The University is a member of the Healthy Ireland Network, and is committed to contributing to the goals of the Healthy Ireland Framework where ‘everyone can enjoy wellbeing, both mental and physical, to their full potential’. Creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is of great importance to your overall physical (and mental) health.
TU Dublin adopts a comprehensive collaborative approach to physical health awareness and promotion by:
1. Providing skills & knowledge necessary to adopt and maintain physical health:
People Development provides individual wellbeing initiatives focused on supporting positive physical health throughout the year. These initiatives include:
- Maintaining Healthy Habits
- Weight loss Made Easy Sessions
- Women’s Health Workshops
- Cancer awareness sessions
- Information on Menopause
- Men’s physical health sessions
2. Providing opportunity and policy to promote physical health:
- Human Resources promote physical activity through the Cycle to Work Scheme
- TU Dublin Fitness offer fitness classes and programmes throughout the year, with a fantastic team of professionals to guide and motivate you
- Healthy options are offered in all cafeterias
3. Supporting employee’s physical health:
Guidance and support on healthy lifestyles is available from the Occupational Health Officers and the Employee Assistance Service.
Musculoskeletal issues and workplace Ergonomics:
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are defined by the European Agency for Health & Safety at work as ‘impairments of body structures such as muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves, bones or localised blood circulation system caused or aggravated primarily by the performance of work and the effects of the immediate environment where the work is carried out’. Contributing factors include specific ergonomic features of work, working conditions and individual factors such as stress.
The following supports can help with prevention and management of these issues:
- Regular stretching can decrease your susceptibility to musculoskeletal issues. The TU Dublin Fitness Team have prepared a short video to encourage regular movement.
- The Health & Safety Office advises that all new equipment and work methods should be assessed for ergonomic hazards prior to purchase and commencement of work. Local management should ensure that this happens and that corrective action is put in place where existing problems are identified as part of the Risk Assessment process. DSE/VDU & Workstation Risk Assessments are available on request from the Health & Safety Office.
Alcohol/ Substance Use:
Problem drinking can affect many aspects of a person’s life, from relationships to mental and physical health. In order to maintain a healthy balance the Health Services Executive (HSE) recommends that the Low Risk Alcohol Guidelines be followed.
The University provides a policy, the aim of which is to help protect all staff members from the dangers of substance misuse and to encourage those with a problem to seek assistance, to manage associated health and safety risks and comply with relevant legislation in the area.
The University is committed to providing supportive facilities to enable staff members with an addiction or addictions to avail of suitable assessment and treatment programmes. For more information on this contact: hr.grangegorman@tudublin.ie.
Support can also be found through the Employee Assistance Service, which offers a free, strictly confidential counselling and information service provided by Spectrum Life.
Some further support can be accessed through the HSE: Alcohol Blogs.
Tobacco:
To promote a safe and healthy working & learning environment and in compliance with statutory obligations it is the policy of Technological University Dublin to ensure that all of its buildings are smoke free, details available at TU Dublin Smoke Free Policy. TU Dublin also prohibits the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products, including e-cigarettes on its premises.
If you are trying to quit smoking, cessation support is available from the Employee Assistance Service and the HSE.
Further supports for medical issues:
The Health & Safety office has provided a TU Dublin Safety Booklet 2020 which includes a comprehensive list of First-Aid Response plans to a number of emergency health issues including responses to:
- Allergies/ Anaphylaxis
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Fainting
- Heart Condition
- Panic/Anxiety Attack
- Epilepsy