Blackberry use 'can damage thumb'

Trendy handheld Blackberry devices could cause damage to users' thumbs, doctors are warning.
Sales of the £200 gadget, which can be used to email, page and phone, have boomed in recent years with celebrities such as David Beckham using them.

But US and UK doctors said repetitive use could cause arthritis or harm tendons in the thumb.

Research in Motion, which manufactures the Blackberry, said it would not comment on the claims.

Applied Ergonomics Conference

"Don't miss the nation's leading 8th Annual Applied Ergonomics Conference. This is an exclusive venue for ergonomists, engineers, and other safety and health professionals." New Orleans, March 21-24.

Easing workplace aches

"Ever experience that nagging crick in your neck or ache in your back while doing nothing but typing at your desk? Part of it could be due to poor posture, or it could be related to the way your desk is set up.

Those aches and pains could lead you to miss a day or more of work or require physical therapy -- or surgery in the worst cases -- if left uncorrected.
Workplace injuries have forced more than 1.5 million Americans to miss work in 2001, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of those, more than 399,000 were related to sprains and strains, and 26,522 dealt specifically with carpal tunnel syndrome, a disorder which occurs when tendons or ligaments in the wrist become enlarged after being aggravated. "

Roni Plants, an occupational therapy assistant, said the first thing she looks at is how an individual works -- how they answer phones and how they sit and type. She then asks them how much time they spend doing different aspects of their jobs.

An Accessibility Frontier: Cognitive disabilities and learning difficulties

"Web accessibility and the notion of universal design are laudable and for many disabled people have resulted in significant benefits. Well made sites allow people with a range of physical disabilities to access goods and services and participate in activities with an ease that was denied them in the pre-web world.

However, the needs of the largest disability group in our community, those with cognitive disabilities and learning difficulties, appear to have slipped through the cracks to a large extent when it comes to website accessibility."

The aim of this paper is to offer some ideas on how websites might more effectively meet the needs of people with cognitive disabilities and learning difficulties. The paper will look at three issues:

- How the presentation of page content can be modified to make it more accessible.
- Design of site navigation systems.
- Tailoring content to the needs of different audience groups.

Good list of references ...

Report slices up meatpacking industry as "unnecessarily hazardous"

"A new report from the Human Rights Watch alleges 'systematic human rights violations' at U.S. meat and poultry plants, according to United Press International.

The scathing 175-page report, 'Blood, Sweat, and Fear: Workers' Rights in U.S. Meat and Poultry plants,' released Tuesday, examined beef packing in Nebraska, hog slaughtering in North Carolina and chicken processing in Arkansas and reported unnecessarily hazardous work conditions and exploitation of immigrant labor.

The report by the privately funded human-rights organization accused large meat companies of using intimidation, reprisals, threats and fear of deportation to take advantage of immigrant workers. "

Save your spine

With the frequent snowfall predicted for New England this year, Drs. Scott Chapman and Carol DeFranca of Norwell Chiropractic Spine and Sports Rehab, share their tips for safe shoveling.

Save your spine by:

Warming up. Walk around for several minutes to warm your muscles. Before shoveling, perform a few stretching exercises to loosen up your muscles. Place your hands on your hips and bend gently backwards. Come back to upright and gently bend your lower spine to the left and right, breathing out as you stretch. Repeat each 10 to 15 times. Avoid toe touching

Practicing proper lift technique. Set your feet so they are aligned with your hips. Keep you spine in a neutral position by slightly arching your spine. Pull in your abdominal muscles toward your spine and tense them slightly. Bend from the hips and knees and do not twist your lower back when you lift the shovel. Breathe out during each lift. Don’t stand still and throw the snow, but walk over and dump it where you want it to go.

And several more tips ...

What do the Accessibility Guidelines Mean to Me?

"On May 5, 1999, the W3C came out with a recommendation on Web Content Accessibility. This recommendation explains how to create Web content that is accessible to people with disabilities.

But why create accessible HTML? As long as most people can read your page, who really cares, right? Well, if you're trying to make money on the Web, perhaps now you aren't having any trouble, but what's going to happen when the hype dies down and there are so many e-commerce pages on the Web that your little domain is just one of millions? If your site is accessible now, you will have loyal buyers later."

