One of WorkCare’s noteworthy publications is Vita Opus® – a quarterly newsletter that offers the business community the opportunity to dialogue on critical life-work issues that impact productivity and employee wellness. This publication is sent to more than 2,000 clients and supporters in the integrated health industry. We have provided a selection of stories that have been helpful to our clients. To request a free copy, please email us at [email protected]
id you know that hand injuries account for nearly one-third of all workplace accidents? Finger injuries, even the most minor ones that go unreported, can impair a worker’s ability to perform. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that with proper work gloves and a little safety awareness, finger injuries can be avoided. Moreover, safety studies indicate that wearing work gloves lowers the risk of hand injuries by 70 percent, ultimately saving employers millions of dollars a year. The issue of grip over the past five years is something that glove manufacturers’ research and development departments have been tasked with improving — with particular emphasis on delivering improved oil grip. Worker Ingenuity May Lead to Injury Workers in the past have coped with the challenges of glove grip by simply applying their own grip by exerting more force through the hand and arm muscles — a behavior known as muscle compensation. It is now understood that this way of working can cause long-term health issues. The results of muscle compensation typically include aches, pains, tension and disorders involving parts of the arm, from the fingers to the shoulders and the neck. Repetitive strain injuries or occupational overuse syndrome can be caused by problems with the soft tissues, muscles, tendons and ligaments, along with issues related to the circulatory and nerve supply to the limb. Prevention Coupled with selecting the ideal work glove, companies can address occupational injuries by reviewing work flows and applying ergonomic adjustments to the work environment itself. Examples include making adjustments to room lighting and temperature, and scheduling regular work breaks. Employee education that focuses on grip may also be in order due to the general misconception that thicker gloves offer more resistance. Gloves can do only part of the job; there must be a holistic approach to preventing workplace injuries. 1 Bad Glove Grip May Lead to Increased Injury PAGE 3 Occupational Fatigue $4.95 US $5.95 FOR WINTER 2012 4 Now Hear This! 6 Nine Tips for Success 7 Job Sculpting issue 18 • WWW.WoRkcaRE.com D PAGE PAGE PAGE
Transcript
id you know that hand injuries
account for nearly one-third of
all workplace accidents? Finger
injuries, even the most minor ones that
go unreported, can impair a worker’s
ability to perform.
The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) reports that
with proper work gloves and a little
safety awareness, finger injuries can
be avoided. Moreover, safety studies
indicate that wearing work gloves lowers
the risk of hand injuries by 70 percent,
ultimately saving employers millions of
dollars a year.
The issue of grip over the past five years
is something that glove manufacturers’
research and development departments
have been tasked with improving —
with particular emphasis on delivering
improved oil grip.
Worker Ingenuity May Lead to InjuryWorkers in the past have coped with
the challenges of glove grip by simply
applying their own grip by exerting
more force through the hand and arm
muscles — a behavior known as muscle
compensation. It is now understood that
this way of working can cause long-term
health issues. The results of muscle
compensation typically include aches,
pains, tension and disorders involving
parts of the arm, from the fingers to
the shoulders and the neck. Repetitive
strain injuries or occupational overuse
syndrome can be caused by problems
with the soft tissues, muscles, tendons
and ligaments, along with issues related
to the circulatory and nerve supply to
the limb.
PreventionCoupled with selecting the ideal
work glove, companies can address
occupational injuries by reviewing
work flows and applying ergonomic
adjustments to the work environment
itself. Examples include making
adjustments to room lighting and
temperature, and scheduling regular
work breaks. Employee education that
focuses on grip may also be in order
due to the general misconception that
thicker gloves offer more resistance.
Gloves can do only part of the job;
there must be a holistic approach to
preventing workplace injuries.1
Bad Glove Grip May Lead to Increased Injury
PAG
E 3 Occupational Fatigue
$4.95 US $5.95 FOR
WINTER 2012
4 Now Hear This! 6 Nine Tips for Success 7 Job Sculpting
issue 18•
WWW.WoRkcaRE.com
D
PAG
E
PAG
E
PAG
E
elcome to the winter digital edition of Vita Opus!
Inside this publication you will find stories that
will both inform and inspire. For example, we
know that at home and on the job, fatigue-induced errors can
have devastating consequences. To shed light on the topic, we
provide an overview of a recent Liberty Mutual study on shift
workers and fatigue.
