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White Glove Service is Our Standard of Care
Occupational Health Connections, Inc. (OHC) is a distinguished leader in occupational and employee health staffing and recruitment. For job opportunities, please visit: 
Workers who participated in an intervention aimed at reducing conflict between work and familial responsibilities slept an hour more each week and reported greater sleep sufficiency than those who did not participate in the intervention, a study shows.
This article is a concise summary of a comprehensive review of literature from 2005 to 2009 on bullying and harassment at work, and addresses the limited literature available up to 2005. It offers a critical appraisal of 27 papers. The evidence suggests that the prevalence of bullying was increasing and had physical and mental health effects on individuals. It also had consequences for the employer, such as reduced job satisfaction.
Health surveillance and screening are a familiar part of an OH adviser’s role, involving a systematic approach to the identification of early signs of work-related ill health or injury. This article is concerned with the need for OH providers to undertake surveillance in relation to known psychosocial workplace hazards that have been shown to cause harm to workers.
Stress, long hours and low pay are among the reasons why more than one-third of clergy in the United States are obese, according to a new study that also identified a number of ways that pastors can reduce their risk of obesity.
Working long hours may raise the risk for alcohol abuse, according to a new study of more than 300,000 people from 14 countries.
Before heading back to work on Groundhog Day, football fans will crowd together Feb. 1 to see the New England Patriots battle the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. There will be cheers, There will be tears. There will be food.
CHR Newsletter – January 15, 2015
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An electrical malfunction caused a subway station in Washington, D.C., to fill with smoke, killing one woman and hospitalizing dozens of others. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has started to investigate what they consider to be an electrical arcing event.
Night shift work has been consistently associated with higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. In a new study, researchers found that women working rotating night shifts for five or more years appeared to have a modest increase in all-cause and CVD mortality and those working 15 or more years of rotating night shift work appeared to have a modest increase in lung cancer mortality.
Some mental health workers find it difficult to recognize their own burnout and even when they do they struggle to admit it to others, research shows.
Whether it is losing weight or quitting smoking, one employee wellness director says it can be done with the will to do so. About half of the most popular resolutions made each year are health-related, according to the United States government.
This review of recent occupational health research papers covers work stress and heart disease, shift work and cognition and work-related neoplasia.CHR Newsletter – January 1, 2015
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The Association of Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners (AOHNP) held its 2014 annual meeting and good practice forum in November in London. The title of the event was: “Mind games — identifying the game plan, not just being part of it.”
Higher ambient temperatures, more extreme weather events, air pollution, and the possibility of increased prevalence and distribution of water-borne and foodborne pathogens could affect workers, according to the agency’s discussion of the issue.
With a predicted seven billion mobile smartphone owners worldwide by the end of 2014, and increasing numbers of applications downloaded on a daily basis to both the iOS and Android operating systems (OS), statistics suggest that the number of mobile applications (apps) available has already exceeded one million for each OS. Here’s how occupational health (OH) practitioners can take advantage of them.
Holiday parties aren’t the only reason your employees are showing up for work bleary-eyed. A new study finds that one in five employees are sleep-deprived, and more than half of those are at risk for absenteeism, injuries and accidents.
Workers are becoming increasingly “nomadic” in where they work thanks to the availability of mobile technology. But employers are not providing the same risk assessments and support for these employees as they do for those in traditional office-based work. Here are the results of a recent large-scale European survey.
The American Society of Safety Engineers this week filed comments on NIOSH’s proposed
CHR Newsletter – December 18, 2014
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The business use of wearable-technology devices such as glasses, barcode readers and high-definition cameras is in the early stages, but it likely will expand beyond what we can imagine today. Are you ready?
Even though Black Friday is over and the hordes of disgruntled shoppers have gone home, the holiday season is still a dangerous time of year. There are about 128,700 fires each December, most of which are holiday-related, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
The most wonderful time of year has arrived, and with it comes the not-so-wonderful added stress in nearly every aspect of our lives, from social events to end-of-year work obligations.
Worksite health promotion (WHP) programs are designed to help identify and address health and lifestyle issues, and are offered by 75% of employers in Europe and the US. But research suggests that a high proportion (75%) of workers do not participate. Why do so many employees choose not to take part? Researchers investigated the reasons for nonparticipation, and have identified a variety of barriers.
Whether it’s a polar vortex or simply a blizzard, winter weather can be tough on our bodies, our cars, our travel schedules and our psyches. Here are some tips to protect yourself and employees during the winter months.
Americans who get job-based health insurance are spending a bigger chunk of their paychecks on health care than they were a decade ago, and they may be getting less financial protection for the money, a new report suggests.
CHR Newsletter – December 4, 2014
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This month’s look at recent occupational health research papers covers: stress; “sharps” injuries; the risks of working with asbestos; and educating employers about how to help staff with diabetes.
