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'Not a lot of people know that!'
An unusual headline caught my attention recently, which made the point that railway passengers are not only subject to driver strikes, but to “illness strikes”.
Most of us have probably heard how train cabs are fitted with a “dead man’s handle” that will bring a train to a halt should the driver suffer a heart attack or other collapse, but did you know that train drivers are statistically more prone to heart disease in the first place?
A number of different studies around the world show that train drivers can suffer from sleep loss (due to shift rotas), obesity/diabetes because of the sedentary nature of their work, smoking and alcoholism (possibly linked to the stressful nature of the work). All this leads to elevated levels of cardiovascular disease.
Does your workforce employ sedentary workers? Would any of them describe themselves as stressed? Do they grab meals on the hoof – not always the healthiest – smoke, and fail to take sufficient exercise?
If they go on sick leave with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the period of absence is likely to be extended, and will impact on your business performance. It can also represent personal tragedy amongst friends, colleagues, family members.
The World Health Organisation names cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death globally. WHO say that nearly 18 million people died from CVDs in 2019, representing 32% of all global deaths.
UK organisations such as Heart UK, and the British Heart Foundation promote National Heart Health Month every February.
Your organisation could support the campaign by:
Ardent Safety provide practical, no-nonsense advice about what you need to do to establish and maintain a safe and healthy working environment.
If you need our expert assistance, or just for an informal chat, please call our office on 01229 808320 or email info@ardentsafety.co.uk
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