Strong Mental Health equals safety in the workplace – breakfast forum

On November 13th, Safety Charter Members met at the new ConAgra Foods location in Richmond to take part in an engaging presentation by Dr. Joti Samra. We had a full house attending, set in ConAgra’s brand-new lounge area. Host Craig Ogilvie explained that this lounge, found adjacent to the reception area and accessible to all staff, was designed by employees themselves, to enjoy a space to relax and rejuvenate during their busy workday.

The breakfast forum attendees learned from Dr. Samra of the necessity for strong Mental Health practices as a starting point for safety in the workplace. To kick off the presentation, Dr. Samra referred to the World Health Organization’s definition of “Health”, developed as far back as 1948, “as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This definition is still incredibly relevant to this day.

We learned that mindfulness is very important to avoid the actual injury: staff must remain vigilant and attentive to their daily tasks. If distraction or carelessness is present, mistakes creating injury could occur.

A special thank you to Craig Ogilvie for hosting our successful forum. We look forward to our next opportunity to meet with you all.