Page 37 - OHS, JulyAugust 2023

rest of the shoe typically does. When the footbed loses its cushion, support and structure, the whole body can be negatively affffected. All feet are built difffferently. Add in physical wear, tear and breakdown from excessive standing, and we see a need for per- sonal adjustment to re-establish natural body position and align- ment. When the body is out of alignment it works unnecessarily harder and fatigues faster. Custom orthotics built to relieve pressure, reposition foot tis- sue, tendons and muscles, and to properly position the arch to align feet, knees, hips and back will prevent issues, correct cur- rent ailments, and relieve debilitating pain. When all is aligned, not excessively stretched, and free of pain, the body expends less energy and is, therefore, less tired. Premium insoles can help reduce muscle fatigue with custom cushion, body-weight pressure and shock absorption and heel support for stability. A Ground-Up Solution When a company invests in programs and products that don’t just focus on the accidental injury but look beyond the minimum safety requirement to ways to ensure long-term, full-body health, employees perceive that management wants them to stick around a while and increases their overall retention. When employees have greater energy, they are more produc- tive throughout the entire workday and don’t have a need to call offff work to rest or heal an overworked muscle or stressed back. A company will see fewer time-offff cases and overtime expense, as well as lower incident rates and RSIs (repetitive stress injuries). Introducing wellness products such as orthotics, insoles and compression garments as part of an employee wellness benefifit op- tion or as an extension to a safety footwear program will empower your employees to take control of their own wellness so that they have more energy at the end of the shift, while you see the benefits of greater productivity throughout the shift. Janelle Kinnaird is the Director of Marketing for Lehigh CustomFit Managed Safety Footwear and Wellness Programs, which has pro- vided innovative solutions to protect companies and their workers for over 100 years. REFERENCES 1. Fatigue In The Workplace: Causes & Consequences of Employee Fatigue, NSC 2017 2. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine vol 49, No.1, Jan. 2007 3. Fatigue In Safety Critical Industries: Impact, Risks & Recommendations, NSC 2017 4. Comparison of Physiological Effects Induced by Two Compression Stockings and Regular Socks During Prolonged Standing Work, June 2021 wwUwn.toitlhesd-o9nl1ine.com JULY/AUGUST 2023 | Occupational Health &6/S26a/f2e3ty6:37 P3M7