U.S. meat processing plants criticized over human rights

"Working conditions at three U.S. meat processing plants in North Carolina, Nebraska and Arkansas violate basic human rights, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

The report, released Tuesday after a year of research, is based on interviews with employees and managers at a Nebraska Beef factory, a Tyson Foods chicken plant in Arkansas and the Smithfield Packing Co. pork plant in Tar Heel, about 100 miles south of Raleigh. It says workers at all three plants are frequently injured, then refused medical care or fired. "

Blackberry Thumb: Text Messagers Trendy Malady

"Yes, you can peck out text messages with any finger. But users of popular wireless devices such as the Blackberry type much faster by pecking out messages with their thumbs. Many people soon learn to type 40 words a minute.

Whatever your thumb-typing speed, lots of messages mean lots of repetitive thumb motions. And that could mean trouble, says Alan Hedge, PhD, director of the human factors and ergonomics research group at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y."

Texting spells out health risk for future

"TEXT messaging and computer games will bequeath Scotland a new generation of unfit workers, a leading children's doctor warned last night.

Constantly sending messages by mobile phone has left children as young as ten with tendonitis - an injury normally associated with workplace strain.

Dr Diana Macgregor, of the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, said children were storing up serious medical problems by repeatedly texting their friends or playing for hours on handheld computer games such as the Nintendo GameBoy. "

The first palm operated pointing device

"With the ErgoClick you use both hands in a completely relaxed manner - the right hand (palm only) is used to position the pointer on the screen and the left hand (palm only) to click.

People typically grip the common mouse too hard as it is required in order to maintain precision while performing clicking actions. The ErgoClick will make any mouse of any design better by permitting the user to use a lighter grip on their mouse." The ErgoClick has a unique feature which is not available in any other keyboard or traditional mouse currently on the market – an adjustable clicking force. You can adjust the actuation force of the button from 30 grams to 300 grams, creating as light or as strong a touch as required. Even at the lightest force setting of 30 grams, the click sensation provided is highly tactile and responsive.

Computer glasses can reduce strain

"Rollyn Trueblood of Hockessin had worn bifocals for years when he started noticing neck and back pain when he worked at his computer.

But since he started using specially designed computer glasses, Trueblood, 57, said his workdays have been pain-free.

'I wear bifocals ordinarily, and I had to tilt my head way back so I could see through the bifocals and see the screen,' he said. '[The computer glasses] worked real well. I have no headaches, no backaches, no neck pain, nothing like that. I'm much more relaxed.'"

Tyson Introduces Team Member Bill of Rights; Document Outlines Worker Rights, Benefits and Responsibilities

"In an effort to ensure workers understand their rights in the workplace, Tyson Foods has developed a new 'Team Member Bill of Rights,' company officials reported today. The document, which has been in development for several months, will be posted in all Tyson facilities throughout the country.

'This 'bill' reinforces the practices we've long supported and communicated at our plants,' said John Tyson, chairman and CEO of Tyson Foods. 'Our Team Members are the company's most valuable resource and we want to make sure they understand their rights, benefits and responsibilities.'"

Abuses Against Workers Taint U.S. Meat and Poultry

"Workers in the U.S. meat and poultry industry endure unnecessarily hazardous work conditions, and the companies employing them often use illegal tactics to crush union organizing efforts, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. In meat and poultry plants across the United States, Human Rights Watch found that many workers face a real danger of losing a limb, or even their lives, in unsafe work conditions. It also found that companies frequently deny workers' compensation to employees injured on the job, intimidate and fire workers who try to organize, and exploit workers' immigrant status in order to keep them quiet about abuses."

Bead 'slashes mobile radiation'

"Radiation from hands-free mobile phones can be reduced to virtually zero by a simple tiny magnetic bead which costs a few pence, a government adviser says.

Professor Lawrie Challis said clipping a ferrite bead on kits stops the radio waves travelling up the wire and into the head.
He called on the mobile phone industry to start using them 'as standard'."

NEW DYNAMIC TESTS OF SEATS & HEAD RESTRAINTS IN CARS:

"Using a new dynamic test and a dummy designed especially for rear impact testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has rated 73 seat/head restraint combinations available in 63 car models sold in the U.S. market. The ratings of good, acceptable, marginal, or poor indicate the range of occupant protection from whiplash injury in rear-end crashes at low to moderate speeds."

