The December 2010 edition of WorkForce Management magazine (not available online) reports on a recent US survey concerning fatigue. The raw data is not available but the survey of 820 companies showed that over 80 per cent of respondents believed that fatigue was more of a workplace issue that in the past. This may indicate … Continue reading “OHS needs innovative thinking to manage fatigue”
Workplace incidents and injuries often occur as a result of inadequate resourcing in staff and time but few OHS consultants are comfortable recommending to clients that additional staff are required or that shifts should be reconfigured or, possibly, that a certain business activity (or the business itself) should be cancelled. Yet identifying the “root cause” … Continue reading “Looking at the root causes of workplace violence”
The recent conference of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) gave considerable attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR). It could be argued that this shows the ASSE is years behind many others but it could also be argued that CSR has a practical longevity in workplace safety that may have faded in other CSR … Continue reading “CSR and public health”
Professor Tony LaMontagne is an Australian researcher and academic whose work always deserves careful consideration. LaMontagne has been mentioned several times in SafetyAtWorkBlog. The significance of his work is that it is not centred on occupational health and safety but has a major relevance nevertheless. On the eve of Victoria’s Mental Health Week, LaMontagne has … Continue reading “Mental health research broadens the workplace context”
If further information about the increasing inter-relationships between psychosocial health and physical health, organisational culture and a worker’s mental health was needed, a new study from Sweden provides convincing evidence. The research, a study of 81 research projects into the links between psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders, was reported in by Eurofound on 10 September 2010. It found, among other … Continue reading “Safety begins to converge to focus on the individual”
For several years now evidence has been growing that nightshift is unhealthy. Nightshift and other shiftwork can produce digestive problems, fatigue and impairment, increased breast cancer risks……. OHS and workplace experts seem to avoid the question “should nightshift be allowed?” Recently, a senior executive met with nightshift staff in a remote branch office. The nightshift work … Continue reading “Only vampires work nightshift”
It is very important to treat media reports of bullying with a great deal of scepticism. An article in the Herald-Sun on 20 July 2010 is a good example of the collation of new and old information intended to generate alarm or outrage. Werribee Secondary College has had several incidents of occupational violence and school violence. All schools … Continue reading “Workplace bullying needs prompt and concise action to be effective”