As construction workers, you’re always talking about keeping the mechanical equipment maintained to keep it in optimum working condition. However, just like all of us, you might also be forgetting that as humans, you also require maintenance and care to continue working at your full potential and staying healthy. Taking care of your health and wellbeing is crucial and you need to understand that your body is your main companion in every adventure that you will embark on in your life.
Here at Black Hammer, we usually talk about the importance of proper workwear to do your job safely. Staying true to our mission of promoting a healthy and safe work environment, we wanted to talk about how construction workers can take care of their health while they’re out doing very challenging jobs.
Understanding Health Maintenance
Health maintenance is the idea of doing things to prevent hazards, and have habitual care and health practices that help avoid any diseases or health challenges later in life. Health maintenance includes having regular checkups with your family doctor, exercising regularly, taking proper nutrition, and general self-care. Let’s look at some of the key areas all construction workers should prioritise.
1. A Healthy Diet
Staying hydrated and eating proper nutrition is so important, especially when at work. Our bodies require minerals, vitamins, carbs, proteins, water, healthy sugars, veggies, and other nutrients to function properly. Staying hydrated and adequately fed will help boost metabolism, reduce headaches and daytime fatigue, and can also improve concentration and memory. Having proper awareness at work is crucial, especially when you are working with heavy machinery and in places that pose a lot of hazards.
2. Giving Yourself a Daily Stretch
Stretching for around 15 to 20 minutes a day can help reduce the risk of onsite injuries, keeping your body flexible and helping your mind stay calm. Try to have a habit of doing stretches before starting work and after lunch breaks. Start small and then you can pace up to doing more. This will help you greatly when you have to work in conditions where you have to stay in awkward positions for extended periods. Of course, make sure you wear comfortable workwear and even have the right accessories, such as knee pads if needed.
3. Prioritise Your Sleep
Sleep is essential to heal your body and repair your mind and muscles. This is also the time when your immune system reboots and your mood settles – preparing you to take on the tasks of the next day. Construction workers are notorious for not having enough sleep – usually less than the optimum 7 hours. Sleeping less than 7 hours can lead to sleep deprivation, which is linked to health conditions like hypertension, suppressed immune system, and even diabetes. The last thing you want when operating heavy machinery or working in dangerous sites is being unable to focus or dozing off. Also, remember that you cannot make up for the lost sleep during weekdays by sleeping longer over the weekend. You need to have a balanced routine each day.
4. Never Ignore General Hygiene
Maintaining good general hygiene is key to not only staying healthy but also feeling good. Hygiene can include things like washing your face in the morning and taking regular showers as well as wearing clean clothes and dry safety shoes. Keeping good hygiene will help lower the risk of any diseases caused by bacteria. It also reduces risks of infection from cuts and scrapes – something construction workers are super prone to. You will feel in a better mood if you are clean, and you will also experience better self-confidence. The same should be observed at construction sites – with sanitary washrooms, clean drinking water, and hand sanitizers.
5. Wear the Correct PPE
You can avoid most of your onsite hazards by using the correct PPE. This can include wearing earplugs, goggles, gloves, the correct headwear, and of course, the correct safety footwear. So if your work site requires you to wear S3 SRC-certified safety shoes, you should ensure that you show up with the correct safety footwear. Remember that many hazards have an impact over time. This is why you need to use the correct PPE every day at work. As for safety shoes, make sure you use a premium quality brand that provides you ample ankle support and memory foam insoles to help you counter any extended wear fatigue.
Health Maintenance for Construction Workers
As construction workers, practicing a health maintenance routine should not mean you need to overhaul all your daily habits. You can make little changes over time for a big positive impact in the long run. You can start with little things like drinking more water or sleeping adequately. These little actions will have massive benefits to you over time. And if you’re looking for safety footwear and workwear that is durable and comes with the right certifications, then Black Hammer is the best place for that.