Obesity in the workplace is a growing concern. Our story
on page 8 focuses on new research from the University of
Houston, which suggests that overweight and obese workers
require more floor slip resistance.
In a featured story called “Now Hear This! Steps for a
Successful Hearing Conservation Program” we provide tips
for launching and maintaining a successful OSHA hearing
conservation program. You will also find stories focusing
on the job sculpting trend, the link between glove grip and
job-related injuries and news from around the occupational
health industry.
As 2011 has winded down, I would be remiss not to thank you
— our clients — for trusting us with the health and safety of
your workforce. Your continued patronage, candid feedback
and collaborative nature help to keep us in alignment. Your
support is a vital part of our growth and for that, we are
most grateful. We look forward to a continued successful
relationship in 2012!
2 WINTER 2012
PERCEPTUM
From the Doctor’s Desk
SALUS
ASSE Announces New Health, Wellness Branchhe importance of work-life
balance, as well as health and
wellness, are not generally
addressed when it comes to the safety
professional — an issue that the Health
and Wellness Branch seeks to address.
The American Society of Safety
Engineers (ASSE) recently announced
the formation of a new Health and
Wellness Branch in an effort to raise
awareness about the benefits of
integrating occupational safety and
health with company health promotion
programs.
The Health and Wellness Branch will
provide professional networking and
development opportunities, as well
as a forum for discussion and action
on health and wellness topics. The
importance of work-life balance, as well
as health and wellness are not generally
addressed when it comes to the safety
professional — an issue that the Health
and Wellness Branch seeks to address.
According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, in recent years there has been
a considerable increase in employee
access to wellness programs and
employee assistance programs, both
in the private and public sector. From
1998-2008, access to wellness and
assistance programs increased from 35
percent to 54 percent for public sector
workers, indicating a clear increase in
availability to employees.
Today, many companies are beginning
to focus on how health and wellness
affect employees’ job performance and
safety. Effective health and wellness
programs are valuable, ASSE officials
note, because they assist employees in
achieving lifestyle improvements that
can yield improved safety performance
and increased productivity.
Health and wellness essentials include
good nutrition, proper weight control,
exercise and avoiding risk sources, such
as smoking, alcohol and drug abuse.
The new Health and Wellness Branch
will promote these attributes as those of
productive, safe and attentive workers,
and educate the general public about
the benefits of health and wellness in
and outside of work.
WorkCare offers a wide selection of
formal and informal wellness programs.
Options include stretch and flex
programs, digital fact sheets, PowerPoint
presentations, online learning tools,
educational video content, bloodborne
pathogens training, lunch and learn
lesson plans and more. Contact info@
workcare.com for more information.
T
W
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 15
million full-time workers in the United States work shifts
outside the traditional 9-to-5 or flex-time workday. Some
industries require shifts because of the 24/7 nature of the
work (e.g., police, security, hospitals, hospitality), while others
implement shifts to meet productivity and delivery goals (e.g.,
Occupational Fatigue Researchers Offer Shift Work Scheduling Recommendations
3WINTER 2012
atigue is a pervasive problem in our society that adversely affects the quality and safety of our daily lives. At
home and on the job, fatigue-induced errors can have devastating consequences. A recent study published
by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety recognizes the debilitative potential of fatigue. It is a
very important and complex issue that must be better managed. To help employers, the institute developed tips for
scheduling shift work. The following is a recap of their study on occupational fatigue.
F
One Major Finding as Reported in “Modeling the Components of Long Work Hours
on Injuries and Accidents”
or most people, the noise exuding from a bass heavy
car stereo, a screaming infant or an overcrowded
restaurant serve as temporary nuisances. But for
workers in certain occupations, noise — often in extreme
doses — is an inescapable part of daily life. In fact, according
to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), occupational hearing loss is the most common work-
related injury in the United States.1 Approximately 22 million
US workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work
and an estimated $242 million is spent annually on worker’s
compensation for hearing loss disability.
OSHA’s standard 1910.95(a) is designed to addresses the
issue of work-related noise. The standard outlines the details
of hearing conservation programs that companies must follow
that include measuring noise levels and providing employees
with annual hearing exams (audiometric testing), hearing
protection and training. Hearing conservation programs are
mandated for specific industries whenever employee noise
exposure is at or above an eight hour time-weighted average
(TWA) of 85 dBA or equivalently, a dose of 50 percent. [29 CFR
1910.95(c)(1)] This is referred to as the action level. [29 CFR
1910.95(c)(2)].
