Low back pain may be on the upswing

The study focused on North Carolina residents, but its authors feel an evaluation of people throughout the nation would show similar results: a sharp rise in the number of persons suffering from chronic, debilitating low back pain.

In the study the number of persons with debilitating back pain rose from 3.9 percent in 1992 to 10.2 percent in 2006, a 250 percent increase. The cost of chronic low back pain in worker productivity and healthcare comes to about $100 billion a year. Could this be that people are just taking advantage of new services for low back pain, and this is driving up statistics?

That theory was not validated by the researchers, who indicate the following as possibilities for the dramatic increase:

• Current treatment regimens may not be effective
• Lack of exercise
• Increase in obesity
• Greater prevalence of depression

How does work contribute to low back pain? Allison Van Dusen, writing for Forbes.com, puts it this way: “Day in and day out we treat our backs poorly, mostly with improper and repetitive movements. It only makes sense that a big part of the problem is how we move–and, more often, don’t move–at work, where most of us spend a major portion of our lives. Other factors play a role as well, such as the number and variety of manual tasks performed on the job, along with age, genetics, your schedule, desk setup and stress load.”

Source: Forbes.com

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Harmful germs thrive on cell phones

Mobile phones provide a fast way to share news and information needed on the job in a timely manner. They also expose people using them to disease-bearing bacteria.
Researchers in Turkey found that harmful bacteria, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) had contaminated 95 percent of the phones of doctors and nurses working in hospitals. Their research also uncovered the fact that  only 10 percent of the staff regularly cleaned their phones.

“Our results suggest cross-contamination of bacteria between the hands of health care workers and their mobile phones. These mobile phones could act as a reservoir of infection which may facilitate patient-to-patient transmission of bacteria in a hospital setting,” the authors wrote in their study, published online in the Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials.

The study involved 200 healthcare workers, 200 samples that were taken from their hands and from the mobile phone they used.

Other electronic objects such as computer keyboards have been examined in previous studies. They did show a high rate of contamination by bacteria, but almost no presence of the methicillin-resident (MRSA) bacteria that was prevalent on the hand-held phones.

Why are mobile phones more likely to have MRSA bacteria than stationary objects such as computers or desktops? The authors suggested that mobile phones are ideal for spreading the germs because every phone call puts the device in physical contact with hands that may be contaminated. The germs are rapidly carried by the hands to the mouth, nose, ears, and other body parts and then shared with patients or others that come in contact with the worker.

Some ways to reduce the spread of MRSA and other bacteria-caused disease by mobile phone use, especially in healthcare facilities, include the following:

• Observing strict infection-control procedures
• Setting up a schedule for routinely decontaminating all mobile phones with alcohol containing disinfectants
• Habitual use of regular cleaning agents

Prevention is on the horizon. Telephones may be manufactured soon containing special additive materials that would destroy any harmful bacteria.

As is often the case, common sense works best. Wash hands with soap and water. Disinfect with an alcohol-based material. Wipe off telephones with a cloth dampened in an antisceptic solution. And do it on a scheduled basis, several times a day.

Brought to you by Griffith Publishing.

Stress in hard times at your business

stressed pit

Stress levels are high during this time of economic uncertainty—and not just for those who have found themselves without a job.

Your employees who are worried about the possibility of losing their job may be saving every possible dollar they would otherwise spend on their own health care. Their health could be in jeopardy as a result. A recent survey of 800 working adults aged forty-five or more found the following disturbing facts about these high-risk workers:

• One in five have put off seeing a doctor because of the cost.
• One in five have cut back on other expenses so they could afford medical care.
• One in five reported health problems from financial stress.
• Almost one in five (16 percent) are using retirement or other savings to pay for their medical care.

The survey was conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). An online survey conducted earlier this year for the employment agency, Adecco USA, found that stress is common among job-holding adults. Of the 1,068 employed adults surveyed, 215 said that their mental health had been negatively impacted by the current economic situation, and 359 reported higher levels of stress on the job.

“There’s certainly been a pretty severe increase in stress, and stress is a precursor to anxiety and panic,” Dr. Elisha Goldstein, a Los Angeles-based psychologist who specializes in stress issues, told a Reuters reporter.

