At BIOKINETIX, our goal is to help businesses show their commitment to safety. The creators of both OSHA’s Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs and NSC’s Journey to Safety Excellence have identified 3 key components that are essential to the success of any occupational safety program: Management leadership Worker participation A systematic approach to […]
In the context of occupational health, standing is often framed as something employees aren’t getting enough of. This applies largely to sedentary work environments, where standing desks have become a popular intervention to get workers out of their seats and mitigate the physical effects of sitting. That’s not to deny the benefits of standing—it allows for physical freedom and greater mobility. And compared with the debilitating effects of slips, trips, and falls in the workplace, standing for long hours at a time seems a mild risk at best. However, the evidence shows that for industrial workers, prolonged standing can be equally as harmful as prolonged sitting. (more…)
It’s no secret that when employees show up to work at less than 100%, they’re less engaged and less productive. Presenteeism is more than just working while sick—contributing causes such as stress, mood disorders, or fatigue are often underreported and may not necessarily be related to work. Although sometimes difficult to quantify, poor on-the-job performance […]
Jon discusses the modern, effective methods of reducing workplace injuries with Susan Anderson from US Foods Radio. In an industrial work environment, the rigors and repetitive stress of physical tasks can cause significant wear and tear on the body. The best way to prevent this stress from turning into injury or illness is with a preventative health approach: […]
In an industrial work environment, at-risk behaviors such as poor posture and improper eye protection can be observed and corrected almost immediately. But another critical aspect of workplace safety often goes undetected– until the damage is already done. In the U.S., 22 million workers per year are at risk of occupational hearing loss [5]. Hearing damage typically occurs painlessly and progressively, but frequent and repeated exposure to high noise levels in the workplace can result in permanent hearing loss. Due to numerous sources of noise hazards such as heavy machinery and power tools, the mining, manufacturing, and construction industries experience the most incidences of work-induced hearing damage [1]. Although completely preventable, it has remained one of the most prevalent occupational health concerns for nearly three decades.
August is National Immunization Awareness Month—a timely reminder that flu season is only a few months away. For occupational safety and health leaders, a proactive approach is the key to sustaining workplace illness prevention: to anticipate and prepare for risks before they even happen. Not only does mitigating the risk of exposure to infectious diseases in the workplace ensure that employees will be less likely to get themselves and their families sick, it also protects productivity and minimizes lost work time.
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which serves as a particularly relevant reminder in light of the upcoming summer months. In anticipation of warmer weather and sunnier days, consider the importance of practicing skin cancer prevention—both recreationally and in the workplace.
On March 11, OSHA published their long-anticipated final rule, “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses”, just two weeks after being reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget. The workplace injury reporting and record-keeping rule proposes more frequent data collection from employers and remains a subject of interest and controversy in the public sphere.
Throughout the U.S. and the rest of the developed world, cardiovascular disease remains a leading preventable cause of death and disability. It’s certainly no coincidence that over the past several decades, global dietary patterns have been increasingly characterized by a rising intake of saturated fat, sugar and other high-calorie sweeteners, and salt. The prevalence of processed foods, combined with a shift toward sedentary habits and decreased physical activity, has contributed to a higher percentage of the labor force suffering from cardiovascular ailments that are often a result of poor nutrition.
When enjoying a meal, few take the time to consider all the steps it took to bring each of the ingredients from farm to dining table. Whether or not the food was prepared in your kitchen, at a restaurant, or in a retail setting, the main components of the dish were either harvested or raised from somewhere.