When selecting a vendor, it is imperative that companies
select a vendor that is aligned with its health and safety
goals and is up-to-date on regulations. Regardless of whether
a company chooses to partner with a vendor, hearing
conservation programs are ultimately the responsibility of the
organization and should be managed as such. The role of the
program coordinator is paramount. They are charged with the
responsibility of spearheading program efforts, championing
company policy and ensuring that the programs policies and
procedures are being followed.
Program Components: NIOSH and OSHANIOSH offers eight components of a successful hearing loss
prevention program:
1. noise exposure monitoring
2. engineering and administrative controls
3. audiometric evaluation
4. use of hearing protection devices
5. education and motivation
6. record keeping
7. program evaluation
8. program audit
OSHA’s hearing conservation program has five components:
1. monitoring
2. audiometric testing
3. hearing protectors
4. training
5. recordkeeping
4 WINTER 2012
SOLUTIO
Now Hear This! Steps for a Successful HearingConservation Program
F
5
About Hearing Loss
The effects of hearing loss can be profound, as hearing loss
can interfere with one’s ability to enjoy socializing with friends
and family, and may lead to psychological and social isolation.
Signs and symptoms of hearing loss may include:
• Muffling of speech and other sounds.
• Difficulty understanding words, especially against
background noise or in a crowd of people.
• Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly
and loudly.
• Needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio.
• Withdrawal from conversations.
• Avoidance of some social settings.
Noise controls are the first line of defense against excessive
noise exposure. The use of these controls should aim to
reduce the hazardous exposure to the point where the risk
to hearing is eliminated or minimized. With the reduction
of even a few decibels, the hazard to hearing is reduced,
communication is improved and noise-related annoyance is
reduced. There are several ways to control and reduce worker
exposure to noise in a workplace.
Engineering Controls
Engineering controls that reduce sound exposure levels
are available and technologically feasible for most noise
sources. Engineering controls involve modifying or replacing
equipment, or making related physical changes at the noise
source or along the transmission path to reduce the noise
level at the worker’s ear.
In some instances, the application of a relatively simple
engineering noise control solution reduces the noise hazard
to the extent that further requirements of the OSHA Noise
Standard, such as audiometric testing and hearing protectors,
may not be necessary. Examples of inexpensive, effective
engineering controls include some of the following:
• Supply low-noise tools and machinery.
• Maintain and lubricate machinery and equipment.
• Place a barrier between the noise source and employee
(e.g., sound walls or curtains).
• Enclose or isolate the noise source.
Administrative Controls
Administrative controls are changes in the workplace that
reduce or eliminate the worker exposure to noise. Examples
include:
• Operating noisy machines during shifts when fewer
people are exposed.
• Limiting the amount of time a person spends at a noise
source.
• Providing quiet areas where workers can gain relief from
hazardous noise sources (e.g., construct a sound proof
room where workers’ hearing can recover, depending
upon their individual noise level, duration of
exposure and time spent in the quiet area).
• Restricting worker presence to a suitable distance away
from noisy equipment.
• Controlling noise exposure through distance is often an
effective, yet simple and inexpensive administrative
control.
Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs)
HPDs, such as earmuffs and plugs, are considered an
acceptable but less desirable option to control exposures to
noise. They are generally used during the time necessary
to implement engineering or administrative controls when
such controls are not feasible, or when workers’ hearing tests
indicate significant hearing damage.
Each of these elements is critical to ensure that workers are
being protected where noise levels are unable to be reduced
below the OSHA required levels.
For more information on hearing conservation programs,
visit OSHA’s website at: www.osha.gov/SLTC/
noisehearingconservation/.
WINTER 2012
Get specific.
When goal setting, be as specific as
possible. “Lose 5 pounds” is a better
goal than “lose some weight” because it
gives you a clear idea of what success
looks like. Knowing exactly what you
want to achieve keeps you motivated
until you get there.
Seize the moment to act on your goals.
Given how busy most of us are, and how
many goals we are juggling at once, it’s
not surprising that we routinely miss
opportunities to act on a goal because
we simply fail to notice them. Did you
really not have any time to work out
today? Achieving your goal means
grabbing hold of these opportunities
before they slip through your fingers.
To seize the moment, decide when and
where you will take each action you
want to take, in advance.
Know exactly how far you have left to go.
Achieving any goal requires honest and
regular monitoring of your progress. If
you don’t know how well you are doing,
you can’t adjust your behavior or your
strategies accordingly. Check your
progress frequently.
