Non-Smokers Have Fewer Workplace InjuriesJuly 16, 2001
Research Summary
Workers who don't smoke, remain free of illicit drugs, and limit alcohol consumption have fewer workplace injuries, the Associated Press reported July 11.A four-year study conducted at Xerox Corporation in Rochester, N.Y., found that workers who participated in a wellness program to get fit, trim, and healthy were less likely to have serious workplace injuries.
The wellness program evaluated workers' health risks, including obesity, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, high blood pressure, and life and job dissatisfaction.
"Those people who are healthier have fewer injuries," said lead researcher Shirley Musich of the University of Michigan Health Management Research Center.
The study further showed that a healthy workforce reduces a company's costs for health care and employer-financed health insurance.
On average, wellness programs comprise one to two percent of a company's health-care expenses. But Deborah Napier, health-management director for Xerox and a co-author of the study, noted, "Over a two-year period, we found a five-to-one return on investment."
The study's findings are published in the July issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE: