March 2004

Table of contents:

1. Have you received a letter from OSHA recently?
2. The new normal blood pressure range
3. Think Safe! - Take a load of your feet...and the rest of your body

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Have you received a letter from OSHA recently?

OSHA has identified and sent letters to almost 13,000 organizations with the highest occupational injury and illness rates in the country.OSHA is urging these employers to take action to remove the hazards resulting in these high rates.

OSHA targeted workplaces that reported the highest "Days Away from work, Restricted work or job Transfer injury and illness" (DART) rate in 2002. These employers had a DART rate of 7 for every 100 full-time workers in their workplace. The national average is 2.8.

John Henshaw, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, explains that the notification was simply a proactive step to encourage employers to take steps now to reduce rates and improve the health and safety of their employees.

OSHA is encouraging employers to consider hiring outside safety and health consultants, talking to their insurance carrier, or contacting the workers' compensation agency in their state for advice. Smaller organizations can also ask for assistance from OSHA.

CIS Onsite has had tremendous success in helping organizations to cost-effectively reduce their DART rates while saving them thousands of dollars in workers' compensation costs. Contact us today at (866)298-1312 to learn more about ways we can help you get off, or avoid, OSHA's notification list.

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The New Normal Blood Pressure Range

Just when you thought you knew the correct blood pressure range, a new stricter guideline for what's considered normal has been developed. The new normal range for blood pressure recommended by the American Heart Association is below 120/80. In addition, a new category called pre-hypertension, has been added to identify those at high risk for developing high blood pressure. Pre-hypertension is considered to be anywhere between 120-139 (systolic)/80-89 (diastolic).

Unsure where you fall? See your physician for a blood pressure check, especially if it's been more than two years since your last one. In the meantime, here are ten tips for keeping your blood pressure numbers in the normal category:

Eat a heart-healthy diet - Emphasize plenty of grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods. Limit sodium - Ideally, keep it below 2,000 milligrams per day. It's not enough to lose the salt shaker; watch your intake of prepared and processed foods too. Achieve a healthy weight - Losing as few as ten pounds may reduce your blood pressure significantly. Exercise - Vigorous walking for 30 minutes most days of the week will lower blood pressure and help with weight loss. More vigorous exercise is even better.

• Don't smoke - One cigarette raises your blood pressure for about an hour. Therefore, even a 10 cigarette per day habit elevates your blood pressure for most of the day.
• Limit alcohol - Cut back to a moderate level. For men, no more than two drinks a day. For women, no more than one drink a day.
• Decrease caffeine intake - Caffeine is a mild stimulant that can increase blood pressure transiently. Many sodas, tea, coffee, and chocolate all have caffeine.
• Make changes in your routine to lower stress - Get organized. Simplify your schedule. Maintain good social relationships. Practice positive thinking.
• Incorporate relaxation techniques - Try deep breathing exercises, guided imagery, meditation and biofeedback.
• Get plenty of sleep - go to sleep and awaken at a consistent time each day. A bedtime ritual such as taking a warm bath or reading may help.

If, after trying these tips for three to six months, your blood pressure still hasn't decreased, it is important that you see your physician. Medication, in addition to these healthy lifestyle changes, may help. If our blood pressure is a the level of Stage 2 hypertension, it is important that you see your physician right away.

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Think Safe! - Take a load off your feet...and the rest of your body.

Do you have to stand and walk for long periods of the day? At the end of the day do your back, feet, and legs ache? As your feet pound against the concrete floor hour after hour, day after day, your body endures constant jarring. Your muscles become fatigued and your joints become aggravated. The jarring starts at the heel and moves all the way up your skeletal system to your head. Your feet, legs, and low back take the worst of the pounding.

Standing on hard floors and in shoes with little support or shock absorption can also contribute to generalized foot, leg and back pain and fatigue. Research has demonstrated that prolonged standing or walking on hard surfaces, such as concrete, contributes to an increased level of overall body fatigue. This fatigue can predispose employees to cumulative trauma disorders in the entire body. Since our feet come into contact with the environment and transfer the load into the body, it is important to minimize the stress placed on ourselves within a particular working environment. While many of us cannot choose the surface of our working environment, we can modify our footwear or standing surface to provide extra cushioning, thus minimizing risks of developing cumulative trauma disorders.

One of the easiest ways to distribute the stresses on the body is by utilizing viscoelastic shoe insoles/inserts and workspace mats. These devices are easily implemented and can reduce overall fatigue, improve job productivity and minimize job related cumulative trauma disorders.

Need your workstation analyzed by a professional? From corporate office to production line, CIS Onsite performs job analyses to help identify potential risks and provide solutions for any industry. For more information visit the prevention services section of our website or call us toll-free at (866) 298-1312.

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