Be a realistic optimist. When setting a goal, by all means
engage in lots of positive thinking
about how likely you are to achieve
it. Believing in your ability to succeed
is enormously helpful for creating
and sustaining your motivation. But
whatever you do, don’t underestimate
how difficult it will be to reach your goal.
Focus on getting better, rather than being good.
Believing you have the ability to reach
your goals is important, but so is
believing you can get the ability. Many
of us believe that our intelligence,
personality and physical aptitudes are
fixed. Fortunately, decades of research
suggest that the belief in fixed ability is
completely wrong — abilities of all kinds
are profoundly malleable.
Have grit.
Grit is a willingness to commit to long-
term goals and to persist in the face
of difficulty. Studies show that gritty
people obtain more education in their
lifetime and earn higher college GPAs.
People who lack grit more often believe
that they don’t have the innate abilities
successful people have. Effort, planning,
persistence and good strategies are
what it really takes to succeed.
Build your willpower muscle.
Your self-control “muscle” is just
like the other muscles in your body.
When it doesn’t get much exercise, it
becomes weaker over time. To build
willpower, take on a challenge that
requires you to do something you’d
honestly rather not do. When you find
yourself wanting to give in, give up, or
just not bother — don’t. It will be hard
in the beginning, but it will get easier,
and that’s the whole point.
Don’t tempt fate.
Don’t try to take on two challenging
tasks at once, if you can help it (like
quitting smoking and dieting at the
same time). Also, don’t put yourself in
harm’s way. Many people are overly-
confident in their ability to resist
temptation and as a result, they
put themselves in situations where
temptations abound.
Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do.
Do you want to successfully lose weight
or put a lid on your bad temper? Then
plan how you will replace bad habits
with good ones. If you want to change
your ways, ask yourself, “What will I do
instead?”
6 WINTER 2012
LAURUS
Nine Things Successful People Do Differentlyhy have you been so successful in reaching some
of your goals, but not others? If you aren’t sure,
you are far from alone in your confusion. It turns
out that even highly-accomplished people are pretty lousy
when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The
intuitive answer — that you are born predisposed to certain
talents and lacking in others — is really just one small piece
of the puzzle. In fact, decades of research on achievement
suggests that successful people reach their goals not because
of who they are, but more often because of what they do.
Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD, is a motivational psychologist
and researcher who writes about scientifically-tested
strategies that help individuals become more effective in
reaching their goals at work and in their personal lives. Below
are her nine tips for success.1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
W
iring good people is tough,
but keeping them can
be even tougher. The
professionals streaming out of today’s
graduate programs are so well-
educated and achievement-oriented
that they could do well in virtually
any job. But will they stay?
According to noted career experts
Timothy Butler and James Waldroop,
only if their jobs fit their deeply-
embedded life interests; that is, their
long-held, emotionally driven passions
— a concept known as job sculpting.
Job sculpting is the art of matching
people to jobs that allow their deeply
embedded life interests to be expressed.
It is the art of forging a customized
career path in order to increase the
chance of retaining talented people. Job
sculpting can be challenging and may
require managers to play both detective
and psychologist. The reason is that
many people have only a dim awareness
of their own life passions. They may
have spent their lives fulfilling other
people’s expectations of them, or they
may have followed the most common
career advice: “Do what you’re good at.”
Why should employers bother with the
issue? According to online employment
search company Monster, the cost
of training a new employee can cost
150 percent of the salary paid to the
employee being replaced.
Butler and Waldroop suggest that
there are eight different life interests of
individuals drawn to business careers:
1. Technology ApplicationThese employees love the inner-
workings of things. They enjoy having
new toys to play with.
2. Quantitative AnalysisThese people gravitate toward numbers
and use them creatively to analyze data.
They excel at analyzing ratios, customer
research data, etc.
3. Development of New Ideas and Thinking These people love nothing better than
relating concepts to pursue higher levels
of understanding.
4. Innovation or Creative ProductionThese imaginative, out-of-the-box
thinkers love to start things when there
are lots of unknowns and they can make
something out of nothing. They thrive
on newness, whether it’s a product or a
process.
5. Counseling and Mentoring For some, nothing is more enjoyable
than teaching. Whether they do it
because they enjoy watching others
succeed or because they want to be
appreciated, they see social value in
their cause.
6. Interpersonal Management The focus here is on outcomes. These
people enjoy working day-to-day with
others. They like to motivate, organize
and direct.
