CQ Health Assess, a division of CQ Nurse, provides workplaces' with the tools to maintain optimal employee health. Statistically, we are all working longer hours and for a longer period of time with retirement moving further away for most workers. Coupled with this, our lifestyle and ‘workstyle' changes bought upon by our increasing use of technology are compounding upon our health through sedentariness. We are seeing obesity, posture difficulties, reduced activity, poor nutrition and dehydration leading to chronic health problems associated with heart disease and diabetes, to name a few. We are dedicated to making this a smooth arrangement for the workplace and your employees; as life gets busier and we all move faster to get more done, CQ Health Assess takes the hassle out of this aspect of proactive health care. By making small changes, we are able to assist individuals to optimise their health, with the resultant flow on effect to employers… What are you waiting for? NOW is the time to act! Corporate Workplace Health Packages provide Employers with the tools to maintain optimal employee health while being time functional, and practical in delivery. CQ Health Assess has bundled some of its most popular products into Corporate Health Packages, to suit your workplace health requirements. These packages include Online Health Education Modules for your Employees, 'Toilet Tips' (these are posters which enhance workplace hygiene practices), Mobile Workplace Immunisations, Health Assessments and Drug and Alcohol Testing. You spend a good deal of your life at work; you need to enjoy what you do, feel that you are achieving something worthwhile and feel valued for that contribution. Does that keep us emotionally, mentally and physically healthy for life? Unfortunately, NO. If you are not sure whether your lifestyle / workstyle is having a negative effect on you - take the CQ Health Assess mini health check challenge. We have to recognise that the nature of our ‘workstyle' and lifestyle may impact on our well being, and make some small changes to adjust to living healthily in this century. And we all have to take responsibility for making these changes. As an employee, you can take ownership for better health in your workplace - direct your employer through to the CQ Health Assess Co-ordinator for information to provide assistance to individuals or groups within your workplace. Start a trend…improve the culture…your employer will recognise the benefit to the workplace and assist you in implementing change. For the WHSO in your workplace, who is valued in their capacity in being able to take a proactive approach to the health and well being of all employees - Contact CQ Health Assess. Your greatest asset and liability is the staff you have in your care, maintaining a safe workplace and preventing injuries and accidents is the best policy. At CQ Health Assess we can help you manage drug and alcohol screening for your work place by: Saliva screening which indicates impairment from drugs. Urine screening which indicates drug use. Alcohol testing to screen for impairment due to alcohol consumption. Education for staff and employers. Assistance with development of drug and alcohol policies and procedures. Our accredited and trained staff will come to your workplace and provide screening for: Pre Employment Placement Random Testing - at a schedule requested by the employer. For Cause - where reasonable suspicion exists that an employee is impaired by alcohol and other drugs. Work Related Injury and Accidents - employees who are involved in work related incidents and accidents can be requested to undergo an alcohol or drug screen. Employee Self Testing. Our testing procedures are performed in accordance with AS/NZ4308:2001 and confirmatory tests are performed by an accredited pathology laboratory. Drug and Alcohol Policies and Procedures: If your company doesn't have a drug and alcohol policy in place our consultants can assist with the development of these policies before your drug and alcohol screening program is implemented. Education: We offer Drug and Alcohol education through a comprehensive Web based education module, group sessions with a qualified trainer or through Webinars. Did you know? Marijuana: (Cannabis, grass, pot, weed) is the common name for a drug made from the plant Cannabis Sativa (this also includes Hashish and Hashish Oil). Each form of the drug is mind-altering (psychoactive). Some immediate physical effects of marijuana include a faster heartbeat, bloodshot eyes, and a dry mouth and throat. Long-term regular users of marijuana may become psychologically dependent. This can lead to coping difficulties, represented by stress, mood swings and anxiety without consumption of the drug. Naturally this can lead to difficulties maintaining employment and personal relationships. Driving experiments show that marijuana affects a wide range of skills needed for safe driving -thinking and reflexes are slowed, making it hard for drivers to respond to sudden, unexpected events. Also, a driver's ability stay in their lane through curves, to brake quickly, and to maintain speed and the proper distance between cars is affected. Research shows that these skills are impaired for at least 4-6 hours and up to 24 hours after smoking a single marijuana cigarette. Cocaine: (Coke, C, Snow, Nose Candy, Flake, Blow) is a powerful, stimulant drug drawn from the leaves of the South American coca bush. A cocaine high can last anywhere from a few minutes to two hours. Effects include an increased heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate, dilation of pupils, a decreased appetite and a reduced need for sleep. In large doses, the immediate effects can be severe agitation, anxiety, erratic and violent