DAOHN Update for July

The Department of Transportation Final Rule on Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs has been published in Vol. 73, No. 123 of the Federal Register. It is effective as of August 25, 2008.The new rule amends certain provisions of its drug and alcohol testing procedures to change instructions to collectors, laboratories, medical review officers, and employers regarding adulterated, substituted, diluted, and invalid urine specimen results. Some changes will make it more difficult for employees to beat the testing process, by requiring more observed collections and more stringent checking for items such as prosthetic devices designed to carry clean urine.

Asbestos research comment period. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is inviting public comment on a draft report that focuses on the occupational exposure and toxicity issues pertaining to asbestos and other elongated mineral particles. The report, or “roadmap,” aims to identify research priorities, which in turn may address the many longstanding uncertainties that have surrounded asbestos fiber and its health effects.Deadline for comment is September 30, 2008. Go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/review/public/099-A/ for materials, as well as to provide comment via online form, e-mail, fax, or mail.


Researchers who are part of the World Health Organization research consortium at Harvard Medical School suggest ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a good candidate for targeted workplace screening and treatment programs. They claim that workers with ADHD lose significant amounts of work time and that therapies already exist to improve certain aspects of workers’ performance. “It might be cost-effective from the employer perspective to implement workplace screening programmes and provide treatment for workers with ADHD.”The people studied were employed adult workers from ten countries, including the US. An average of 3.5% of workers have ADHD, and it is more common in males than females. Adults with ADHD may be hyperactive, easily distracted, forgetful, or impulsive and often do not know they have this disorder. These workers do approximately 22 days less work per year (in quality and quantity) than workers who do not have the disorder.



Health and wellness update for employers
Recognizing that chronic illness accounts for 75 percent of healthcare spending, many employers are taking a hands-on approach to improving employee health and wellness by promoting programs that address smoking, obesity and disease prevention and management.
At a press briefing July 15 hosted by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), representatives from Food Lion LLC, DTE Energy and the National Business Group on Health (NBGH) discussed employee engagement in workplace wellness programs that drive healthier behaviors and control costs.In conjunction with the briefing, BCBSA also released a new report, “Engaging Consumers @ Work” (EC@W), that found workplace education and activation programs can increase worker participation in wellness programs by 21 percent or more – suggesting big dividends for employers who invest in these programs.

Designed for nurses and safe patient handling committee members, the articles were produced by portal sponsor Liko North America, which manufactures safe lifting equipment, to inform hospital employees about the importance of safe lifting in all aspects of patient care. The series details:


Selecting Lifts for Patients with Special Needs - Special needs patients, such as elderly, morbidly obese or orthopedic patients, require the correct lift or sling to safely move them throughout the hospital. This article explains the proper lift to use depending on the need of the patient.
Safe Lifting: The Assessment Imperative - This article reviews the general guidelines for safe patient handling and the importance of a routine assessment of ergonomic hazards and the patient’s functional ability, level of assistance and mental status.
Infection Control for Lifts and Slings - In order to ensure patient safety during the lifting process, it is important that lifts and slings are clean, decontaminated and disinfected. This article details the importance of infection control when using lifts and slings.
Safe Patient Handling Programs: How to Calculate Return on Investment - Implementing safe handling programs in hospitals not only reduces patient-handling injuries but also significantly cuts the direct and indirect costs that coincide with lifting injuries. This article explains how facility managers can calculate their ROI, which results in reducing expenses significantly.
For this trial, 322 "moderately obese" men and women (but mostly men) were randomized to one of three diets: low-fat, restricted calorie; Mediterranean, restricted calorie; or low-carb, non-restricted-calorie.
The Mediterranean diet had the most amounts of dietary fiber and also included lots of fruits and vegetables. All three regimens had similar calorie counts.
Over the next two years, an astounding 84.6 percent of participants stayed on their diets.
Mean weight loss for the low-fat group was 2.9 kilograms (4.8 pounds), 4.4 kg (9.7 pounds) for the Mediterranean group and 4.7 kg (10.3 pounds) for the low-carb group.
For the 272 participants who stayed on their diets, the mean weight loss was 3.3 kg (7.3 pounds), 4.6 kg (10.1 pounds) and 5.5 kg (12.1 pounds), respectively.
The low-carb regimen reduced the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL "good" cholesterol by 20 percent, while the low-fat one lowered the ratio by 12 percent.
The best change in lipids was seen in the low-carb group, with a 20 percent increase in HDL cholesterol and a 14 percent decrease in triglycerides.
The Mediterranean diet produced the most favorable changes in blood glucose and insulin levels among the 36 participants with diabetes. In this group of patients, the low-fat diet increased fasting glucose levels.