Monday, September 7, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Swine flu tips to stop spread of illness
Stopping the Spread of Germs at Work
How Germs Spread
Illnesses like the flu (influenza) and colds are caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. The flu and colds usually spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
How to Help Stop the Spread of Germs
Take care to:
• Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough
• Clean your hands often
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
• Stay home when you are sick and check with a health care provider when needed
• Practice other good health habits. Eating well and Drinking plenty of Fluids
Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough
Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then throw it away. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze. Clean areas you have touched with a germicidal cleaner.
Clean your hands often
When available, wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- then rub your hands vigorously together and scrub all surfaces. Wash for 15 to 20 seconds. It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps dislodge and remove germs.
When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using a gel, rub the gel in your hands until they are dry. The gel doesn't need water to work; the alcohol in the gel kills germs that cause colds and the flu. Make sure you use the sanitizer on both the front and back of your hands and between fingers.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs can live for a long time (some can live for 2 hours or more) on surfaces like doorknobs, desks, and tables.
Clean Plinths, door knobs and handles of equipment after use
Stay home when you are sick and check with a health care provider when needed
When you are sick or have flu symptoms, stay home, get plenty of rest, and check with a health care provider as needed. Your employer may need a doctor’s note for an excused absence. Remember: Keeping your distance from others may protect them from getting sick. Common symptoms of the flu include:
• fever (usually high)
• headache
• extreme tiredness
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle aches, and
• nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, (much more common among children than adults).
How Germs Spread
Illnesses like the flu (influenza) and colds are caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. The flu and colds usually spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
How to Help Stop the Spread of Germs
Take care to:
• Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough
• Clean your hands often
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
• Stay home when you are sick and check with a health care provider when needed
• Practice other good health habits. Eating well and Drinking plenty of Fluids
Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough
Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then throw it away. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze. Clean areas you have touched with a germicidal cleaner.
Clean your hands often
When available, wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- then rub your hands vigorously together and scrub all surfaces. Wash for 15 to 20 seconds. It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps dislodge and remove germs.
When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using a gel, rub the gel in your hands until they are dry. The gel doesn't need water to work; the alcohol in the gel kills germs that cause colds and the flu. Make sure you use the sanitizer on both the front and back of your hands and between fingers.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs can live for a long time (some can live for 2 hours or more) on surfaces like doorknobs, desks, and tables.
Clean Plinths, door knobs and handles of equipment after use
Stay home when you are sick and check with a health care provider when needed
When you are sick or have flu symptoms, stay home, get plenty of rest, and check with a health care provider as needed. Your employer may need a doctor’s note for an excused absence. Remember: Keeping your distance from others may protect them from getting sick. Common symptoms of the flu include:
• fever (usually high)
• headache
• extreme tiredness
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle aches, and
• nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, (much more common among children than adults).
Friday, January 30, 2009
Vitamin D lighting Is it a good choice for workplace?
I recently had a question regarding lighting in the workplace and if we should add "vitamin D lamps" or desk task lights.
Vitamin D lamps are UVB lights (black lights are UV B)
Ultraviolet band (UV B) B can cause direct DNA damage to the skin. You only need 15 minutes a day of UV B light (commonly known as a black light.) It is the UVB rays that can cause sunburn and DNA damage to the skin causing melanoma. over 90% of melanoma is linked to UV B radiation.
In addition it is the UV B rays that leads to skin aging and it is recommended that individuals having UV B treatment need to have emollients applied after treatments.
In some parts of the world where there is extended dark periods Light therapy is sometimes used for Seasonal Affect disorder, and for limited periods use a sunlamp during the dark months.
Most of the typical fluorescent lamps have little UV B due to the harmful effects. Full spectrum art lamps are available as are grow lamps and reptile lamps but it should be used as a task light and not directly on skin or in the eyes.
Although 10-15 minutes of daily sun in non-peak hours can provide adequate vitamin D, people who use sun protection (which should be most of us) need to look for other sources of vitamin D.
As a treatment it should be conducted by a medical professional as individuals with a vitamin D deficiency need a specific wavelength (> 310 nm to 312 nm) and this is a specific illness with a specific medical treatment.
Fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified foods are good dietary sources of vitamin D. Salmon is one of the best.
It can be toxic if overdosing, although it is rare to overdose from food sources and not from the sun
UV B rays are blocked by glass, so they do not get through windows.
Vitamin D supplements at currently recommended doses can increase vitamin D levels in the body.
Blood tests (serum concentration of 25 (OH) D is the blood indicator of vitamin D, however Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and it may not reflect the actual amount of vitamin D stored in tissues. If intestines and Kidneys can't process vitamin D, then it may indicate a different illness, and should be evaluated prior to treatment.
UV B rays are linked to macular Degeneration (an illness that causes blindness)
Individuals who need additional Vitamin D or light therapy should have it provided by a medical practioner and have their skin checked regularly as well as eyes if undergoing this type of treament. It should not be provided in a non controlled enviroment.
My treatment for the inability to absorb vitamin D is to take a supplement, and walk outside with the dogs once a day.
I recommend that UV B lamps not be used in a work setting, as it is potentially harmful, it can't be easily monitored or controlled and should be used as a medical treatment, not a general lighting source.
Vitamin D lamps are UVB lights (black lights are UV B)
Ultraviolet band (UV B) B can cause direct DNA damage to the skin. You only need 15 minutes a day of UV B light (commonly known as a black light.) It is the UVB rays that can cause sunburn and DNA damage to the skin causing melanoma. over 90% of melanoma is linked to UV B radiation.
