Latest Episodes for this Channel
Mon August 25 2008
Activity while you work ..."A study that re-engineered an office to increase daily physical activity resulted in workers losing weight – without l...
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Activity while you work ..."A study that re-engineered an office to increase daily physical activity resulted in workers losing weight – without losing productivity.Mayo Clinic endocrinologist James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., completed the 6-month study at SALO LLC, a Minneapolis-based financial staffing firm. Of the 45 employee volunteers who participated in the study, 18 were evaluated for weight ... read more
Activity while you work ..."A study that re-engineered an office to increase daily physical activity resulted in workers losing weight – without losing productivity.Mayo Clinic endocrinologist James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., completed the 6-month study at SALO LLC, a Minneapolis-based financial staffing firm. Of the 45 employee volunteers who participated in the study, 18 were evaluated for weight loss and other changes.The re-engineering changes included: * Removing chairs and traditional desk seating; * Introducing walking tracks; * Educating and encouraging staff to conduct walking meetings; * Replacing traditional phones with mobile sets; * Adding desks attached to treadmills; * Introducing games in the workplace; * Providing high-tech activity monitors; and * Advising staff about nutrition.As a result, the 18 individuals lost a total of 156 pounds, 143 of that in body fat. Each person lost an average of 8.8 pounds, 90 percent of which was fat. The nine participants who had expressed a desire to lose weight lost an average of 15.4 pounds.In addition, the new environment did not lead to any loss in productivity. In fact, company officials say revenue rose nearly 10 percent during the first 3 months of the study. The company also recorded its highest-ever monthly revenue in January 2008 – the study's midpoint.According to the study results, this "office of the future" may be a functional environment that can enhance weight loss and maintain workers' health." (Continued via Occupational Hazards, Laura Walter) [Ergonomics Resources]
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Sun August 24 2008
Tips for avoiding injury to kids ..."More than 50 million children are headed back to school any day now, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commi...
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Tips for avoiding injury to kids ..."More than 50 million children are headed back to school any day now, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is urging parents to pay special attention to safety this school year. Whether it's having children wear a helmet while they ride their bikes, watching out for dangerous drawstrings in children's jackets, or checking the safety of school soccer... read more
Tips for avoiding injury to kids ..."More than 50 million children are headed back to school any day now, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is urging parents to pay special attention to safety this school year. Whether it's having children wear a helmet while they ride their bikes, watching out for dangerous drawstrings in children's jackets, or checking the safety of school soccer goals, CPSC offers safety tips that can keep children from being sidelined with injuries.Wearing a bicycle helmet when biking or riding a scooter to and from school can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent. Make sure your child's bicycle helmet has a label stating it meets CPSC's mandatory safety standard. About half of the 500,000 bicycle-related emergency room-treated injuries in 2007 involved children under the age of 16, the commission says. When taking part in other recreational activities, wear the right helmet for that activity. Read CPSC's "Which Helmet for Which Activity" publication, which helps parents choose the most appropriate helmet, at www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/349.pdf.The agency says that more than 80 percent of the nearly 50,000 emergency room-treated injuries involving unpowered scooters in 2007 were to children younger than 15. In addition to wearing a helmet, scooter riders should wear elbow and knee pads, CPSC says. Among other tips, the commission advises: * Avoid children's clothing that uses drawstrings at the hood or neck area. These can catch on playground equipment and other items and are a strangulation hazard. Remove hood and neck drawstrings from upper outerwear clothing already in your child's closet, and do not buy children's clothing that uses them. Since 1985, CPSC says it has received reports of 27 deaths and 70 non-fatal incidents involving the entanglement of children's clothing drawstrings. * Avoid movable soccer goals. Unsecured, movable soccer goals can fall over and kill or injure children who climb on them or hang from the crossbar. Make sure soccer goals are securely anchored when in use. Never allow children to climb on the soccer net or goal framework. When not in use, anchor goals or chain them to a nearby fence post or sturdy framework. Since 1998, CPSC has reports of at least 7 deaths and an estimated 1,800 emergency department visits by children younger than 16 years of age that are related to soccer goal tip-overs and structural failures." (Continued via Occupational Health & Safety) [Ergonomics Resources]
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Fri August 22 2008
Injuries from using mobile devices ..."As publicly accessible Wi-Fi access points come to more and more coffee shops, libraries, and other venues, p...
