“This program breathed new life into the Safety Committee and the Ergonomics Team.”
-HWPP Program Facilitator at Frisbie Memorial Hospital
HWPP: A Total Worker Health® Program Toolkit
The Healthy Workplace Participatory Program engages employees at all levels of the organization in setting priorities and developing solutions to advance Total Worker Health (TWH).
Total Worker Health takes occupational safety and health to the next level by addressing other health concerns such as stress and chronic diseases, previously considered separate from the workplace. This is why TWH programs focus on making working conditions conducive to health, which can lead to health benefits on and off the job.
The HWPP aligns with the Defining Elements of a TWH Program. The HWPP core program elements are especially supportive of three key TWH Defining Elements:
- Demonstrating leadership commitment to worker safety and health
- Designing a safer, health promoting workplace
- Promoting worker engagement throughout program design and implementation
The HWPP was initially launched in 2014. The facilitator materials were upgraded in 2019 based on field evaluation with practitioners. You can learn how the program materials were upgraded by viewing the “Introducing the Healthy Workplace Participatory Program 2.0 Online Toolkit" webinar.
HWPP Case Studies
Experience the power of streamlined knowledge with CPH-NEW's Featured HWPP Case Studies!
The Center has developed several case studies highlighting how working professionals, at various levels of each organization and across industries, used the HWPP design process and the HWPP Toolkit to address problems at their organization. Each case study contains actionable insights about program start-up, forming the two-committee structure, how others used the IDEAS Tool to develop interventions, and the impacts the HWPP had at the organization. These concise narratives offer a snapshot of real-world scenarios and provide valuable lessons for others interested in implementing the HWPP in their organization.
Core Program Features
A two-committee program structure engages managers and front line employees for continuous improvement of health and safety. A trained Facilitator guides the program activities. The Intervention, Design, and Analysis Scorecard (IDEAS) Tool provides a structured process for intervention planning. It uncovers root causes to poor health and injuries, and develops a business case for complete, TWH solutions. Most importantly, it engages and empowers employees, building confidence in the organization to change unhealthy working conditions.
Download the Get Ready for Program Start-up handout for a detailed program overview.
How Your Organization Will Benefit
Emerging evidence on the TWH programs has shown savings on healthcare and administrative costs in industry, as well as superior program impacts on health outcomes through coordinated safety and health promotion activities. Learn more about the TWH Approach on the NIOSH website.
The HWPP toolkit materials will help your organization create a culture of health, safety and wellness at all levels. Research shows that this program:
- Engages employees in setting priorities and developing solutions
- Improves organizational culture, communication and collaboration about health, safety, and well-being
- Integrates occupational safety with health promotion initiatives
- Develops a business case for health and safety interventions, one intervention at a time.
The centerpiece of the program is the Intervention, Design, and Analysis Scorecard (IDEAS) Tool. The IDEAS tool provides a structured process for intervention planning. It uncovers root causes to poor health and injuries, and leads to more complete solutions. Most importantly, it engages and empowers employees, building confidence in the organization to change unhealthy behaviors and conditions. Read more about the IDEAS tool.