When stress and anxiety begin to make inroads on employee morale, effective work is sacrificed. “It starts to become a downward spiral, where an economic recession starts to become more of an emotional and mental recession,” Goldstein said.

Depression is not far behind.

Experts agree on two ways that employers can build a healthier emotional climate on the job:

1. Show appreciation. “People will walk over miles of razor blades in bare feet for you if they know you appreciate them and tell them,” says Canadian motivational speaker Mike Moore. You won’t want to run a study to validate that claim, but you can find dozens of ways to let your employees know that you value their loyalty and dedication.
2. Be open. A quick route to handling stress at work is for top management to be open and honest about what is going on. Managers who are visible are valuable in defusing this kind of stress, according to Bernadette Kenny, chief career officer at Adecco USA, which commissioned the mental health survey.

How we pollute indoor air

Worker suffering from indoor air pollution caused by formaldehyde

The following common products or actions are associated with polluted air indoors—

1. Burning candles. Some candle makers build the candle around a core of lead or zinc. The lead dissolves into the air and can cause life-threatening poisoning when breathed into the lungs. Rule: If the candle label doesn’t say “contains no lead,” it probably does.
2. Pesticides. The bad smell following a spurt of a bug-killing spray should be enough to alert us that pesticides are polluting. They are also toxic. Avoid using airborne pesticides in your business. Rule: If it kills bugs and other pests, too much exposure can make people sick.
3. Damp air. High humidity in a workspace is a recipe for mold and harmful bacteria to form and cause work-related illness. Rule: Keep all indoor surfaces dry, including out-of-the-way space under the stairs or the roof.
4. Fumes. From paint or formaldehyde to exhaust from traffic or a parking lot, various toxic fumes float through the air and waft their way into the building and workers’ lungs if precautions are not taken. Rule: Use appropriate air filters to keep your indoor space clean.

We’re always indoors!

Studies show that people in industrialized nations spend 90 percent of their time indoors.

Sources:

EPA

Medline

American Lung Association

The costs of too much weight in the workforce

Workers who top the weight bar and qualify as “obese” may be in the majority soon if current trends continue.

Last spring The Conference Board released a report showing that 34 percent, or more than one of three, adult Americans are obese. This is double the rate thirty years ago.

Because of a greater risk of certain injuries and illnesses among the obese, businesses are paying more to have obese workers on the payroll. Weighing too much contributes to a long list of health problems, with heart disease at the top. Most estimates place the cost of obesity to private employers at $14 billion a year, including lost work time. Obesity-related costs boost total healthcare spending for businesses by 36 percent—more than smoking or alcohol-related problems.

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A free tool to calculate the cost of obesity at your business is available on the web from the National Business Group on Health. The tool is supported by the Centers for Disease Control.
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Even though healthcare costs are greater for obese employees, you can’t hire or fire a worker based on weight alone. In fact, a business owner who is shown to have discriminated against an employee on the basis of his or her obesity is in violation of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Several cases have been brought successfully by workers who believed they were denied a job opportunity or were fired because they were obese.

In one case a woman with no health problems except for obesity was denied a job driving a van for a bus company. The examining physician declined to grant medical certification, saying the worker was not fit to handle the van in emergency situations, and the job offer was withdrawn. The woman sued and won.

Because of the legal barriers and public relations calamities that face companies try to enforce a strict weight policy at work, most experts recommend a strong and steady program of incentives that are not tied to a worker’s job or pay level.

Here’s a breakdown of what total medical costs are per 100 employees who are overweight:

Workers with a normal BMI $7,500
Overweight workers: More than $13,300;
Mildly obese workers: More than $19,000;
Moderately obese workers: More than $23,300;
Severely obese workers: More than $51,000

The BMI is an indirect way of measuring body density.