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Injuries from using mobile devices ..."As publicly accessible Wi-Fi access points come to more and more coffee shops, libraries, and other venues, people are using laptops in environments that compromise comfort and often precipitate pain. That's because on a notebook computer, the monitor and keyboard can't be independently positioned."That insists that you crane your neck to see the screen," s... read more
Injuries from using mobile devices ..."As publicly accessible Wi-Fi access points come to more and more coffee shops, libraries, and other venues, people are using laptops in environments that compromise comfort and often precipitate pain. That's because on a notebook computer, the monitor and keyboard can't be independently positioned."That insists that you crane your neck to see the screen," says Lenore Bryck, a pain-relief and massage therapist in Amherst, Massachusetts who works with clients suffering from chronic pain and repetitive strain injuries. But if you elevate your laptop so the screen is at an appropriate height for your neck, you've moved it out of the comfort zone for typing."And then you've got the whole gamut of injuries to your wrists and hands," Bryck says, which aren't so different from the problems a person can have with an improperly arranged desktop computer, but they tend to be worse. Carpal tunnel syndrome, in which several fingers can feel numb because the nerve leading to them gets inhibited, is a well-known problem, but pain can range from the fingertips through the arms, shoulders, neck, and back due to the combination of poor keyboard and monitor placement.In 2006, the most recent year for which the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has data, there were 13,010 reported workplace incidences of carpal tunnel syndrome. Although the data don't track how workers got carpal tunnel syndrome, computer use is likely a significant cause. Carpal tunnel syndrome accounted for 3.6 percent of all workplace musculoskeletal injuries in 2006. That figure was 4.4 percent in 2005 and 4.6 percent in 2004. While the slight decrease might suggest improved ergonomics for some workers, Bryck and others say overall incidence of discomfort—if not, perhaps, diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome—is on the rise. One reason the labor statistics don't reflect that is the shift in demographics. Increasingly, younger computer users are complaining of pain—college, high school, and even middle school students.The ubiquity of laptops that extends down to some of the youngest users reflects an overall industry trend."Portable PCs represented 40.1 percent of all PCs sold worldwide in 2007," says Michael Shirer of the research firm IDC. That makes them hardly peripheral to the overall PC market, which is where they entered the playing field—intended for occasional use that complemented a desktop machine.You don't have to work in painImportantly, pain and conditions such as carpal tunnel are not inevitable results of notebook computer use—at any age. Occupational therapist Gail Hegeman of Pioneer Ergonomics in western Massachusetts says as more people in their 20s find their way to her—often because of acute non-computer-use injuries, she's astonished at their attitude toward pain."They almost act as if it's normal" to experience pain from using their computers, she says. "They say to me, `oh, well, I just work in pain.'" It doesn't have to be that way." (Continued via Datamation, Amy Mayer) [Ergonomics Resources]
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Thu August 21 2008
CTS seen in commute drivers ..."Carpal tunnel syndrome isn't limited to employees who spend their days at the keyboard – it also can affect worker...
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CTS seen in commute drivers ..."Carpal tunnel syndrome isn't limited to employees who spend their days at the keyboard – it also can affect workers commuting long hours by car or using cell phones while driving."Repeated, prolonged gripping of anything – whether it's a steering wheel or a tool – can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome," said Jennifer Valle, occupational therapist and cert... read more
CTS seen in commute drivers ..."Carpal tunnel syndrome isn't limited to employees who spend their days at the keyboard – it also can affect workers commuting long hours by car or using cell phones while driving."Repeated, prolonged gripping of anything – whether it's a steering wheel or a tool – can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome," said Jennifer Valle, occupational therapist and certified hand therapist at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. "There are activities you can do and modifications you can make to help alleviate the risk of developing carpal tunnel."For example, drivers should keep their hands in line with their elbows while behind the wheel. They also should hold their wrists straight."If you imagine the steering wheel as a clock, the best position to put your wrist in would actually be at three o'clock and nine o'clock," Valle explains.Drivers using cell phones while commuting often hold the phones with bent wrists, which can lead to carpal tunnel over time. Experts encourage these drivers to get an earpiece or headset to avoid physically holding the phone. Of course, the safest practice may be to turn off the phone entirely while driving. (See Danger Ahead! Cell Phones and Driving for more information.)Experts say most people who already have developed carpal tunnel symptoms can reverse them by making simple changes. Wrist splints, for example, can be just as effective for commuters as they are for typists. These splints, which can be found in most pharmacies, force the wrist to remain in a straight position and can be beneficial for drivers who spend long hours behind the wheel."A lot of times patients will come back and say ‘I'm having fewer symptoms,' and that the activity modifications are working," adds Valle." (Continued via Occupational Hazards, Laura Walter) [Ergonomics Resources]
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Wed August 20 2008
Avoiding heat stress ..."Well, more than half of the summer is gone and we have performed a lot of outdoor work. But that doesn't mean that the dang...