In addition it is the UV B rays that leads to skin aging and it is recommended that individuals having UV B treatment need to have emollients applied after treatments.
In some parts of the world where there is extended dark periods Light therapy is sometimes used for Seasonal Affect disorder, and for limited periods use a sunlamp during the dark months.
Most of the typical fluorescent lamps have little UV B due to the harmful effects. Full spectrum art lamps are available as are grow lamps and reptile lamps but it should be used as a task light and not directly on skin or in the eyes.
Although 10-15 minutes of daily sun in non-peak hours can provide adequate vitamin D, people who use sun protection (which should be most of us) need to look for other sources of vitamin D.
As a treatment it should be conducted by a medical professional as individuals with a vitamin D deficiency need a specific wavelength (> 310 nm to 312 nm) and this is a specific illness with a specific medical treatment.
Fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified foods are good dietary sources of vitamin D. Salmon is one of the best.
It can be toxic if overdosing, although it is rare to overdose from food sources and not from the sun
UV B rays are blocked by glass, so they do not get through windows.
Vitamin D supplements at currently recommended doses can increase vitamin D levels in the body.
Blood tests (serum concentration of 25 (OH) D is the blood indicator of vitamin D, however Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and it may not reflect the actual amount of vitamin D stored in tissues. If intestines and Kidneys can't process vitamin D, then it may indicate a different illness, and should be evaluated prior to treatment.
UV B rays are linked to macular Degeneration (an illness that causes blindness)
Individuals who need additional Vitamin D or light therapy should have it provided by a medical practioner and have their skin checked regularly as well as eyes if undergoing this type of treament. It should not be provided in a non controlled enviroment.
My treatment for the inability to absorb vitamin D is to take a supplement, and walk outside with the dogs once a day.
I recommend that UV B lamps not be used in a work setting, as it is potentially harmful, it can't be easily monitored or controlled and should be used as a medical treatment, not a general lighting source.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Michigan promotes Ergonomic Standard
Interesting that a state that is one of the hardest hit with recent economic woes is considering an ergonomic standard. Maybe someone gets it that ergonomics isn't a costly benefit, but cost reducing. Although I am not convinced that legislation is the way to go.
The state's regulators voted unanimously to advance it on January 14, despite opposition from the business community. Its supporters maintain the rule will reduce preventable injuries that cost employers millions in worker's compensation and lost time. Opponents argue it will raise the cost of doing business at a time many employers are struggling because of the state’s ailing economy.
The unanimous vote by the General Industry Safety Standards Commission and the Occupational Health Standards Commission increases the odds that efforts to derail the standard won’t succeed this time round.
According to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG), the proposed standard would “assess risk factors that may contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders and establish a minimal rule for training.” It also would apply only to businesses in general industry, not construction, DLEG said.
Public hearings will be held before the rule can be formally adopted by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA). It could be in place in as little as six months.
Now in draft form, it requires:
• All employees to be given ergonomics training covering occupational risk factors for MSDs, symptoms, and reporting procedures
• Employers to be responsible for involving employees; assessing risk factors; and eliminating, reducing or controlling ergonomic hazards "where economically and technically feasible"
• Employers with an existing "effective ergonomic program" to be examined for prior compliance with the requirements
The Michigan Worker’s Compensation Bureau estimated that ergonomics-related hazards accounted for some 40 percent of the claims paid in the state in 2006 and 2007.
The state's regulators voted unanimously to advance it on January 14, despite opposition from the business community. Its supporters maintain the rule will reduce preventable injuries that cost employers millions in worker's compensation and lost time. Opponents argue it will raise the cost of doing business at a time many employers are struggling because of the state’s ailing economy.
The unanimous vote by the General Industry Safety Standards Commission and the Occupational Health Standards Commission increases the odds that efforts to derail the standard won’t succeed this time round.
According to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG), the proposed standard would “assess risk factors that may contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders and establish a minimal rule for training.” It also would apply only to businesses in general industry, not construction, DLEG said.
Public hearings will be held before the rule can be formally adopted by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA). It could be in place in as little as six months.
Now in draft form, it requires:
• All employees to be given ergonomics training covering occupational risk factors for MSDs, symptoms, and reporting procedures
• Employers to be responsible for involving employees; assessing risk factors; and eliminating, reducing or controlling ergonomic hazards "where economically and technically feasible"
• Employers with an existing "effective ergonomic program" to be examined for prior compliance with the requirements
The Michigan Worker’s Compensation Bureau estimated that ergonomics-related hazards accounted for some 40 percent of the claims paid in the state in 2006 and 2007.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Ergonomics in a nutshell
Back to the basics.
Your mother was right, sit up straight and don't sit so close to the TV. Sadly we sit badly and have a monitor squarely in our faces for many of us. I would be unemployed if we all sat up and took frequent mini breaks. I run into cases where good posture and stretching a few times an hour isn't the solution. But since no one but me reads this, I will spare myself the effort and my wrists from the work.
Your mother was right, sit up straight and don't sit so close to the TV. Sadly we sit badly and have a monitor squarely in our faces for many of us. I would be unemployed if we all sat up and took frequent mini breaks. I run into cases where good posture and stretching a few times an hour isn't the solution. But since no one but me reads this, I will spare myself the effort and my wrists from the work.
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