Sources:

Obesity Costly in Workers’ Comp

Study on obesity commissioned by AAOHN

Obesity Discrimination and the ADA (Cornell University ILR School)

Overweight and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control

Ow! My ankle! A vulnerable body part in any workplace

Maurice broke his ankle in a ski board accident three years ago. Last week while he was lifting a heavy object at work he turned too quickly, slipped, and sprained the same ankle. He finds out that his new injury will be covered under workers’ composition, but he’s wondering what’s going on and how long it will take before he’s back on the job. So is his supervisor.

Maurice knows better than most how much we rely on our ankles to get around. Besides flexing his ankles with every step he takes, Maurice has a job that requires lifting heavy objects, carrying them short distances, and sometimes climbing ladders or foot stools to place them where they belong.

Now he has a bad ankle sprain. It may take six or seven weeks or longer before the stressed ligaments heal completely. With an ankle sprain, the ligaments holding the bones of the ankle and its joint between the foot and the leg are stretched. If they stretch enough to cause tearing of these stretched ligaments the injury is more severe.

First aid for a sprained ankle starts with ice to help reduce swelling. Don’t apply ice directly to the skin. Use an ice pack or wrap the ice in a towel. Bandaging the area snugly with an elastic bandage will help. Keep the injured person from trying to use the ankle for standing or walking until pain and swelling ease.

A sprained ankle is a very common injury suffered by about 2,500 people every day in the US.
Sprains are described in three categories according to the amount of force applied to the ankle during the injury:

Grade 1 sprain—Some damage to the ligament, stretching is moderate. Tearing is microscopic.
Grade 2 sprain—Partial tearing of the ligament.Some but not all of the fibers in the ligament are torn.
Grade 3 sprain—Complete tearing of all of the fibers in the ligament.

At the time of the injury an ankle sprain usually puffs up quickly as tissues swell around the injury. For Grade 2 or 3 sprains, pain can be intense.

For a minor (Grade 1) sprain, there is no need for braces or splinting. The injured person can gradually place more weight on the ankle while it is healing. An air splint is applied to ankles with a Grade 2 or 3 sprain, but physical therapy will continue for a longer period of time with a Grade 3 sprain. In some cases, surgical repair of torn ligaments is necessary to restore function to an ankle with a Grade 3 sprain.

Back to Maurice. Is his old injury in any way responsible for his sprained ankle? Of course we can’t tell without a thorough medical examination, but it is often the case that people who have injured a certain body part will favor that part as they move around. This can cause the person to lose his balance and fall, re-injurying the same ankle, wrist, hip, or other body part.

The best management of employees with a sprained ankle is to get them back on the job as soon as possible. Unless surgery is required, within a few days the worker should be able to handle light duty or desk work.

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Fresh air—recipe for good worker health

From the sixth floor up, the new Federal Building in San Francisco lets you open windows to breathe in fresh air from outdoors.

This is only one of dozens of ways that architects have pulled out all stops to design an environmentally friendly and healthy 18-story office building, but it’s a signal of the importance of fresh air in good worker health.

Professors at the Harvard School of Public Health studied ventilation in 40 buildings owned by Polaroid and found that people working in offices that were moderately ventilated were 53 percent more likely to miss work for illness than were workers in areas with highly ventilated work areas.

The most punishing indoor air is endured by farm workers who spend a good portion of their day in a barn with livestock, especially during winter months. Chronic bronchitis, occupational asthma or Farmers’ Lung Disease are debilitating diseases common among such workers.

Other buildings such as hotels, restaurants, bars, hospitals, banks, and a variety of enterprises that function in closed space are also associated with higher than average rates of lung problems for full-time workers.

Good air can save money in addition to slashing the cost of illness. The Federal Building mentioned above estimates that natural ventilation in 70 percent of the building will save about half a million dollars a year in operating costs. A mechanical cooling system saved $8 million in construction costs, and the use of daylight in 80 percent of the building is cutting lighting costs by 26 percent.

Obviously, the best time to plan for better ventilation is during the design phase. Even after years of working in the same building, however, HVAC experts can analyze a specific situation and make suggestions for improving the flow of air.

Fresh air indoors isn’t always inexpensive, but stagnant and polluted air can cost even more in worker health costs and lower productivity. Give your workers plenty of clean air to breathe.

