Occupational Health Management Archives Medical…

In keeping workers safe and healthy, are you forgetting the environment?

As an occupational health professional, you spend virtually all of your time focusing on work-related issues. "We are also environmental experts as well. I think that this gets lost in our focus," says Grace Paranzino, EdD, RN, CHES, FAAOHN, chief clinical officer at Americas Product GroupHealthcare in Troy, MI.

Give workers the green light on environment

Even though workers had diligently placed plastic bottles in a recycling bin in a company break room, staff were seen bagging these up, then throwing them in the regular trash can.

Can you hear me now? Would you rather not?

An injured employee may feel completely ignored or conversely, given the impression that his or her every move is being monitored. Striking the right balance can result in a safe and quick return to work.

Get word out about program via workers

It's hard to imagine how even a single employee at Finch Paper in Glen Falls, NY, could have missed the fact that a health fair was being held onsite in a huge tent, with 25 local vendors and the company's wellness team present.

Peer-to-peer volunteers can get you the answers

Why wouldn't an employee participate in a free Health Risk Assessment (HRA) that offers over 50 data points with valuable information about his or her health? Volunteers can help you find out.

Notice repeat injuries? Take immediate action

A few years ago, occupational health professionals noticed a rash of upper extremity injuries within a production department at ATK Aerospace Systems in Promontory, UT. "We looked at the process and made several ergonomic corrections," says David Allcott, APRN, ANP-BC, COHN-S, medical services manager.

Stymied OSHA politically incorrect?

Growing anti-regulatory pressure and presidential politics bring new hurdles for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which was already known for its snail-like pace of rulemaking. The agency has delayed the release of several key regulations, and observers expect little to emerge in the midst of an election year.

Seek best practice for protection

Two years after the emergence of the H1N1 pandemic, hospitals are still learning lessons that may help avert serious problems in a future outbreak. Respiratory protection in particular became a contentious issue during the pandemic, and it remains an area of concern.

A look at the top 10 hazardous industries

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these industries had the highest rates of work-related injury and illness in the United States in 2010: