Worker health and wellness

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College Station, TX – Guidelines for promoting good workplace ergonomics are less effective among workers who are overweight or obese, and increased focus on these groups is needed, according to researchers from Texas A&M University and the University at Buffalo.

Fort Collins, CO – Almost one-quarter of workers in Colorado’s cannabis industry have never received workplace safety and health training, and the remaining three-quarters have reported discrepancies in the quantity and quality of their training, according to a recent study from Colorado State University and the Center for Health, Work and Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health.

Chicago – It’s mid-afternoon and you could go for a snack, so you visit the office vending machine. Will you choose a healthy option – perhaps a cheese stick or a fruit cup? Or will you select a candy bar, a bag of potato chips or something similar?

Montreal – Scientific research organization IRSST has released a pamphlet intended to help workers recognize Hypothenar Hammer Syndrome.

Atlanta – Opioids, including those obtained by prescription as well as illegal forms such as heroin, were involved in more than 33,000 overdose deaths in 2015 – more than any year on record and nearly quadruple the number of overdoses recorded in 2000, according to the latest issue of "Business Pulse" from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that as many as 2.7 million U.S. workers may have asthma caused or aggravated by workplace conditions. And federal statistics show that about 11 million workers are exposed to at least one of several agents associated with occupational asthma.

Washington – A proposal to clarify regulations for employee wellness programs is stirring controversy between Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

Washington – A series of free, confidential health screenings will be available for coal miners as part of the NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Washington – Are you getting enough sleep before you show up for work? For employees in a number of industry sectors, including health care, food service and transportation, the answer frequently is “no.”

Fatigue has been in the spotlight as a safety risk in the workplace. Experts say employers, as well as workers, play a role in combating the issue.