Workplace stress an injury, not a disease

Stress as an injury opens door to worker's comp ...

"It's about time the mental, emotional and physical damage caused by workplace stress is recognized for that it is - an injury and not a disease.

"Recognizing the workplace as a stressor is long overdue," says Clarke Walker. "Once workplace stress is seen as an injury, its causes can be removed the same way we already deal with other hazzards like harassment, dangerous equipment, toxic materials and unsafe working conditions."

Clarke Walker says that if researchers categorize stress as an injury, it would bring an end to the discrimination experienced by workers whose stress-related injuries render them unable to work but who are denied assistance from Workers' Compensation Boards because they are deemed to be sick rather than hurt. However, she also cautions researchers to not reinvent the wheel over the course of their work."   continued ...   (Via PR Direct)

Reducing the Risk of Manual Materials Handling

You have to identify the risk before you can reduce the risk ,,,

"Tasks such as carrying boxes or lifting crates lead to hundreds of thousands of injuries a year. Here are some steps you can take to assess the risks in your workplace and reduce this costly occupational hazard.

In the workplace, we can view manual materials handling (MMH) as any process in which the human operator is asked or required to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or perform any other similar task in which an object is moved through space solely under the power of the human operator. Additionally, some assisted activities such as pushing a cart or using a mechanical assist still may be viewed as a manual materials handling task.

Many in the work force view materials handling tasks as only those tasks that involve weights that are perceived as heavy. In truth, MMH involves any handling of a product, whether it is a pencil or a 70-pound piece of electronics equipment. MMH is not relegated solely to heavy manufacturing environments; it includes jobs in a plant where a person has to lift a 1-pound component and jobs in an office where a person must lift a 55-pound computer monitor."   continued ...   (Via Occupational Hazards)

Early Computing's Long, Strange Trip

This looks like an interesting new book with a different slant ...

"Does history matter? No one would think of reading Shakespeare without learning enough of the historical context to understand the Bard's words. But does the history of science and technology matter in a similar way? Does knowing the first thing about the exotic megalomaniac Nikola Tesla make any difference at all to a young engineer plugging a computer into an alternating-current outlet (one of Tesla's inventions that we take for granted today)? After all, the AC outlet will work whether Tesla is remembered or not.

Let's focus the question more narrowly: Does the history of computers as we experience them—the history of the user-interface design, for instance—matter? I say yes. Like Shakespearean English, the computer is a tool that must be understood in depth to be deeply useful, and the richer the information about context, the richer the understanding.

It is nothing short of bizarre, then, that it has taken so long for a book to appear that chronicles the early cultural history of the personal computer. John Markoff's What the Dormouse Said (the title is taken from the lyrics of the Jefferson Airplane song "White Rabbit") tells the story of the important period when the personal computer and the Internet as we know them came into being. He also describes how a new culture of drugs, sex and rock and roll was created at the same time as the computers, sometimes in the same rooms, by some of the same people. Some readers may be shocked by the degree to which the design of modern computing was a central component of the 1960s counterculture in Northern California."   continued ...   (Via American Scientist)

What the Dormouse Said: How the 60s Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer



Check-out more books at Usernomics.

Safety Catalyst: Focusing on Health for High-level Safety Performance

How to make safety performace work ...

"When it comes to improving employee safety and health, the sum is definitely greater than the parts.

Many safety professionals admit feeling frustrated trying to help others change their behavior in order to prevent life-threatening events. I've heard numerous pros wonder, "It's in their own best interests. Why won't they act safely?"

The implications for safety professionals are staggering. While we've made significant strides in safety, many organizations have hit a plateau in preventing personal injuries. This could be due to many reasons – not knowing what replacement behaviors to try, thinking about but not changing habits, or not having the energy or motivation to make needed personal change. In addition, an aging work force, while a more experienced one, may be more prone to heart disease, hypertension, arthritis and diabetes, as well as musculo-skeletal cumulative trauma and other health concerns."   continued ...   (Via Occupational Hazards)

The best working posture

Several ergonomics tips from Ceylon ...

"Manjari Peiris in conversation with Dr. Nirupa Pallewatte of the Health Education, Bureau on Computer workstation Ergonomics.

Ergonomics is the science that studies the relationship of workers to their working environment in order to get the maximum efficiency of them.

If ergonomics is applied in a correct manner in the work environment, visual and muscular discomfort and fatigue can be reduced considerably.

Very often injuries are caused by excessive and repeated physical stress on the musculoskeletal system - the hands, wrists, elbow, shoulders, neck and back.

By adhering to the principles of ergonomics, stress and many potential injuries and disorders associated with over use of muscles, bad posture and repeated tasks may be reduced and eliminated."   continued ...   (Via Daily News Online)

Researcher sees future where people walk at work

Exercise while working is great. I wonder how his wrists will fee? ...

"Sitting at their desks is about the last thing workers would do in Dr. James Levine's office of the future.

Instead of being sedentary in front of their computers, they'd stand. But instead of standing still, they'd walk on a treadmill. And instead of meeting around a conference table, they'd talk business while walking laps on a track.

That's exactly how Levine, a Mayo Clinic obesity researcher, and several of his colleagues have been working for the past five weeks or so."   continued ...   (Via USATODAY)

Costs of Preventable Injuries 'Crippling' the Nation, NSC Warns

The necessity of safety programs cries out ...

"Each year, preventable injuries send nearly 27 million Americans to hospital emergency rooms for treatment and another 100,000 to early graves, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).

The personal devastation caused by a disabling injury or injury-related death is compounded by the related costs, which annually exceed $600 billion, or about $5,700 per household, according to NSC.

"The costs associated with preventable injuries are crippling individuals, families, businesses and the health care system," said Alan C. McMillan, president and chief executive officer of NSC. "The National Safety Council is committed to preventing and mitigating the suffering and economic loss caused by these injuries.""   continued ...   (Via Occupational Hazards)

OSHA, Airline Group Renew Alliance; Will Continue Addressing Ergonomic Issues Related to Safe Handling of Checked Baggage

There is hope yet ...

"An Alliance between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and a group of 13 airlines and the International Air Transport Section of the National Safety Council (NSC) was renewed today to continue building on successes and further protect workers in the airline industry. The agreement was first launched in November 2002 and first renewed in April 2004.

"Our association with OSHA, the National Safety Council and a consortium of airlines has been and continues to be the source for open dialogue on ergonomic issues as well as an industry venue for benchmarking," added Jim Swartz, Director of Corporate Safety for Delta Air Lines, Inc. "This is the third phase of our long term approach to address baggage handling in the travel industry."    continued ...   (Via Yahoo! News)

Bilingual road signs pass test

Hummm, do the accidents count? ...

"Bilingual road signs are just as easy to read as monolingual ones, as long as the words are laid out clearly, according to new Canadian research.

But the findings also imply an increased risk of accidents if the languages on signs are not easy to distinguish as drivers approach.

Psychologists were commissioned to carry out laboratory tests three months ago by the government of Ontario, which will soon introduce bilingual signs for variable messages such as warnings of queues, accidents or lane closures."   continued ...   (Via icWales)