RSIs are believed to be caused due to lifestyle without ergonomic care. Most people are still very unfamiliar with repetitive strain injuries. As a result, everyday aches and pains are overlooked and no connection is made between the injury and the workplace. Aches and pains warn that a serious injury may be developing. If the causes are not eliminated or the worker removed from the job immediately, the damage can be permanent and irreversible. Sometimes the injury is crippling, leaving the worker in pain and possibly immobile for life.

Causes of RSIs:

The causes of repetitive strain injuries can be classified in the following ways:

• Rapid movement injuries, caused by repeated rapid movements
• Forceful movement injuries, caused by exertion of muscle movement
• Static loading injuries, caused by fixed positioning with unsupported limbs

Common activities that lead to RSI include:

• Reading or doing tasks for extended periods of time while looking down
• Sleeping on an inadequate bed/mattress or sitting in a bad armchair and/or in an uncomfortable position
• Carrying heavy items
• Holding one’s phone between neck and shoulder
• Watching TV in incorrect position
• Sleeping with head forward, while traveling
• Prolonged use of the hands, wrists, back, neck, etc.
• Sitting in the same position for a long period of time

Symptoms

The following complaints are typical in patients who might receive a diagnosis of RSI:

• Short bursts of excruciating pain in the arm, back, shoulders, wrists, hands, or thumbs. This pain is diffused over an entire area rather than being concentrated in one spot
• Activity worsens the pain
• Weakness and lack of endurance

In contrast to carpal tunnel syndrome, the symptoms tend to be diffused and non-anatomical. They tend not to be characteristic of any discrete pathological condition.  Always remember that work life affects home life and home life affects work. It is important to strive for balance between the two. The following tips help prevent or minimize musculoskeletal injuries.

• Regular exercise, stretching, and a balanced diet are key in preventing injury
• Sleeping well. Use a mattress that gives you enough support
• Maintain the natural curve of the spine when performing tasks
• When sitting, you should sit all the way back on the chair and use a footstool
• Take breaks and ensure you have enough recovery time between tasks
• Be aware of how much force you are using to complete a task
• When lifting, lift safely. Break the load into smaller parts if needed to reduce strain

What should an Employer do?

Repetitive strain injuries have numerous causes and affect many areas.  Eliminating them therefore, requires a  comprehensive prevention program. The basis of this program must be to make the job fit the person rather than make
the person fit the job.

• An education program outlining the source and prevention of repetitive strain injuries. Workers should be informed of the symptoms of such injuries so that they can be identified before any serious injury occurs A reporting system to ensure early symptoms are dealt with seriously and immediately. Workers should not put up with the pain
• A provision for rest and time-off work. If the cause of the repetitive motion, trauma, etc. is eliminated a healing process can begin. Too often the worker will return to work as soon as pain disappears. This furthers the problem possibly causing a worsening of the condition. Surgery to deal with serious injury is always the last resort especially in the case of repetitive strain injuries
• Job rotation, job enlargement, and repeated rest breaks should be used to break up the series of repetitive motion that can lead to injury. Jobs can be redesigned to eliminate de-skilling, and monotonous and repetitive tasks. Job rotation can be used to vary the muscles used in the work process
• A program to investigate and document all complaints of pain related to the workplace. A careful analysis of the workplace should be conducted to detect potential causes of RSIs. A full scale ergonomics study can look at the force,
  speed and direction of movements, frequency of movements, work posture, rate of worker and stress
• Redesign of tools to fit the individual or specific task. For example, some tools can be designed with smaller grips that require less power to manipulate, squeeze or press, so that hands and wrists are in the same posture as when they are hanging relaxed at one’s side. Badly fitting components should be eliminated and machinery well maintained.  Sometimes tools may be redesigned, but the effect is offset by a resultant increase in the work rate. A mix of both tool or workplace redesign and rest breaks would be the most effective
• Recognition of repetitive strain injuries as serious occupational injuries is yet to be fully recognized. Each province has different coverage under the Workers’ Compensation Board. Some jurisdictions do not even consider repetitive
  strain injuries while others will deal with the problem case by case
• Proper training for new workers if their jobs involve repetitive motion

Download these posters for your workplace:

• Musculoskeletal Disorders Poster
  
• Musculoskeletal Disorders Prevention
• Musculoskeletal Disorders Poster for Construction
• Musculoskeletal Disorders Poster for Health Care
• Musculoskeletal Disorders Poster for Safe Lifting
  

Sources:

1. Worksafe BC
2. WSIB Ontario
3. Cupe National

What is Influenza?

Influenza is a viral infection affecting the nose, throat, bronchi and, occasionally, the lungs. Infection usually lasts for about a week, and is characterized by sudden onset of high fever, aching muscles, headache and severe malaise, non-productive cough, sore throat and rhinitis. The virus is transmitted easily from person to person via droplets and small particles produced when infected people cough or sneeze. Influenza tends to spread rapidly in seasonal epidemics. Most people who contract the flu recover within one to two weeks without medical treatment. With the very young, the elderly and those with serious medical conditions, infection can lead to severe complications leading to pneumonia and sometimes even death.

How do you prevent the flu?

The best way to protect oneself, according to Dr. Leon Genesove, the Ministry of Labour’s Chief Physician, is to be immunized yearly and to have good hand hygiene. “Hand hygiene is the simplest, most effective measure for preventing infections,” said Dr. Genesove. Use a hand sanitizer or wash your hands thoroughly and frequently with soap and water.

Immunization helps strengthen your body’s natural immune response against the flu by building antibodies against the virus. Consider getting immunized annually and early in the season. Everyone over six months of age should be immunized. It is especially important for those with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people who take care of these groups.

Cough and sneeze into your shirt sleeve rather than your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and keep common surfaces and items clean.

Influenza in the Workplace

Workers have the right to work in a safe and healthy environment. A flu outbreak does not change that. Workers have the right to know about potential hazards, including the exposure risk to influenza and how to protect themselves. They also have the right to be involved in identifying and resolving health and safety concerns, and the right to refuse unsafe work. Employers must consider worker health and safety during flu season.

Take reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of workers. Some easy and cost effective ways of controlling the spread of viruses such as influenza are to:

• Provide antiseptic wipes to wipes down commonly used surfaces such as keyboards
• Ensure that there is hand soap at sinks
• Create signs to remind workers to wash their hands
• Become immunized

Carpal tunnel syndrome affects about 5% of the population and is most common in middle-aged women.  In fact, women are three times more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome.  This is possibly due to the fact that the carpal tunnel in women is smaller than in men.  While carpal tunnel syndrome is not associated to one type of industry or job, it has a high incident rate among workers in assembly lines of various industries.  Assembly line workers have a tendency to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome three times as much as data-entry personnel.

In 1998, three out of every 10,000 U.S. workers lost time from work due to carpal tunnel syndrome.  50% of these workers actually missed over 10 days of work for that year.  The average lifetime cost of carpal tunnel syndrome, including medical bills and lost work time, is estimated to be approximately $30,000 for each injured worker.

Causes

Despite the fact that carpal tunnel syndrome is relatively common, it has no one identifiable cause. It occurs when there is compression or pressure to the median nerve in the carpal tunnel and most likely occurs through a combination of factors.  Because extreme positions of wrist extension is known to increase the pressure within the carpal tunnel, many specialists have attributed this syndrome to incorrect hand positioning at one’s workstation.

Risk Factors

The risk factors associated with the development of carpal tunnel syndrome include pregnancy, menopause, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammations of the wrist, endocrine disorders such as diabetes and hypothyroidism, Wrist fractures and alcoholism.  Workplace factors such as working with vibrating tools or on an assembly line may also contribute to the problem.

Symptoms

The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome starts with a vague aching in the wrist extending to the hand or forearm.  It is normally exacerbated at night and includes numbness, pain (usually a burning pain) and/or tingling in the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers (but not the little finger).  This sensation often occurs when one first wakes up or when holding the steering wheel, phone or newspaper. This pain which normally occurs on the palm side of the arm, may move or radiate up the arm to the elbow and shoulder.  There is also often weakness in the hand, dropping of objects and a difficulty in feeling and handling small things.

Treatment

In extreme situations, if carpal tunnel syndrome persists over a long period of time untreated, nerve injury may occur causing permanent numbness and weakness in the hand. The muscle under the thumb may also waste away.  If experiencing persistent symptoms, be sure to see a doctor.

Carpal tunnel syndrome may be alleviated by minimal treatment such as wearing a wrist brace, applying a splint, placing the wrist in a neutral position to reduce irritations to the nerve, taking frequent breaks when doing repetitive hand activities and applying cold packs to the affected area.  In some situations, therapies such as yoga, ultrasound or hand therapy may be very effective.  Anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed to alleviate the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome but they are not shown to actually improve the condition itself.

In more serious cases, physicians may inject the carpal tunnel with a corticosteroid, such as cortisone, to relieve pain.  Corticosteroids decrease the inflammation and swelling, which in turn relieves the pressure on the median nerve in the carpal tunnel, thereby alleviating the condition itself. In extreme cases, surgery to remove the cause of the pressure to the nerve may be the best option.
Compliments of WorkSafe BC and YouTube

Do you have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

There are a couple of common tests that may be performed at home or in the workplace to determine if someone has carpal tunnel syndrome:

Phalen’s sign

• Hold your elbows at shoulder level and place the backs of your hands together with your wrists bent at 90 degrees.
• Hold this position for 60 seconds.
• This position increases the pressure in the carpal tunnel and on the median nerve.
• If the test reproduces or worsens your symptoms (pain and tingling in your hands), you may have carpal tunnel syndrome.

Tinel sign

• Have someone hold your wrist with the palm side up and tap on the palm side of your wrist.
• A positive test produces tingling into the thumb, index, or middle fingers. This is a sign of an irritable nerve where the tapping was done.
• If this test gives you tingling in your thumb, index, or middle fingers, you may have carpal tunnel syndrome.

Prevention

Preventation for the development of carpal tunnel syndrome is still unproven, however the following measures may assist in preventing the progress of carpal tunnel syndrome.  These measures include:

• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle by avoiding smoking, exercising and keeping a correct body weight
• Stretching exercises
• Ergonomic modifications to workstations and keyboards
• Using wrist braces
• Reducing the force and grip used when doing tasks with the hands
• Watching one’s form and posture
• Keeping hands warm in cold climates

What can I do as an Employer?

The following simple measures will make a difference in ensuring that you have a healthy and safe workplace.

• Prevention - Have your employees understand the issue and the signs and symptoms to watch for
• Testing - Have an ergonomist, nurse or physiotherapist come in to test your employees or simply have the employees at risk do a self test
• Treatment - Follow the recommendations of the professionals that you have brought in or have your employees visit their doctor and follow their recommendations

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is an important issue to deal with before it escalates, both from a corporate wellness as well as a cost perspective.  The preventative measures that you put into place will be relatively minimal in cost and will save your employees from pain and a lack of productivity.

Resources

Sources:

eMedicine Health

The Mayo Clinic

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

U.S. National Library of Medicine

You Tube

This information is offered as information only and is designed to promote Health & Safety in the workplace and the community. It is subject to change.

Incidents of falling glass and debris from high-rise buildings this year have increased public safety concerns that demand additional due diligence from building owners and managers.  Unfortunately, many organizations are not prepared to mitigate, respond and/or recover from these incidents – no matter the cause.

Building owners and managers must achieve a standard of due diligence in order to protect the public, and building occupants. One aspect of that due diligence is recognizing trends in incidents and proactively addressing those trends.

Building Emergency Management Plans should be developed to specifically address facility related risks based on the building type and exposure to hazards. Unfortunately, one of the risks associated to high-rise buildings is the potential for falling debris from rooftops and failing glass panels.

The use of internationally accepted principles of emergency management within facility and business operations provides significant benefits in due diligence and incident mitigation. Proactive planning allows for the identification of preventative maintenance and inspection procedures, provides detailed incident response and recovery plans, and highlights the importance of crisis communications to both the public and building occupants during such incidents.

Facility Emergency Management planning protects your occupants, provides industry leading corporate due diligence, and protects corporate reputation.

Submitted by Jason Reid,  National Life Safety Group

This information is offered as information only and is designed to promote Health & Safety in the workplace and the community. It is subject to change.

How do I get my CDN?

The process for getting a CDN is relatively simple and there is no charge for this service.  You are required to fill out the application form and take it to any Marine Safety Office with 2 pieces of ID (one must contain a picture).  The Marine Safety Officer will be able to give you your CDN at the time that you apply.

If you are unable to go in person to a Marine Safety Office, contact the closest office for their fax number.  You then need to get your application notarized and you can then fax in your notarized application with copies of your 2 pieces of ID.