When a senior marketing executive at business information company Reed Business Information (RBI) took the lead on a global health and wellbeing initiative, Occupational Health was a key partner. Lawrence Mitchell, who guided the project, explains the three key steps towards engaging employees in health and wellbeing.
A new nationally representative survey of employers — the largest purchasers of health care in the United States — shows that most are unfamiliar with objective metrics of health plan quality information. The survey also found that employers are looking to the Affordable Care Act as they make significant decisions on the benefits they offer, with the costs of health plans as a key consideration.
From holiday parties to happy hours, social events with co-workers often revolve around alcohol, which can put non-drinkers in an awkward position. A new study shows that tensions in these environments lead non-drinkers to develop techniques to fit in socially without taking a drink.
Obese workers miss more work days, and those absences carry high costs at the state and national level, according to a study. “Obesity-attributable absenteeism among American workers costs the nation an estimated $8.65 billion per year,” report the researchers, who analyzed nationally representative data to assess obesity-attributable workdays missed due to health, and the associated costs on the state level.
A major new research center to tackle the impact of musculoskeletal disorders on people’s ability to work has been announced by two English medical research bodies. New work will aim to find cost-effective ways of reducing the impact of conditions that affect the muscles, joints and bones on people’s employment and productivity, with benefits for patients, employers and society as a whole.CHR Newsletter – November 20, 2014
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OSHA is asking retail employers to implement safety measures to prevent workplace injuries during major sales events, including Black Friday. In 2008, a retail worker was trampled to death when shoppers rushed through the store to take advantage of holiday sales.
Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, shift work disorder and restless leg syndrome are common among firefighters, new research shows.
The nation’s largest union of nurses is calling on OSHA and state-plan states to follow the “landmark mandatory safeguards” that California adopted last week to protect health care workers and the public from the Ebola virus.
Working non-standard hours — often called “shift work” — for many years is not only hard on the body, but may also dull the mind, new research suggests.
CHR Newsletter – November 6, 2014
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With just over one-quarter (26.3 percent) of working-age (16-64) people with disabilities participating in the workforce versus 71.9 percent of working-age people without disabilities, revisions to the regulations for Section 503 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act intended to reduce the disparity went into effect last March.
Walking workstations can improve not only physical, but also mental health during the workday, a new study released this week found. The research was conducted by faculty and student researchers from the Department of Psychology in the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
New research found tracking influenza vaccination of healthcare personnel through an automated system increased vaccination compliance and reduced workload burden on human resources and occupational health staff. The study is published in the November issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).
As OH becomes ever more collaborative and multidisciplinary, it is going to be increasingly important to ensure that the voice of OH nurses is not lost, the incoming new president of the Association of Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners UK (AOHNP) has warned.
CHR Newsletter – October 23, 2014
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Reports that a second Dallas hospital worker has been infected with the Ebola virus show the need for stronger and more comprehensive on-the-job protections for health care workers, says Mary Vogel, executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH).
No one expects to go to work and feel as though they’re back on the school playground. Sadly, though, bullying is common for many workers.
The council’s ongoing project to map out a blueprint of future workforce need and demand illustrates that the workforce challenges facing occupational health (OH) are severe.
As an experienced occupational health (OH) adviser working independently, Diane Romano-Woodward sometimes take on roles at short notice where a member of staff has suddenly become unwell. So that staff can “hit the ground running” and provide a service in new locations with very little preparation or support, she details below a wish list of what it would be nice to know before stepping into any department.
CHR Newsletter – October 9, 2014
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Recruiting health workers with high levels of internal motivation is critical for work in difficult conditions, where their personal security and health might be compromised, according to new research published today in Health Policy and Planning.
The UK Government’s review of sickness absence shows that when employees lose contact with the labour market this can lead to worse health outcomes in many respects, (Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) response to sickness absence review paper, 2013). Case management has been used to help people regain their functionality for many years in several countries including the US and Australia. This article discusses how case management works, its benefits and the key elements that can help occupational health (OH) providers consider whether or not and how to include case management in their practice.
The figures from PHE show that there was a 41% rise in admissions in the five-year period from 87,685 in 2007 to 123,808 in 2011, with a 30% increase in hospital admissions for melanoma.
According to Tadhg O’Gara, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., the best way to prevent lower-back pain is to remember this simple mantra: “Arch is good, flat is bad.”
CHR Newsletter – September 25, 2014
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As the amount of time employees spend at their desks increases, so does musculoskeletal discomfort and other health issues associated with the office environment.
Getting enough sleep each night may mean you’re less likely to take time off from work due to illness, a new study suggests.
A study in the October issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), found that healthcare workers’ adherence to hand hygiene is better when other workers are nearby.
