Occupational Health Management Archives – October 1, 2008
October 1, 2008
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New research says sedentary workers risk chronic illness — Use this powerful data
Exercise can improve a worker's health and productivity. That's a no-brainer, right? The vast majority of employees and managers at your workplace probably take that statement as a given. But new data show that lack of exercise can actually cause chronic, costly, and debilitating diseases. -
These programs are making workers fitter
"You could put in a very expensive fitness facility, but if you don't get to the heart of what motivates the employee, you'll get a 12-week use of it followed by a major attrition," says Nicolette Shriver, health coach supervisor for Eden Prairie, MN-based Cigna. -
What? No expensive new gym for workers?
"You don't need to build a half million dollar fitness center to have a fitness program," says Don R. Powell, PhD, president and CEO of the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, a wellness program provider based in Farmington Hills, MI. "That is a lot of resources to devote to one aspect of wellness. Also, oftentime the employees who do go to the gym are already working out. You are just making it a little more convenient for them." -
Safety reward program results in 'huge ROI'
Digital cameras, blenders, food processors, waffle makers, espresso machines, jewelry, luggage, gas grills, fishing rods, and telescopes. These are some of the items that workers at Wika Instrument Corp., a Lawrenceville, GA-based manufacturer of pressure and temperature instrumentation, can receive for improving their own safety. -
Use this new tool to ID gaps in programs
This is the second of a two-part series on evaluating weight loss programs. Last month, we gave strategies to demonstrate the impact of your programs. This month, we report on the use of an audit tool to measure the effectiveness of obesity prevention programs. -
Tool is best in the hands of an OHN
If your employer turns to the Environmental Assessment Tool (EAT) to find out how wellness-friendly its worksites are, you should be a key player. -
Musculoskeletal injuries cut 75% with this program
Fifty more trucks produced a year. That's the result of regaining just six more days of productivity per injured employee, as a result of a musculoskeletal disability management program implemented in Warrenville, IL-based Navistar's truck division. -
Workers have high rates of 'psychological distress'
Nearly 5% of employees have high levels of psychological distress associated with a high likelihood of a mental disorder, reports a recent study. -
$10 a person equals $16 billion annually
Little changes can make a big difference. Although that message still is seen as counterintuitive by some health care experts, Trust for America's Health (TFAH) has concluded that an investment of $10 per person per year in proven community-based programs to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and prevent smoking and other tobacco use could save the country more than $16 billion a year within five years, or a return of $5.60 for every $1 invested. -
Research outlines three prevention types
Recent research from Trust for America's Health (TFAH) says there are three types of prevention: primary, secondary, and tertiary:q -
Working overtime linked to anxiety and depression
Employees who work overtime are at increased risk of anxiety and depression, suggests a recent study. -
Chronic pain guidelines now available online
The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) in Chicago has published new medical treatment guidelines for providing care to workers with chronic pain. The new guidelines represent the latest chapter in ACOEM's publication Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines.