Tap into health at work

29/05/2007

A campaign is being launched in the North East to urge businesses to encourage their employees to drink more tap water as a cheaper and greener way to stay hydrated and healthy.

UNISON, the UK’s largest union, has teamed up with Northumbrian Water and the Water for Health Alliance to launch the ‘Water at Work’ campaign.

Employers are being encouraged to provide staff on the shop floor or in the office with accessible mains-fed water from bottle-free chillers and promote the health benefits of good hydration to combat illness and reduce sickness from work.
Reporters and photographers are invited to cover the launch on Wednesday 30 May at 3pm at County Hall, Durham in Committee Room 2.

Sir Derek Wanless, Northumbrian Water Chairman, will talk about the top quality of tap water, which is among the best in the world, and spell out the benefits of water for health.

He said: “We take it for granted that we can turn on the tap and get top quality water but not enough people drink sufficient. Eight glasses a day are recommended for healthy living and people should drink water throughout the day – at home, at work and at leisure.”

For outdoors workers, bottled water might still have to be the solution. UNISON recognises this and is strongly urging employers to ensure that their workforces are kept well hydrated, increasing staff health and alertness.

One thousand litres of bottled water costs about £950. One thousand litres of tap water costs about £1. Research by experts Zenith International shows that the UK water cooler industry supplied 435 million litres of bottled water to clients in 2005. Comparatively the environmental benefits of tap water will be highlighted by UNISON Head of Utilities Steve Bloomfield.

Nick Ellins, Head of Consumer Strategy for WaterUK, will describe the beneficial effects water@work could bring to organisations and how the activities of the Water for Health Alliance, a body of more than 35 organisations, working to promote the benefit of drinking enough water, can facilitate the promotion of water for health.

Several regional MP’s are also expected at the launch.  For more details look at www.nwl.co.uk and www.water@work.org and www.waterforhealth.org.uk