Physical Activity as a Strategy for Prevention and Health Promotion in the Occupational Context: An Example of Corporate Engagement

Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) is a public utility company that provides electricity, natural gas, water supply, basic sanitation, waste management, information technology and communication services that meet the very highest international standards of quality. The company serves some 3.6 million residents in Medellín and the Valle de Aburrá Metropolitan Area, with its coverage extending to 125 municipalities in the region. Organized as a “state-owned, industrial and commercial enterprise”, EPM has established itself at the forefront of the sector. Since late 2012, the EPM Group has been remodeling itself “in line with a new strategic direction for the 10.583 family members who are beneficiaries of a set of services for health and safety within a framework of prevention and promotion as a strategy to improve quality of life.” Through human development and occupational risk and welfare, this example of EPM's business commitment is expressed in a series of actions and services for integral development, carried out through programs that focus on physical/recreational, intellectual, spiritual, social and cognitive components. Particularly significant is the physical activity program, created as a strategy model for health in the workplace. The program extends to the family group (beneficiaries), with an emphasis on how the benefits of sports and physical exercise can improve performance at work, as well as constituting a healthy lifestyle habit. A relationship between ergonomics and prevention is also established as a way to facilitate the creation of a culture of self-care.