Shovel snow safely: Get the scoop

"For many people, snow shoveling results in heart attack, muscle strain, broken bones or frostbite. But with a little planning, you can get the job done without injury."

53-keys New Standard Keyboard

"After 130 years of typing the same way the keyboard has finally grown up. New Standard Keyboards of Santa Maria, California announced 'alphabetical' keyboard that offers user-friendly benefits and quick data entry for any level user. New Standard Keyboards debuted a patented USB-interface computer keyboard at CES 2005. This keyboard has just 53-keys and offers many advances over QWERTY and DVORAK designs. "

Leaning room only in the office of the future

"Never stand when you can sit and never sit when you can lie. But why do any of these when you can lean? A new piece of furniture from Sweden is set to change office life for ever and leave that old and tired contraption, the chair, on the 20th century scrapheap.

The Lean Back is a 7ft plank of wood with cushioned upholstery for the back and a base for the feet, all set at a gentle angle to recreate the sense of leaning against a wall. Last week it went on show at a 'workplace of the future' trial at the British Library in London, and proved a hit with visitors."

OSHA Rulemaking Deadlines Are Imminent

"At the end of a 4-year period unique in the annals of OSHA because the agency issued no new economically significant standards, OSHA's most recent regulatory agenda contained few changes.

Released last month, the agenda does confirm, however, that final decisions and further progress on some long-delayed standards are due in the coming weeks.
The agency has promised"...

Monitor Height for Eye and Neck Health

"Monitor height can make or break neck posture, and can be the cause of headaches. As with distance, the eyes create the parameters for establishing monitor height. This time it is about giving your neck movement choices while still keeping your work in focus."

Confusion reigns over website Accessibility Compliance

"The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) proves hostile to findings that show it to have failed basic accessibility compliance requirements, and its response adds confusion to an already confused market."

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requires businesses and organisations to make websites accessible to all users, particularly the disabled. Yet the DRC and the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) along with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID), the supposed standard bearers for website accessibility, continue to fail even the most basic A/AA requirements. The findings and the reports produced by SiteMorse showed, for example, demonstrates that the DRC’s website failed both A / AA continually over the last few months – even following a rather sharp letter from their chairman back in May, explaining our tests had ‘caught them on a bad day, the error was not on their own site but that of a sponsor…’ article at the end of the document, SiteMorse then re-checked the report to find a problems, one as basic as the image description on the letter from the Chief Executive

Accessibility From The Ground Up

"You've seen it at all the design conferences. It's showing up on contracts and RFPs. They're asking for it on your resume. This accessibility thing sure is catching on. And it's ready for prime time.

Yes, Web accessibility is growing up. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 was released over five years ago, in May 1999. This year, the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative will release Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. WCAG is the international standard for Web accessibility, and the latest version contains plenty of guidance on how to produce modern, usable, and (dare I say it?) attractive Web sites."

How to Protect the Aging Work Force

"Changes in the body and the mind as we age require employers to take steps to adapt the workplace and tasks before injuries occur. In part one of her series, ergonomics expert Cynthia Roth examines the physical changes facing aging workers and their impact on the workplace."

Making Safety Change Happen

"Have you ever heard a story like this? A worker made a special trip into his company because he realized he left a tool lying across a walkway in an area where vision is blocked. He was concerned this might result in an injury to another person.

The trip took 40 extra minutes of his time. On his day off. This is not an urban safety legend, nor a story from far away and long ago when everything was different. This occurred within the past three months at a wood products company with which my colleague, Ron Bowles, has been closely working. And this is not an isolated incident in this organization, which has significantly improved its safety performance on all levels."

I aspire to be as highly polished a safety catalyst as possible. If this appeals to you – and I hope it does – there are five steps you and I can take toward forging these attributes ...

Safety Benefits from Economics and Compassion

"The global village grew smaller this past month in the wake of the tsunami disaster in Asia. With the deaths of more than 140,000 men, women and children and the daily coverage on television and the Internet, we experienced a vivid reminder of the social bond that binds us all. Though the tsunami struck nations half a world away, Americans were immediately empathetic and willing to provide aid. Along with the federal government's response, millions of Americans have donated to charitable organizations engaged in relief efforts.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that the occupational safety and health profession is engaged every day in a global effort to prevent injury, death and the attendant suffering. Each year, more than 2 million men and women die from workplace injuries and illnesses, according to the International Labour Organization. Some reports suggest that China alone may be responsible for 120,000 workplace fatalities a year.

