Composite health strategy in Dan-Foam with impact

Dan-Foam ApS consists of a production unit and an office unit. The factory produces Tempur products, primarily mattresses and pillows. The work of the hourly paid workers in the factory is standing, unilateral and repetitive. Employees operate machines that mold foam blocks and pillows, produce and handle finished mattresses, and sort, stamp, pack and apply covers to pillows. Dan-Foam has been growing rapidly due to very high customer demand. Production is fast and 59% of the employees often or always experience that the pace of work is high throughout the working day.

Purpose and objectives

The purpose of the project is to develop and offer Dan-Foam's employees targeted exercise and health activities that can prevent and alleviate the effects of physically demanding work in production and sedentary work among white-collar workers (EGA).

Methodology

The project methodology consisted of integrated activities at individual, group, management and organizational level (IGLO model). The project activities consisted of health checks, health policy development, workshops with managers as change agents, establishing a health team with 8 health ambassadors and training them, intelligent exercise where each employee has the opportunity to have a personalized exercise program tailored to their needs, instructor assistance in our gym, break exercise with elastic bands, health day and evaluation, and a night course for night workers.

Results

One in four employees have experienced a reduction or complete cessation of pain in the upper body musculoskeletal system. In 2011, 24% had regular pain in the shoulder, neck and back, while the incidence has been reduced to 18% in 2013 (25% improvement)

Improvements on physiological parameters:

- 14% were in the obesity zone (BMI > 30) in 2013, cf. 20% in 2011
- 8 employees (out of 19 original smokers) have quit smoking
- 30% had elevated total cholesterol in 2013, cf. 48% in 2011
- 21%/27% have elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure in 2013, cf. 34%/34% in 2011
- Average improvement in fitness of 6%.
- 13% with 3 or more risk factors in 2013, cf. 22% in 2011

Questionnaire data:

- Generally high job satisfaction in Dan-Foam
- Significant reduction in stress (21% in 2013, cf. 38% in 2011)
- 70% are in the "action or maintenance phase" of optimizing their health in 2013, compared to 48% in 2011