Let’s hear it for Idaho’s loggers!

Zapping from a power line “Here in Idaho log truckers get their wrappers over the load in one of two ways. They either have the loader pull them over or they throw them over by hand. There are pluses and minuses to each practice. We have had drivers hit by logs after they were knocked off by the loader and we have had shoulders torn up trying to throw them. “Wrapping up a load is one of those jobs all of us take for granted. But, looking back, wrapping up has produced many of our most serious accidents. Adding some power lines into the mix doesn’t help.

“Years ago a power expert came to one of the safety classes and mentioned that you didn’t have to come in contact with the power line to get zapped. Whether it is a wrapper, self loader, boom off of a line machine, the power will arc and then run to ground. This is definitely something to think about.”

—from Idaho Logging Safety News, Division of Building Safety, State of Idaho

Incentives for safety—success in another dimension

Today’s incentive program is more likely to include rank-and-file employees in creating and managing the program rather than making announcements and handing out materials without worker participation.

According to national construction consultant Ron Prichard, Ph.D., companies should plan safety incentives that give as much attention to work conditions as to worker behavior. Most work-related injuries result from some combination of unsafe conditions, procedures, and action, he says. It’s almost never totally the employee’s fault.

A roadblock in incentive programs is that giving workers a reward in exchange for costing the company less in work-related injury costs can appear to be a bribe. Even the need for peer approval can lead workers to hide an injury to avoid breaking a perfect safety record and disappointing fellow employees.

Incentives programs for health and safety are, at best, complex and hard to manage, Prichard said. Pitfalls lurk everywhere and can undermine the desired outcome. At worst, he warns, these type of programs reward the wrong kinds of behavior and distract management attention from other, high value actions.

When combined with effective training and when they are focused on specific areas needing attention within the business, incentives can have a positive, measurable impact on improving safety practices.

In other words, if you need return-on-investment numbers to justify organizing and managing an incentive program at your business, you’ll probably have trouble finding them. If the programs boost morale and help employees learn safety rules that apply to them, that can be enough of a benefit in today’s high-stress work environment.

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Stress affects everyone at work

Remember when you knew you could hang on to your job as long as you showed up on time and did good work? Those days are over for many workers. Thousands of good employees at Motorola, General Motors, Yahoo, Goldman Sachs, American Express, and many other companies, have been (or soon will be) removed from their jobs because of financial problems at headquarters–not because of the quality of their work.

The days of sticking out at a job because of good work are over. And the stress is mounting for employees from the shop to the executive office to produce more, sell more, and make more money for the employer.

Even without a financial slowdown, our society has been ratcheting up to a  quick-fix mode for the past several decades. We want to lose weight, get rich, feel good immediately. At  work, requirements to do more with less help are spreading from industry to  industry as businesses attempt to cut costs without affecting  productivity.

A report by the Centers for Disease  Control’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) states  that “The nature of work is changing at whirlwind speed. Perhaps now more than  ever before, job stress poses a threat to the health of workers…”

Studies cited in the report underscore the  rise of stress in today’s workplace:

• Four out of ten workers say their work is  “very or extremely stressful.” (Northwestern National Life)
• Nearly one of four workers report  they are often burned out or stressed by their work. (American Institute of Stress)
• Three out of ten workers report  feeling “quite a bit or extremely stressed at work.” (Yale University)

If you truly believe that stress is caused by the business doing all the wrong things and treating its employees unfairly, here’s a tip from Steve Tobak, a nationally known business consultant: “That’s what’s great about America,” he says. “You can always quit and go somewhere else.” If you find the same stress at your next job, the problem is yours.

Really? As unemployment rates creep past 10 percent and many parts of the country, the option of leaving a high-stress job isn’t always open. Middle-management and technical positions are the first to go and sometimes the hardest to find.

Consider this approach as the best available way to reduce stress at work:

Be a good worker. Encourage your workers (and yourself) to be on time, perform up to expectations, be cheerful, don’t grumble about work when you’re on the job, and don’t leave until you have another job lined up!

Resources:

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Centers for Disease Control

–Brought to you by Griffith Publishing