Despite the exodus of manufacturing jobs from this country, we still experience a staggering number of deaths each year, as our lead story in 'EHS News' reports. More than 5,000 people die from workplace injuries each year in the United States and more than 4 million suffer workplace injuries and illnesses. The annual cost to the U.S. economy is an estimated $171 billion."

Hands-free kits 'cut radiation'

"The University of York tested mobile phones which operated at two different frequencies and found using a hands-free kit cut emissions by 53%.

The team did not look at whether the phones were harmful but recommended using the kits as a precaution."

FMCSA Proposes Rulemaking to Address Truckers' Hours-of-Service Regulations; Invites Public Comments

"The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced today it will re-examine the 2003 Hours of Service (HOS) rule that regulates the amount of time commercial truck drivers can operate their vehicles.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) will be published by the Federal Register on Monday, January 24, 2005, and is currently on display at the office of the Federal Register.

"We are moving aggressively to make sure we have the best regulations in place to ensure truck driver health, save lives and keep the American economy moving safely on the nation's highways," FMCSA Administrator Annette M. Sandberg said. "Public feedback is critical to this effort. We need to hear from our stakeholders about their experiences regarding the 2003 HOS rule."

Over the next 45 days, FMCSA will seek input from truck drivers and operators, law enforcement officials, safety advocates and others on the HOS regulations. Responses to the questions posed in the NPRM are encouraged. The Agency also is collecting new data to provide a more complete picture of the 2003 rule's impact on carrier operations and drivers' health."

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Reaching Epidemic Proportions

"As our reliance on computers increases, Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) such as Carpel Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) are hitting epidemic proportions. More than 28 million Americans use computers each day and, according to officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (OSHA) many risk coming down with carpal tunnel syndrome, the painful, debilitating condition that is the number one disability reported by insurance companies today.

Repetitive musculoskeletal injuries like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome have become the nation's leading workplace health cost. RSI represents 62 percent of all North American WC claims and results in nearly $15-20 billion in lost work time and Workers Compensation claims each year, reports OSHA."

Guidelines for Accessible and Usable Web Sites: Observing Users Who Work With Screen Readers

Our focus has been understanding how blind users work with Web sites and what that means for designers and developers. Our focus therefore is users rather than specific Web sites. In the following sections we describe insights gained from our observations and we present guidelines that can help designers and developers both meet the letter of the law and actually make Web sites usable to people who listen to screen readers. Following the guidelines that come from this study should take no more time or effort than developers are now spending to get a good score from an automatic program like Bobby or LIFT while doing a better job of meeting people's needs. Several lessons learned are presented.

Skin Rash? Maybe It's Your Cell Phone

"If you have noticed an increase in skin rashes or allergic reactions to dust mites and pollen, your cell phone may be to blame. In what researchers called surprising results, a study indicates radiation emitted by mobile phones may increase allergic reactions."

Dr. Hajime Kimata from Unitika Hospital, Kyoto, Japan believes microwaves emitted by mobile handsets can 'excite' antigens - substances which cause allergic reactions - in the bloodstreams of people who already suffer from allergies.

Properly positioned for pain prevention

"People who stare at monitors and type on keyboards every day too often adjust themselves to their computers rather than bending the technology to make themselves comfortable.
The result can be work-related injuries or reduced productivity."

"Chairs not being able to fit the person ... and people who are using the keyboard and mouse nearly all day and are not positioned correctly," Griffith said.

AbleTrack ergonomic assistive technology

The AbleTrack is a precision assistive technology computer trackball for people with arthritis, carpal tunnel, RSI - repetitive stress injury, or limited use of their hands and/or fingers. It is ergonomically designed for those who have difficulty using a typical off the shelf computer trackball or mouse or for those who wear wrist, thumb or hand splints while using their computer.