7. Leadership/ Enterprise Control These are the go-to people who love
being responsible for the direction of a
team or project. They specifically like
being in charge, although they may not
like managing people. Their main thrill
is in “owning” the transaction (i.e., being
accountable).
8. Persuasion, Influence Through Language and Ideas These people enjoy storytelling,
negotiating and persuading just for the
sake of it. They are most fulfilled when
they are communicating (speaking or
writing). Even if no one is listening, they
are practicing their skills through self-
talk.
Managers don’t need special training
to job sculpt, but they do need to listen
more carefully when employees describe
what they like and dislike about their
jobs. Once managers and employees
have discussed life interests — ideally
during employee performance reviews
— they can work together to customize
future work assignments.
In some cases, this process may mean
simply adding another assignment to
existing responsibilities, but in other
cases, it may require moving that
employee to a new position altogether.
An employee’s skill set can be stretched
in many directions, but if they are not
going in the right direction — one that
is congruent with their driven passions
— workers are at risk of becoming
dissatisfied and uncommitted.
In an economy where a company’s
most important asset is the knowledge,
energy and loyalty of its people, that’s a
large risk to take.1
7
SITUS
Job Sculpting: The Art of Retaining Your Best People
H
WINTER 2012
Obesity in the workplace is a growing
concern — and for good reason.
Epidemiological evidence indicates
the connection between obesity and
traumatic workplace injuries. In
fact, recent statistics indicate that
approximately 85 percent of hourly
manufacturing employees are either
overweight or obese.
Obesity is associated with a variety of
health problems, including diabetes and
an increased risk of falling. Middle-aged
and older obese adults fall almost twice
as frequently as their normal-weight
counterparts each year. Once these
individuals fall, those in the obese or
overweight category are 15 to 79 percent
more likely to sustain a fall-related
injury requiring medical treatment. A
new study conducted by the University
of Houston evaluated the effect of
excessive adiposity (obesity) on postural
stability during standing and risk-of-slip
initiation during walking.1, 2, 3
The study was conducted on 12 young,
healthy adults (18-30 years old). Based
on body mass index measures, seven
participants were categorized into a
normal-weight group and five into an
overweight group. Postural stability
was quantified using standard Sensory
Organization Tests by a computerized
posturography system. Risk-of-slip
initiation, as quantified by friction
demand, was measured by having
participants walk on an instrumented
treadmill with embedded three-
dimensional force plates.
It was determined that the overweight
group required significantly higher
friction (17.5 percent more) than their
normal-weight counterparts during
walking, even though there was no
evidence showing they had impaired
postural stability during upright
posture. The conclusion was drawn
that it is necessary to implement
more rigorous environmental control
measures for overweight and obese
workers in order to prevent slip-induced
fall accidents.
8 WINTER 2012
BAD GLOVE GRIP MAY LEAD TO INCREASED INJURY
1. Staniforth, D. (2011, Aug. 1). Is Grip the New Safety Feature? OH&S. http://ohsonline.com/articles/2011/08/01/is-grip-the-new-safety-feature.aspx
NOW HEAR THIS! STEPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, July 8). Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/
NINE THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY
1. Grant Halvorson, H., PhD. (2011, Feb. 25). Nine Things Successful People Do Differently. Harvard Business Review. http://blogs.hbr.org
JOB SCULPTING: THE ART OF RETAINING YOUR BEST PEOPLE
1. Butler, T., Waldroop, J. (2000, Feb. 1). Harvard Business Review. http://hbr.org/product/job-sculpting-the-art-of-retaining-your-best-peopl/an/4282-PDF-ENG?Ntt=job%2520sculpting
OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE REQUIRE MORE SLIP…1. Pollack, K. M., Sorock, G. S., et al. (2007). Association
between body mass index and acute traumatic workplace injury in hourly manufacturing employees. American Journal of Epidemiology, 166(2), 204-211.
2. Fjeldstad, C., et al. (2008). The influence of obesity on falls and quality of life. Dynamic Medicine, 7(1), 4.
3. Finkelstein, E. A., Chen, H., et al. (2007). The relationship between obesity and injuries among US adults. American Journal of Health Promotion, 21(5), 460-468.
![Opus 144, Six Fairy Tales for Flute Solo [Opus 144]](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/61e4550386b9437ad2408547/opus-144-six-fairy-tales-for-flute-solo-opus-144.jpg)
