In part 1 we looked at current business disciplines, their associated strengths and weaknesses and the reason for why a new strategy and approach is need for proactively and reactively solving productivity, efficiency and safety issues. In part 2 we are going to explore the power of L.E.S.S. ™
The Power of L.E.S.S. ™
The above title was the headline from an article that appeared on EHS Today online. The article gave an overview of a study conducted by Duke Medicine (Duke National University of Singapore) researchers that found the costs associated with medical and prescription drug claims gradually rose with each unit increase in BMI (body mass index), specifically the increases began with a BMI above 19 (A healthy or normal BMI is 19 to 24, while overweight is 25 to 29 and obese is 30 and above, i.e.
A new study showed three different participatory intervention strategies to reduce the amount of time people spend sitting at work appeared to be effective. However, the total amount of reduction averaged 1-2% of the work day (~ 8 minutes/day).
Background information of prolonged sitting
The CDC’s statistics regarding obesity in America is sobering when one considers the impact on our healthcare system and for employers who need to provide jobs that accommodate the physical characteristics that occur with obesity. According to the CDC, the percentage of Americans adults over age 20 who are obese is 35.9%. The percentage essentially doubles if t
Recently I gave a presentation at Safety 2013, ASSE’s professional development conference called the “Nuts and Bolts of Effective and Sustainable Ergonomics Programs”. The “Nuts and Bolts” focused on the management system of ergonomics, not on the tools and methods used for ergonomic assessment. I did this because the reasons most programs, whether ergonomics or other, fail is because they lack a management/business system. Thinking of ergonomics in terms of a management system isn’t routine or common to most people who are responsible for ergonomics. This was verified by the comments I
During the past two weeks or so the news has been abuzz with “digital dementia” affecting teens and 20-somethings. Most of us are familiar with dementia that strikes the elderly but digital dementia is a new type of cognitive condition affecting those in their teens and early 20s. According to multiple articles on this topic, digital dementia is characterized as the deterioration of brain function as a result of the overuse of digital technology, such as computers, smart phones and Internet use in general. This excess use of technology leads to unbalanced brain development, as heavy user
I attended and presented at the ASSE’s Safety 2013 in Las Vegas a couple weeks ago. Besides listening to other speakers and meeting new people, the one thing I really enjoy about the conference is the exhibit hall. There are the usual products on display, such as various PPE (fall arrest systems, gloves, safety glasses, footwear, and then there are some new products that caught my eye. Here are four that were new to me and definitely have an application in industry:
If you’re like most people, myself included, you probably spend a good portion of your day in a seated position. Avoiding sitting is very difficult these days, as computer work predominates. In addition, you may spend many hours each week driving to and from work.
The research is growing that suggests sitting for extended periods of time is an independent risk factor for poor health and premature death. Even if you are very fit and exercise regularly, if you uninterruptedly sit for a great percentage of the time, you’re still at an increased risk of dying prematurely.