Adaptive technologies are paving the way for Web accessibility

"One of the keys to web accessibility is ensuring that your site works in tangent with the "adaptive technology" available to differently abled users. This article will serve as a brief overview of the types and tools that ensure that disabled persons have the opportunity to take full advantage of the Internet and all that it has to offer. "Adaptive or assistive" technology is defined by the ADA as "any aid or device that provides individuals with disabilities with an effective method to access information that has traditionally been inaccessible because of a disability."

Long Hours Leave Hospital Interns Punchy on the Road

"Young doctors-in-training who work the long shifts required by most hospitals are so woozy when they drive home, they run the same risk of a car accident as someone who is legally drunk, a new Harvard study finds."

Study advises limiting children's use of mobile phones

"Children may be more vulnerable than adults to the potential health risks of using mobile phones, according to a U.K. study released Tuesday, which urged that nonessential phone use by children be discouraged.

Though no conclusive evidence currently exists that mobile phones are harmful, a cautious approach of risk management, especially in relation to children, should be taken by the government, according to the study, published by the U.K.'s National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). "

Cell Phones Continue To Drive Some Off the Road

"It is a sight that one sees seemingly everywhere, from neighborhood streets to busy highways to bumper-to-bumper traffic jams: drivers taking their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel to use their cell phones . This dangerous activity has become commonplace, but attempts to address the issue remain controversial.

A number of states have passed laws banning the use of traditional cell phones on their roadways, and vendors have also developed an ever-increasing array of hands-free models designed to let drivers keep their hands on the steering wheel as they converse. Despite these initiatives, the problems created by cell phone usage while driving remain, and some say the only viable solution is banning use of the devices on the roads altogether."

Isolation of Patients with MRSA and Cross-Infection in ICUs

"Results of a UK study published online today (Friday 7 January 2005)suggest that the widely practised approach of isolating intensive-care patients infected with MRSA does not reduce cross-infection. Authors of the study caution that this finding should not be extended to general hospital wards, and needs further confirmation from larger studies.

Hospital-acquired infections cost the UK National Health Service around 1 billion a year. A fifth of these infections are caused by meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), especially within intensive-care units. Single room or group isolation of patients infected or colonised with MRSA is commonly used to reduce spread, but its benefit over and above other contact precautions is not known. "

Injury toll in US homes tops 12 million yearly

"Unintentional injuries at home have become a major public health problem across the country, according to a series of new Home Safety Council-funded studies conducted at the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center."

"Between 1992 and 1999, we found that an average of 18,048 unintentional home injury deaths occurred annually in the United States," said Dr. Carol W. Runyan, director of the center and professor of health behavior and health education and pediatrics at UNC schools of public health and medicine. "In addition, for 1998 alone, more than 12 million nonfatal unintentional injuries that required medical attention occurred at home."

Scents and Emotions Linked by Learning, Brown Study Shows

"Are we born to love the smell of our mother's skin or do we learn to? A Brown University team has shown that emotional association with scents comes through experience, not genes. The results, published in the International Journal of Comparative Psychology, bolster an increasingly accepted olfaction theory and could be a boon to companies that use scents in marketing."

ASSE Reports 5 Percent Increase in Student Participation

"Student participation in the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) is up, and that has the organization casting an optimistic eye to the profession's future.

ASSE, which this past August launched a faculty advisor recruitment campaign at colleges and universities, is reporting that enrollment in ASSE student sections jumped 5 percent from August to December. In August, ASSE had 943 students enrolled in student sections, and that number increased to 1,168 students in December."

New Saab Safety System helps drivers pay attention

"Good news for the sleep deprived and sufferers of Narcolepsy. Saab is developing a safety system that monitors eye and head movements, issuing a warning signal if the attention of the driver strays long enough to risk causing an accident. 'The other car appeared from nowhere! I just didn't see it.' Drivers often make such comments after an accident or a near-miss. In truth, it is an admission that for a brief moment the driver was not concentrating fully on what was happening outside the car. "

Workers with carpal tunnel find relief with night-time splinting

Workers with carpal tunnel find relief with night-time splinting: "U-M study shows nocturnal splinting reduces pain, discomfort for active workers with CTS

After a long day on the job, tired minds and sore feet look forward to a long night of rejuvenating rest. A new study finds that nocturnal rest can do a world of good for your hands and wrists too, especially if you are one of the millions of American workers who are just beginning to feel the common pain and discomfort linked to carpal tunnel syndrome. "