View this email in your web browser.
|
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: 
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
View this email in your web browser.
|
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
View this email in your web browser.
|
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
View this email in your web browser.
|
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
View this email in your web browser.
|
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
View this email in your web browser.
|
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.
CHR Newsletter – September 10, 2014
View this email in your web browser.
|
Hospitals can greatly improve their flu vaccination rate among health care workers by using a mandatory employee vaccination policy, according to a study.
Risk assessment is an integral component of the pre-travel health assessment, and will help reduce the risk of illness or injury in travellers. It allows the identification of potential health risks, and helps determine the advice and preventive strategies for the traveller.
Airline pilots and flight crews may face as much as twice the risk of the type of skin cancer known as melanoma compared with the general population, according to a new analysis of existing research.
CHR Newsletter – August 28, 2014
View this email in your web browser.
|
Many shift workers take drugs to sleep or stay awake despite lingering questions about their benefits and risks, researchers report.
Parents need to make safety a priority when shopping for school backpacks for their children, an expert advises.
CHR Newsletter – August 14, 2014
View this email in your web browser.
|
Office workers with more light exposure at the office had longer sleep duration, better sleep quality, more physical activity and better quality of life compared to office workers with less light exposure in the workplace, reports a new study from Northwestern Medicine and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
A simple plan of action could be an easy way for employers to ensure that workers take regular screen breaks, a study funded by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health has concluded.
Stress at work may raise your risk of heart attack and stroke, particularly if you work in the service industry or have a blue-collar job, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.
CHR Newsletter – July 31, 2014
View this email in your web browser.
|
A new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH) found that workers who are obese may have significantly shorter endurance times when performing workplace tasks, compared with their non-obese counterparts.
Shift workers, especially men, may be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes compared to people not on such schedules, a new study suggests. Also at special risk are shift workers who don’t work on a set schedule, with shifts moving around at various times of the day.
The nation’s supply of registered nurses has been growing faster than expected, largely because baby boomers in nursing are working longer than ever before, according to a new study.
