Canadian Occupational Safety

February/March 2015 21 plate for a plate with printed portion sizes on it, says Erin Meehan, presi- dent of ESS North America in Toronto. GRAB-AND-GO COMMON OFF SITE The type of food available to remote workers not at a camp is a big problem, says Castle. "I've seen guys grab bags of junk food from convenience stores because they don't have the time, patience, energy, they're grab-and-go and they are paying $30 or $40 for bags of garbage and taking that to the site and relying on that," she says. "Some guys are drinking fi ve to six energy drinks per day, and they give you a synthetic high — our brains need good food." If a convenience store is all a worker has access to, there are better decisions he can make, such as pre- packaged oatmeal, breakfast bars, nuts, dried fruit and bottled fruit smoothies. Some convenience stores also have sandwiches, fresh fruit cups and salads. Many of these workers have to live out of hotel rooms, so they need to be educated on how to make the most out of not having a kitchen. If they have a microwave in their room, they can learn about the different healthy foods they can cook that way, such as chicken, baked potatoes and omelets with a microwave egg cooker, says Castle. IMPROVING NUTRITION When it comes to what can be done to improve nutrition among the remote workforce, whether they are at a camp or not, it all starts with education. A poster campaign is a great way to raise awareness. For example, posters with pictures of healthy foods explaining their nutritional value and diagrams of proper portion sizes can be helpful. Employers may want to bring in a nutritionist to explain to workers the principles of good nutrition and exactly what food is, says Castle. They need to know what is a carbohydrate, protein and fat and what they do for the human body. They also need a clear understand- ing of what vitamins and nutrients their body requires. For example, the B-complex vitamins found in meats and whole grains are needed for tissue repair and conversion; vitamins A and C, found in vegetables, are needed for immunity; and vitamin D, found in fatty fi sh, is needed for calcium absorption. Workers in heavy labour in extreme conditions, such as the bitter cold that is common to many North American drilling operations, typically need upwards of 4,000 calories per day, found the Target report. Most work- ers will burn more than 300 calories per hour. Fast food or diets high in carbohy- drates can leave workers hungry or weak after just a few hours on the job. In general, the body in manual labour requires 1.2 grams to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, found the report. To get remote worker buy-in for healthier eating on camps or off, it is crucial the program is realistic and practical for the workers. "Kale chips, quinoa, yeah it's good to have some of those things and to educate and say 'Hey, here is this week's idea for something to try' but it has to be realistic for them," says Castle. One way to get worker buy-in is simply through the natural peer pressure that occurs, says Meehan. "If a program is inviting and interesting and some people fi nd value in it, the health and safety professionals should focus specifi cally on targeting that group of people and have them become peers to those who eat not so healthy," she says. FUEL FOR THE FUTURE Health and safety professionals with remote workers should be taking a look at the demographics of their workforce. As more mature workers enter their 60s, they are very responsive to apple a day accidents away SALMON This super food, rich with omega-3 fatty acids, is also a good source of iron. People with iron defi ciency have demonstrated as much as 30 per cent impairment in physical work capacity and performance. GLAZED CARROTS This excellent source of vitamin A is necessary for healthy vision and a strong immune system to fi ght infections. One serving of glazed carrots provides 2 grams of dietary fi ber, or eight per cent of the daily recommended intake. Dietary fi ber lowers levels of cholesterol in the blood and may reduce risk for heart disease. RED ROASTED POTATOES Despite their bad rep, potatoes are nutritious and are even high in complex carbohydrates and fi ber when eaten with the skin on. In fact, one medium-sized roasted potato (with the skin) provides 25 milligrams of vitamin C which is more than 40 per cent of the adult recommended dietary allowance (RDA), along with 20 per cent of the RDA of vitamin B6. Source: Target Logistics improving their overall health because they want to live a long retirement life, says Meehan. There is also an infl ux of much younger workers coming on site and some of them are very health conscious and interested in wellness, while others are from the "hamburger and fries generation," says Meehan. "If we don't do anything about their nutrition, we could end up with an epidemic much worse than you have seen in the baby boomer generation who was used to meat, potatoes and veggies," she says. Nutrition programs can not just improve worker health, they also yield a signifi cant return on investment, found the report. For example, Husky Injection Molding Systems in Bolton, Ont., reported $8 million in yearly sav- ings from a $4 million investment in wellness, which includes many healthy food options. The Canadian govern- ment estimates that wellness, which includes better nutrition, amounts to a $2 to $6 return on investment. "It make sense that anytime you can perform a task effi ciently, without an incident and without error you can perform more profi tably," says MacLean. " As we look at nutrition, we're looking at a healthy, engaged, attentive worker and that gives the best possible opportunity to achieve heightened productivity."

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