Why are heat and humidity such a threat to certain workers, such as those who work outdoors or in foundries?
WHEN Hurricane Katrina slammed ashore in 2005, it helped drive home the fact that intense hurricanes are becoming a constant concern for residents along the Gulf Coast and Florida coastal regions. While no hurricane touched the U.S. coastline in 2006, that unusual respite is not likely to be repeated this year, according to a forecast issued by Colorado State University's forecasting team. The El Nino weather conditions that led to a quiet Atlantic hurricane season in 2006 will probably dissipate by summer, leading to above-average hurricane activity for 2007.
EACH day, hazardous chemicals and potential risk of worker exposure is becoming a more complex challenge for many environmental, health and safety professionals. Statistics show that the respiratory condition in the workplace is one of the main cause of illness cases on the job (18,865 cases in 2003; 17,679 cases in 2004; and 20,128 cases in 20051).
CAPABLE of processing more than 36,000 bits of information an hour and utilizing more than 65 percent of the pathways to the brain, the human eye contributes nearly 85 percent of an individual’s total knowledge. Yet because the eye is often minimally protected, it is particularly vulnerable to injury--especially in the workplace.
ANY petrochemical worker or electrician exposed to electric arc has something in common with a meth lab cleanup team. Shawn Arbuckle of Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center describes the scene: "When we work in a cleanup, we don't know exactly what we'll be exposed to, but we do know the potential is there for fire and chemical exposure."
HEAT stress is occupational quicksand. By the time you realize you or your employees have a problem, it's too late! Heat-related problems often creep up on employees who may not realize the potential danger and be able to self-protect. It is up to the supervisor (and higher management) to ensure everyone knows the hazards and the approved precautions to safeguard everyone on the job site.
OVER the years, great strides have been made in worker safety. Things have changed dramatically from the days when injuries, even deaths, were anticipated "costs" of progress and/or production. The true cost of worker injuries in terms of lost production, medical expenses, and human suffering eventually overtook the "you're lucky to have a job" mentality that pervaded the earlier part of the industrial age.
AMID concern for profit and production, employee health is often overlooked in the occupational setting. One method of maintaining worker health is through the implementation of work site medical surveillance, which is the endeavor to ensure continued medical fitness of a worker through periodic examination and diagnostic processes. Several recent accounts of negligence in medical surveillance are offered.
WHEN used independently of each other, the words industrial and hygiene could be construed as polar opposites. Industrial conjures up pictures of manufacturing plants, steel mills, production lines, and generally rough environments. Hygiene, on the other hand, is defined as a science of the establishment and maintenance of health.
TWO minutes has passed since we had changed radio frequencies, and I still hadn't heard from my wingmen. My flight lead still had not checked me in. Was there a problem I didn't know about?
ACCORDING to the National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS) as referenced by EPA, Americans spend about 90 percent or more of their time indoors. For this reason, the quality of our indoor air should be of great concern, whether it is in a home, a workplace, or a school, hospital, or medical facility--virtually any indoor environment. Poor indoor air quality can lead to a variety of health problems for any building occupant, especially at-risk populations (those younger than 2 or more than 70 years of age, immune system-compromised individuals, asthmatics, or those with severe allergies).
ADVANCEMENTS in safety gas detection sensor technology in the past few years have allowed dramatic reductions in the size and cost of personal multi-gas monitors, making it possible for employers to protect more workers against exposure to gas hazards in the workplace.
DO you want to propel your leadership ability to a higher level? In one of his last articles before passing away in 2005, management guru Peter Drucker wrote that leaders spent too much of their time trying to find the right answers when they should instead be focusing on formulating the right questions.
The global tuberculosis epidemic has leveled off for the first time since the World Health Organization declared TB a public health emergency in 1993, WHO reported March 22 as its released "The Global Tuberculosis Control Report."
SOARING medical costs and production losses resulting from repetitive motion injuries and related musculoskeletal disorders, including carpal tunnel syndrome, are inciting safety personnel to rapidly advance their consideration of ergonomically designed products that can reduce these types of injuries. This article examines some answers to common questions related to ergonomics and hand protection products--their safety, performance, quality improvements, and cost advantages.
IMAGINE that upper management has charged you with a brand-new assignment, developing an "employee wellness program." This could be a tall order for anyone. There's no standardized program to follow. However, if you are a safety and health professional, you have one trick up your sleeve: your safety and health program.
This article speaks to the training of Industrial Athletes, the men and women whose jobs require strength, agility, and stamina in a variety of industrial sectors. Keeping their bodies healthy and fit is the key to optimal performance and reduced injuries on the job.