occupational health

The case is being made in Wisconsin right now to ban smoking in the workplace... Hold up - what year is this? That has not happened yet??

Seems that state is looking southwards to Colorado where the number of heart attacks dropped significantly in the 18 months since smoking in workplaces was banned: from 399 heart attack hospitalizations to 237.

Fortunately it looks like new state legislators in Wisconsin are going to set this right, by passing a new smoking prohibition law this winter.

As we enter the Obama Era - a time of hope and the resuscitation of the American Dream - it's a great time to look back at milestones in workplace safety in that nation this past year. The Top 10 Safety Stories of 2008 list compiled by Safety NewsAlert is a fabulous recap of the highlights, and their #1 pick is:

Teaching about workplace health and safety at the Business Graduate School level... now there's a GREAT idea!!

That's exactly what  a new partnership between the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Williams College of Business at Xavier University in Cincinnati, is achieving.

Working from Home... Cons: Possible loneliness/isolation, taking fewer showers. Pros: Elimination of stress associated with commuting; fewer traffic accidents because less cars on the road; less wear and tear on roads so safer driving; less greenhouse gas emissions; no time wasted commuting; more sleep resulting in greater productivity and healthier workers, which means lower health costs for employers; less office space required... Hmmm, tough call, eh?

It's now November and everyone is beginning to feel a little sluggish. It’s usually around October that we start to let our diets go the way of the avalanche.

No one to blame but our festive Canadian calendar, of course. Starting off with Thanksgiving in early October and candy infested Halloween at the end. This month brings on an onslaught of holiday parties and concerts. And the first of December rings in a strict diet of butter, sugar and dense meats. And these are just some of the holidays that my family celebrates!