoir of a 27 year old actress who suffered a massive brain aneurysm onstage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and awoke to discover that she had aphasia, a rare condition in which one loses the ability to speak, read and write.
3. Unintended Impact:  one athlete’s journey from concussions in amateur football to CTE dementia:  After suffering concussions in high school and college, Dick struggled unknowingly with the onset of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) dementia
4. The Truth About Aaron:  my journey to understand my brother:  To football fans, Aaron Hernandez was a superstar. A standout at the University of Florida, he helped the Gators win the national title in 2008. He was drafted by the New England Patriots, and in his second season with the team, he and Rob Gronkowski set records for combined touchdowns and yardage. In 2012, along with Tom Brady, they led New England to Super Bowl XLVI. But Aaron's NFL career ended as quickly as it began.

Workplace Eye Wellness Month

 _{Submitted by Jeff Azano-Brown, DPW}

March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month.  According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 15,730 eye injuries involving days away from work in 2020. Proper eye protection minimizes the risk of significant eye injury. Prevent Blindness, the nation’s oldest eye health and safety non-profit foundation, recommends that the type of eye protection that should be used depends on the hazards in the workplace. For example, someone working in an area that has particles, flying objects, or dust, should wear safety glasses with side protection (side shields). If working near hazardous radiation (welding, lasers, or fiber optics) special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face shields, or helmets designed for that task should be worn.

 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to ensure the safety of all employees in the work environment. Eye and face protection must be provided whenever necessary to protect against chemical, environmental, radiological or mechanical irritants and hazards. OSHA also requires that employers provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to their workers, and ensure its proper use. Additionally, employers are also required to train each worker required to use PPE.

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends eye protection for a variety of potential exposure settings where workers may be at risk of acquiring infectious diseases via ocular exposure. According to the CDC, infectious diseases can be transmitted through various mechanisms, among which are infections that can be introduced through the mucous membranes of the eye (conjunctiva). These include viruses and bacteria that can cause conjunctivitis, and viruses that can cause systemic infections, including blood borne viruses, herpes viruses, and rhinoviruses.

 For those in an office setting, the average American worker spends seven hours a day on the computer either in the office or working from home, according to the American Optometric Association.  Employees who work primarily using digital screens, such as computer monitors, tablets and smart phones, are at increased risk of digital eye strain.  Symptoms of eye strain include sore or irritated eyes, blurred vision and headaches.  

 Prevent Blindness recommends the following:

• Screen time: Try to decrease the amount of time spent in front of these screens and/or take frequent breaks to give your eyes a rest.

• Filters: Screen filters are available for smart phones, tablets, and computer screens. They decrease the amount of blue light given off from these devices that could reach the retina in the eyes.

• Anti-reflective lenses: Anti-reflective lenses reduce glare and increase contrast and also block blue light from the sun and digital devices.

• Intraocular lens (IOL): After cataract surgery, the cloudy lens will be replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL). The lens naturally protects the eye from almost all ultraviolet light and some blue light. There are types of IOL that can protect the eye and retina from blue light.

 For more information about workplace eye health topics, including the effects of prolonged digital screen use, and eye injuries, please visit preventblindness.org.

For more information on healthy nutrition through the decades, click here: Eat Right for Life

Upcoming Trainings

Webinars from All One Health, one of our Employee Assistance Programs  https://allonehealth.com/webinars/ 

Workplace Differences: A Matter of Style March 8 @ 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm EST

You can also check out past webinars on a myriad of topics.

Click to see MIIA Training Calendar

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. For instructions on how to register, click here.

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

Schedule your annual eye exam if you have not already done so! The Town of Wellesley's health insurance covers one visit per year. Don't delay any longer!