The Internal Week for the Prevention of Accidents at Work (Sipat) brought together 120 employees from the Saint Vincent de Paul Education Association and the Saint Vincent de Paul Social Welfare Association on August 20 and 21 at the Provincial House.
Organized by a committee of employees, Sipat held lectures on various topics related to the prevention of accidents at work and occupational diseases, such as Healthy Eating, Workplace Exercise, use of PPE, Financial Literacy and Moral Harassment, among others.
The event was opened by a Visitor, Sister Selma Aparecida, who provided a special moment of spirituality.
Physiotherapist Alessandra Boscolo began the series of lectures by talking about the importance of practicing exercises during work hours, known as workplace exercise. According to her, this activity increases energy and willingness, improves physical fitness, reinforces self-esteem, and contributes to reducing the perception of anxiety and reducing stress. At the end, Alessandra guided a brief practice for the participants.
Next, Jayson Muniz, from R3 company, gave a lecture on the indispensable use of Personal Protective Equipment. A professional construction coordinator, he spoke about the risks of the most common accidents in the workplace and highlighted the importance of using PPE.
Nutritionist Fernanda Cardoso brought up the topic of healthy living. She recalled that recent research indicates that more than 50% of Brazilians are overweight and highlighted the three pillars of good health: maintaining a healthy diet, practicing physical activities and paying attention to the quality of sleep, which should be more than 6 hours a day, at least.
Moral Harassment and Financial Literacy: Sipat’s second day began with a moment of spirituality, led by Sister Rizomar Figueiredo. “The Lord is a good shepherd. He takes care of us,” she recalled.
Lawyer Roseane Augusta opened the series of lectures by talking about moral harassment in the workplace. She listed the types of moral harassment and the negative impacts it can have on employees’ lives. Pain, palpitations, crying fits, family problems, panic syndrome, stress and burnout are some of the consequences.
“On the other hand, the company also loses out with reduced productivity, staff turnover, a high number of sick leaves and administrative fines,” recalled Roseane, who left a warning: “Don’t accept it, don’t keep quiet. Report moral harassment!”
Next, accountant André Lopes spoke about financial literacy. He pointed out appropriate behaviors and attitudes in planning and using financial and personal resources and highlighted that 90% of individuals get into debt for emotional reasons. “Many people get into debt to give a gift to a loved one, to help someone beyond their means. Spending is easy. The hard part is having control and discipline to avoid getting into debt,” said André. The accountant highlighted the importance of Family Planning and reminded everyone that this practice should consider the collective goals of all family members.
The lecture given by members of NA – Narcotics Anonymous – also deserved the attention of the collaborators. The fellowship was founded in 1953, in Southern California, in the United States, and is currently present in more than 144 countries and holds more than 70,000 meetings per week around the world.
The lecturers spoke about their personal experiences of recovery from addiction and highlighted the 12-step method created by NA. They explained that addiction is a disease and that, in Narcotics Anonymous, recovery is based on attending meetings and following the 12 steps.
According to them, NA offers a healthy environment in which addicts – men or women whose lives are controlled by drugs – can help each other stop using them. “You don’t have to pay anything to join NA. The only requirement is the desire to stop using drugs,” said one of the speakers, whose identity was protected to maintain anonymity.
Anyone interested in finding an NA meeting place, visit the na.org.br website.