Deborah Pineda's happy to do the heavy lifting when it comes to educating her staff at Purolator about the importance of avoiding workplace injuries by maintaining a strong core.
After all, it is part of her job as the company's health and safety specialist for B.C. and Southern Alberta. But it's also her passion.
Injuries impact overall lifestyle
She knows well that getting injured on the job has ramifications that extend far beyond the workplace.
"Not everyone is thinking: 'I need to work safe,' but if you do get injured, it's not just about what happens to you at work, it's about what happens to you at home, too," says Deborah. "What's going to happen to your family, if you're providing for them? With an injury, it's going to be difficult.
"We can give you modified work, but once you get home to a three-year-old you need to take care of, and you have limited capabilities, what does that mean? And even if you don't have children, it's going to have an impact on your personal life.
"I tell workers they need to look beyond work. They need to think about what a workplace injury means to their overall lifestyle."
"Not everyone is thinking: 'I need to work safe,' but if you do get injured, it's not just about what happens to you at work. It's about what happens to you at home, too."
– Deborah Pineda
Back safety a frequent topic
Most employees are required to do some kind of lifting, so back health comes up in workplace health and safety committee meetings more than any other single topic.
Deborah says Purolator has a strong set of corporate values, chief among them its "people first" approach.
"Our employees are key stakeholders," she says, "and providing them with a safe and healthy workplace is critical to our success, and the happiness of our team."
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