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Avoiding heat stress ..."Well, more than half of the summer is gone and we have performed a lot of outdoor work. But that doesn't mean that the danger of heat-related illness has passed.Whether it is part of our job requirement or working on home projects or playing sports or just plain playing, outdoor activities can play havoc on our bodies. This also includes are children who play outside dur... read more
Avoiding heat stress ..."Well, more than half of the summer is gone and we have performed a lot of outdoor work. But that doesn't mean that the danger of heat-related illness has passed.Whether it is part of our job requirement or working on home projects or playing sports or just plain playing, outdoor activities can play havoc on our bodies. This also includes are children who play outside during school vacations and may have organized team play. The term "heat illness" is a serious medical condition resulting from the body's inability to cope with a particular heat load. It includes heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat syncope and heat stroke.Heat build-up inside the body from physical work activities or play, is the major source of heat illness or heat stress. Work intensity and duration may add to the heat build-up within the employee as well.The most common jobs related to heat illnesses are found in agriculture, lumber harvesting, law enforcement, construction, road maintenance, public utilities, docks and baggage handling, as well as those jobs that require the use of personal protective equipment.Adults, because of on-the-job education, often are more aware of heat illness than children. There are children on ball fields playing organized games and standing for hours in the blazing heat and sun. These children also must be considered as part of the at-risk population for heat illnesses.Excessive heat exposure can come from many different forms and have different symptoms. The most important element to remember is to hydrate, which can be in the form of water or electrolyte drinks, but does not include alcohol or caffeine-filled drinks such as iced tea, coffee or soda.In an outdoor working environments, there are some particular risk factors that must be identified and addressed. These are: * Air temperature * Relative humidity * Radiant heat from the sun and other sources * Conductive heat sources such as the ground * Air movement * Workload severity and duration * Protective clothing and personal protective equipment worn by employeesThere are personal risk factors also such as caffeine consumption, and use of prescription or over-the-counter medications that might affect a person's water retention, age and general health.Adapting to Hot ConditionsHumans have to acclimate to heat-related working conditions. This means a "temporary" adaptation of the body to work in the heat that occurs gradually when a person is exposed to it. According to information from OSHA, acclimatization peaks in most people within 4 to 14 days of regular work for at least 2 hours per day in the heat.In warm or hot conditions, drinking enough water (one quart per hour during the entire work shift) to stay healthy is vital for maintaining a normal body temperature. When working in these conditions, the body looses a lot of water through sweating. Sweating helps lower the internal body heat but as the body continues to loose water it needs to be replaced it to prevent dehydration and heat illness. Dehydration results in less perspiration so the body cannot get rid of heat fast enough causing increased heat load. Without sufficient water the body overheats. (Remember, kids perspire too!)Remind employees (and their families) not to wait until they are thirsty to drink water. Being thirsty is not a good signal of the body's need for water. By the time a person is thirsty he or she already may have lost too much water and work performance already has declined. Employees should be encouraged to drink water frequently before and after work. Common symptoms of moderate to severe dehydration to make employees aware of and to have them check for include: * Reduced output of sweat * Rapid heart rate, muscle fatigue * Loss of strength and dexterity * Lightheadedness, dizziness * Headache, blurred vision * Dark urineIt is very important for employees to consult with their health care provider and inform them that they will be working in warm or hot conditions, before taking any prescription, "over-the-counter" medications or other drugs." (Continued via Occupational Hazardsl, Cynthia Roth) [Ergonomics Resources]
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