Cardiac Arrest in the Workplace: What You Need to Know
Table of Contents
Cardiac Arrest in the Workplace: What You Need to Know
Working alone and why it matters to keep healthy
Preventative measures and workplace safety
Lone workers and cardiac arrest
2022 Heart Month
Congratulations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada
Every year, roughly 62,000 Canadians experience a heart attack and stroke which, in many cases, is disabling or deadly. It is also estimated that about 35,000 cardiac arrests take place in Canada annually, and again, these are often fatal.
As major causes of death and disability for Canadians, heart disease and stroke are also major occupational health issues in the workplace where cardiovascular health needs to be addressed. The heart health of all employees must be a priority, especially lone workers who are incredibly vulnerable in the case of a cardiac arrest, stroke, or heart attack.
Leading the way to improve cardiovascular health for Canadians is Heart & Stroke (formerly the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada), who are on a mission to end heart disease and stroke in this country. For an incredible 70 years this year, the organization has helped improve the health of Canadians through ground-breaking research as well as transformative health policy and public promotion.
Working alone and why it matters to keep healthy
Lone workers are particularly vulnerable to heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular issues that these people could experience while at work. According to Heart & Stroke, the risk of heart disease and related medical emergencies like cardiac arrest, stroke, and heart attacks can be reduced by focusing on three key areas that will improve the cardiovascular health of your employees.
“Eating a healthy, balanced diet is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. In fact, up to 80% of premature heart disease and stroke can be prevented through your life choices and habits, such as eating a healthy diet and being physically active.”
Preventative measures and workplace safety
Have a healthy diet
“Eating a healthy, balanced diet is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. In fact, up to 80% of premature heart disease and stroke can be prevented through your life choices and habits, such as eating a healthy diet and being physically active.”
A healthy diet includes:
Plenty of fruits and vegetables
Lots of whole-grain foods
Lean, protein-rich foods
Limit highly and ultra-processed foods
Lots of water
Employers can promote and encourage healthy diets amongst their team through a number of ways including:
Drinking water stations within the workspace
Allocated eating areas and times
Areas/appliances for food and drink preparation and refrigeration
Gift cards/staff discounts for healthy food options
Healthy food and drink options at meetings
Vending machines with only healthy choices available
Nourished and hydrated employees are much more productive and also safer as they are less likely to make dangerous mistakes that could threaten their safety and the safety of their coworkers and/or the public.
Start with an active lifestyle
“Heart and Stroke recommends adults should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more. The activity doesn't have to be non-stop, such as an aerobics class. You can do 10 minutes or more at a time throughout the day to reach your daily total. For example, take a brisk 10-minute walk during lunch hour, play for 10 minutes with your kids after work, and then spend another 15 minutes walking the dog in the evening.”
Not only will an active lifestyle significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, but it will also:
Help prevent and control high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, some types of cancer, and obesity
Boost energy
Improve sleep
Reduce stress
Physical activity can be a fantastic team builder and strengthener, no matter what the sport is or at what level. Employers can encourage physical activity through:
Running/biking/exercise programs and clubs (during lunch, after work)
Health and wellness funds for the purchase of items like runners and online classes
Exercise spaces and equipment for the workspace like treadmills and weights
Incentives to walk or bike to work
Even it’s a short walk during lunch, any physical activity can benefit the quality of the employee’s work as well as their mental health and “enhanced cognitive processing.” Many of these activities can be done with other people and as a result, can build stronger working relationships amongst the team – and make sure you invite the lone workers who might work offsite and remotely.
Reduce your stress levels
“Although stress happens first in the mind, it has strong effects on the body. Stress can damage your heart health. Sudden intense stress increases the short-term risk of heart attack. Too much stress over a long time (months to years) is called chronic stress. It can also increase the risk of coronary artery disease.”
As a significant factor in heart disease and stroke, stress is something that the employer should monitor and take steps to reduce in their hard-working team. The first, important step is to gauge the stress levels of your team members which can be performed quantitatively through a survey or qualitatively and more personally from one-on-one conversations and meetings.
Proactively, employers can battle workplace stress through a number of strategies such as:
Flexible and generous vacation/sick/flex/maternity and paternity leave
Lone worker safety protection and technology (provides peace of mind, security)
And a focus on the three areas listed above; promoting healthy eating and exercise will result in happier employees
Overall flexible hours as well as remote and hybrid work
Regular recognition of accomplishments and success
Regular recognition and reward to those who identify safety hazards
Ironically, work can be a major cause of stress for Canadians, but because of that, the employer has a lot of power to significantly reduce stressors in the job and improve the employee’s overall well-being while increasing productivity and quality of work, and cognitive functioning.
Sudden numbness in the face or limbs – usually on one side of the body
Sudden headache
Difficulty speaking and communicating
Difficulty seeing
Loss of balance and coordination
Overall confusion
If a coworker is experiencing a heart attack, call 911 and get them seated or lying down. If they have heart medication, bring it to them so they can take it immediately. It is also recommended they take other medications such as a tPA or a clot-buster, blood thinners, as well as drugs that lower high blood pressure.
Signs of a heart attack include:
Sweating
Chest discomfort
Light-headedness
Nausea
Shortness of breath
Upper-body discomfort
Safety professionals also recommend purchasing an automated external defibrillator, which, when used with CPR, can be very effective in restoring a worker’s heartbeat during sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Because these devices are not cheap, the employer needs to assess the team and workplace and decide if SCAs are significant health and safety risks.
Lone workers and cardiac arrest
If the worker is alone and there is nobody to help in an emergency, equip your workforce with lone worker safety devices and features such as a check-in, fall detection, and no-motion device that will call for help when the worker is unable to. A check-in timer will send an alert if the worker’s timer has expired, and fall detection will detect the impact of a dangerous fall and immediately request help.
2022 Heart Month
It is currently Heart Month, and it should be a time when we are thinking about our cardiovascular health and how we can improve it. For Heart Month and every one of the nearly 2.5 million Canadians living with heart disease, donate Heart & Stroke. Your money will help fund innovative research and strategic advocacy that could save countless lives for generations to come.
Congratulations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada
The SafetyLine team is pleased to announce that we will be donating to the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada. Thank you to our readers and SafetyLine users who have nominated their favorite charity in our December 2021 charity campaign. This donation will go towards research that will lead to innovations in the prevention of and treatment for those who have suffered from a heart attack, stroke, and vascular cognitive impairment.
Read more on our previous blog Signs of a Heart Attack and Heart Stroke in the Workplace: Do You Know the Warning Signs: https://safetylineloneworker.com/blog/heart-attack-and-stroke-in-workplace/