Industrial Hygienist Calls for Innovation in Field

"The industrial hygiene profession must change how it addresses customers and do a better job of marketing itself in terms of the business value it provides, Richard Fulwiler, Ph.D., CIH, told the May 25 general session of the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce) in Anaheim, Calif.

In an address titled, "Innovation Is Not a Choice, It Is a Must," Fulwiler, the president of Technology Leadership Associates, said the industrial hygiene field is faced with declining manufacturing employment, less regulatory pressure and less unionized employment. As a result, the field does not have "powerful, forceful drivers" to promote the use of industrial hygiene services.

Fulwiler said industrial hygienists need to make both a human and business case for their services, and do a "better job of expressing health and safety outputs as business outputs." He said industrial hygienists must be capable of dealing with rapid technological change, such as is occurring in the field of nanotechnology, and respond to a variety of other changes such as increasing service sector employment, rising health care costs and the continuing business preference for environmental, health and safety (EHS) generalists." (Via Occupational Hazards)

Flextend AC Kit--Add-on To the Original Glove

"Flextend makes a glove with rubber tubing that helps you exercise the muscles in your hand to combat symptoms of RSI. They're going to be expanding on their orginal glove with a new add-on kit. Flextend alone focuses on the muscles in the hand, but the AC Kit is designed to work on strengthening the upper body in general (since muscle imbalances from typing/mouse/etc aren't necessarily relegated to the hands, even though that may be where the pain shows up)." Via Office Ergonomics Reviews

Computers: Hearing Conservation

Hearing conservation programs play a critical role in preventing noise-induced hearing loss. But are our hearing conservation programs all they can be? A good hearing conservation program uses engineering and administrative controls to reduce employee noise as much as feasible before resorting to personal protective equipment. But most health and safety professionals managing hearing conservation programs are not acoustical engineers or experts in noise control. We're generalists, juggling hearing conservation along with other programs. The result can be an over-reliance on hearing protection.

What we need is an easily accessible source of noise engineering control solutions. Thanks to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, we have one in the Noise Reduction Ideas Bank (www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Topics/ReduceHazards/NoiseBank). The Noise Reduction Ideas Bank is a searchable collection of noise reduction ideas that help identify ways to reduce workplace noise. The bank currently has a total of 100 records covering general industry and construction noise control techniques.

The bank's two drop-down menus make it easy to search for records by noise source, industry or both. The site also provides a keyword search function. In addition to the industry-specific noise reduction ideas, a search by specific industry also provides a list of 66 additional general noise reduction ideas. A search by noise source returns a list of all records for the particular source. (Via Occupational Hazards)

Wellness in the Workplace Crucial to Business Success

New research from the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) examines employers' perceptions and attitudes toward employee health and finds they feel that keeping employees healthy is crucial to business success and that it is their duty, as employers, to keep employees safe and well.

"Understanding the employer mind-set of employee health is imperative for the occupational health industry to effectively make an impact," said Susan A. Randolph, president of AAOHN. "Through this research, occupational health staff will better understand what currently concerns employers and help their companies effectively address employee health issues. By knowing the executive management team's goals and perspectives, the occupational health staff will ultimately be better equipped to prove their true value and benefit within the workplace."

The study revealed that executive management understands the role of an occupational health nurse in the workplace, and 60 percent described occupational health nurses as "invaluable" to the company. For executives, the most common signals that indicate the need to hire an occupational health nurse include: High injury or illness rates, high absenteeism, increases in workers' compensation cases and government mandates and compliance. They said that occupational health nurses serve as gatekeepers for health services, provide treatment and follow-up for job-related injuries, work with employers on compliance with regulatory requirements and support employers' healthcare quality and cost-containment strategies. (Via Occupational Hazards)

It's time to rope in ergonomics

‘‘Studies have revealed that over 75 per cent of the computer professionals, besides the users suffer from some form of CRI leading to absenteeism, high rate of attrition and huge loss of productivity,’’ said Dr Sunder S, consultant in Physical Medicine at Prem Ergo Solutions, Chennai.

He was presenting his paper on ‘CRI and its significance’ at the workshop on the topic organised jointly by Asha Foundation and NASSCOM here on Wednesday.

It’s time to rope in Ergonomics -- a science concerned people and comfortable work environment, he said. Ergonomics takes into account of people’s capabilities and limitations and aims to make sure that tasks, equipment and the environment suit each employee.

CRI, the studies say, is on a rise in various sectors including banking, software industry and call centres where people spend long hours sitting in front of computers at uncomfortable work stations with non-adjustable tables and chairs. (Via Newindpress)

Techies learn to cope up with injuries

It was a day of revelations laced with warnings about impending doom for the 60-odd IT professionals who participated in a workshop on Computer Related Injuries (CRI) on Wednesday.

Majority of them who bore guilty looks when asked whether they huddled round their computer machines with hunched backs or banged their keyboard far too hard or complained of regular backaches and wrist pain, were given a comprehensive list of Do’s and Dont’s to prevent CRI. CRI is a disabling occupational hazard that is increasingly striking IT professionals in their prime.

According to Chennai-based CRI expert Dr Sunder S, who led the workshop organised by voluntary organisation Asha Foundation and NASSCOM held in Bangalore, CRI is broad term used to describe a collection of occupational disorders that affect neck, back, shoulders, upper and lower limbs, if the computer users practiced incorrect postures. (Via Deccan Herald )

Ergonomic Keyboards Ease Strain

A decade ago, there was much talk about keyboards causing repetitive motion injuries. Attention was focused on ergonomics and leading manufacturers including Microsoft introduced special curved and split keyboards.

If you're like me, though, those keyboards didn't solve the problem. Months ago, I started getting tingling and numbness is my lower left arm, probably the result of typing. It wasn't painful, but the odd feeling occasionally made it hard to sleep. The phenomenon isn't uncommon among my colleagues.

I decided this was a good time to test a new generation of ergonomic keyboards that break a rule of keyboard design you've probably never thought about. (Via ABC News)

The cranky user: Ergonomics, Part 1: The science of not hurting the user

With aching hands and wrists, the cranky user writes about ergonomics, from in-home doctor visits to the proper time for font smoothing.
Most people, if you mention work-related injuries, think of vast machinery, hydraulic presses, gears, and missing or mangled limbs. In fact, computer-related injuries are pretty common (and I'm not just talking about dropping the monitor on your foot).

Ergonomics is a field full of superstitions and rumors. Fads are commonplace. People do a lot of things which may or may not really help; they even do a few things which hurt.

Failure to take ergonomics seriously can have real, permanent effects. Some people can no longer type on a keyboard. One woman at a newspaper where my mother worked was encouraged to bravely soldier on, typing even though her wrists hurt and she couldn't feel her fingers anymore. Now she's on lifetime disability and I think both she and the company regret it. (Via IBM)

The slouch may be hip, but beware of the hump

When did it become hip to hunch over?

Check out the models on today's runways or the latest photo spreads in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Elle. Look closer at the red carpet postures of celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst, and Paris Hilton.

Perfect perky posture is out. The sag is in.

Shoulders are rounded, hips and head are thrust forward, the spine is curved. It's become fashionable to -- insert shrug here -- stand like you just don't care.

The sustained stress of slouching can make you more vulnerable to serious injuries. Poor posture has been linked to knee and hip pain, pinched nerves, herniated disks, rotator cuff tears and even digestive problems, fatigue and reoccurring headaches. Research shows that slouching uses five times more energy than standing up straight, causing muscle tension and cutting blood flow to the brain. (Via Herald.com)