behaviour, twitching, hallucinations, blurred vision, headaches, chest pains, rapid shallow breathing, muscle spasms, nausea and fever. Chronic users of cocaine may experience paranoia, mood swings, restlessness, hallucinations, weight loss, eating disorders, sleep disorders, constipation and impotence. Chronic snorting causes stuffed, runny, chapped or bleeding noses, and holes in the wall separating the nostrils. Opiates: (Narcotics, Opium, Morphine, Heroin, Codeine, Demerol). Opiates tend to relax the user. When opiates are injected, the user feels an immediate 'rush.' Other initial and unpleasant effects include restlessness, nausea, and vomiting. The user may go from feeling alert to drowsy. With very large doses, the user cannot be awakened, pupils become smaller, and the skin becomes cold, moist, and bluish in colour. Breathing slows down and death may occur. Generally opiates can be detected in urine (at the Australian Standard Cut-off Level) for between 1 and 2 days. Methamphetamine: (Ice, Crystal, Speed, Glass, Shards, Crank) is a stimulant drug that is chemically related to amphetamine but with stronger effects on the central nervous system. Short term effects include increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate; increased talkativeness; insomnia (difficulty sleeping); and hallucinations and confusion. High doses can cause anxiety, paranoia, dizziness, convulsions and death. Methamphetamines can be detected in urine for up to approximately two days following use. Benzodiazepines: are medications that are frequently prescribed for the symptomatic treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders. The effects of any medication depend on the type of medication, the amount taken and the form in which the medication is taken. Benzodiazepines can cause drowsiness and can impair mental sharpness and physical co-ordination. Generally a positive result can be detected in a urine sample for between one to 12 days. Alcohol: Alcohol is a drug, and affects the brain like an anaesthetic. In fact, one of the very first anaesthetics ever used in medicine (ether) is based on alcohol. As with anaesthetics, the more alcohol consumed the more of our brain it shuts down. The abilities we acquire last in life, like controlling our behaviour, are the first to be lost. The abilities we acquire first, like being able to breathe, are the last to go. Alcohol can impair judgment and slow our response times. Employers Do you need your workplace to hum? Can you afford to have employees away from the workplace? Do you believe that the workplace culture of optimizing health for all will bring you greater productivity and increased profit? Well… we are all on the same page! By focusing on a culture of workplace assessment, education and motivation to support individuals to improve their health, your company can achieve improved productivity, greater morale and in turn, increased profits. Sound too easy - well it is! Did you Know? Employers who introduce health promotion to their workplaces can: Reduce employee health risks by up to 56 per cent, at a rate of 10 per cent each year. Significantly reduce the cost of absenteeism. Absenteeism is estimated to cost Australian employers 2% of GDP based on an absence rate of 2.5%. Address the obesity epidemic. Some 3.2 million Australians are clinically obese and are costing $3.8 billion in lost productivity and direct health costs. Significant proportions are men.‘ Source: Wesley Corporate Health report (2006) Our services to workplaces include: Minor Cardiac Screen: This screen includes blood pressure measurement, body mass index (weight and height) and waist measurement. Included is education regarding cardiac risk factors and reduction of these risks for cardiac and general health. Intermediate Cardiac Screen: This screen includes all components of the Minor Cardiac Screen as well as a random blood sugar level, AUSDRISK Assessment, Random Cholesterol Screen. Education relating to methods to reduce the risk factors of diabetes and heart disease is also included. Major Cardiac Screen: This screen includes all components of the Intermediate Cardiac Screen and also includes an ECG (tracing of electrical activity of the heart), oxygen saturation and urine screen. Education relating to methods to reduce the risk factors of diabetes and heart disease is also included. Diabetes Risk Assessment: Includes AUSDRISK Assessment, waist measurement, random blood sugar level measurement and education regarding risk factors for diabetes and ways to reduce these risk factors. We can also tailor a package to meet your workplace needs. All screening and assessments are carried out by our qualified Registered Nurses. These screens can occur at your work places or at our facility at 239 Nebo Road, Mackay, 4740. We can organise times to suit your needs. Education: We offer a wide variety of education programs for employers and their employees. These education packages can be presented either in a group session with a qualified educator, on line or in a webinar format. We can tailor education packages to meet your needs. We also offer life style modification programs that can be tailored to meet the requirements of your staff. Interactive Health Survey: The Interactive Health survey, will raise awareness, educate and motivate people to change unhealthy habits in their lifestyle. It can draw attention to health issues that have been previously ignored and motivate them to take action to reduce risk. Online Education Modules: can educate staff and aid reducing risk factors for chronic disease. Education modules include topics such as diabetes, diet, exercise, office ergonomics, managing fatigue, minimising infection in the workplace, heart disease, drug and alcohol, mental health and much more.