Sources

• Transport Canada

Whether you are working or playing in the great outdoors, you are at greater risk of illness or injury that comes with excessive sun and/or heat exposure.  People that work outside or in hot environments are particularly at risk.   In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that almost 700 people die every year in the U.S. from heat related illnesses.

What is Heat Stress?

Heat stress is the buildup of body heat due to overexposure to the sun or overexertion in a hot environment. If an employee is working directly in the sun or an area where heat is excessive, he/she must know when they are being affected by heat stress. Some of the signs and symptoms of heat stress are: rashes, muscle cramping, fainting, excessive sweating, headaches and dizziness.

Compliments of the Ontario Ministry of Labour and YouTube

Prevention

What steps can employers and employees take to minimize the effects of the sun and prevent heat illness?  Employers have a moral and legal obligation to take care of their workers. Your company can take the following steps to keep workers safe:

• Assess your environment and implement a Heat Stress Control Program
• Train your employees to recognize the symptoms of heat stress and understand what to do if it occurs
• Organize work activities where more strenuous outdoor tasks are conducted before 11 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
• Provide the necessary PPE (personal protective equipment) to help keep employees cool
• Provide fans in work areas and an air-conditioned rest area such as the cafeteria
• Provide more frequent breaks and plenty of water.  Encourage people to drink even if they do not feel thirsty
• Employees should avoid alcohol and drugs. If someone is taking a medication, find out if the medication is photosensitive (i.e. may cause one’s body to overreact to sun and heat)
• Wear a waterproof sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30 and protection from UVA/UVB rays.

Treatment

If someone is experiencing heat stress, the following steps should be taken:

• Have him/her rest in a cool, shady area
• Provide cool fluids to drink.  They should not contain alcohol or caffeine.  Salty snacks are often effective
• Loosen or remove clothing
• Apply cool water to the skin

Medical Care

It is important to seek medical help for the more serious cases of heat stress.  Indications of serious heat problems are the:

• Inability to ingest liquids
• Deterioration of one’s mental status, loss of consciousness, confusion or delirium
• Shortness of breath, chest pain or abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• High temperature even when one is placed in a cool area

Sources

• eMedicineHealth
• F.A.S.T. Rescue First Aid & CPR Guide
• Wikipedia

This information is offered as information only and is designed to promote Health & Safety in the workplace and the community. It is subject to change.

The severity of a chemical burn is dependent on the chemical that has been exposed to the eye, the length of time it has been in contact with the eye and the method of treatment. Most chemical eye burns are restricted to the front part of the eye, the cornea. The burns that penetrate deeper into the eye past the cornea are the most dangerous. Most chemical eye injuries occur in the workplace. It is therefore very important for workplaces to take precautions if this can be an issue.

Types of Chemical Eye Burns

There are three categories of chemical eye burns: alkali burns, acid burns and irritants.

Alkali Burns

• These burns are the most dangerous of the three types. Alkali chemicals have a high pH which can penetrate past the surface of the eye.
• Common alkali chemicals contain the hydroxides of ammonia, lye, potassium hydroxide,, magnesium, and lime. These chemicals are present in everyday products such as fertilizers, cleaning products (ammonia), drain cleaners (lye), oven cleaners, plaster or cement (lime).

Acid Burns

• These burns result from low pH chemicals. While these burns as less hazardous than alkali burns because they do not penetrate past the surface of the eye as easily, they should be taken very seriously as they can cause serious damage to the cornea, which can result in blindness. Hydrofluoric acid burns are a further concern as they can be as dangerous as alkali burns.
• Common acids which cause eye burns include sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, chromic acid and hydrofluoric acid. Products containing these acids include glass polish (hydrofluoric acid), vinegar, or nail polish remover (acetic acid) and automobile batteries, which can explode and cause sulfuric acid burns.

Irritants

• Irritants have a neutral pH level and generally cause discomfort to the eye rather than any long-lasting damage.
• Common irritants include household detergents and pepper spray.

Symptoms

Immediate symptoms of chemical eye burns include pain, redness, irritation, tearing, the inability to keep the eye open, a sensation of a foreign body in the eye, swelling of the eyelids and blurred vision.

Long term effects of serious chemical eye burns include glaucoma and full blindness.

Acute Angle Glaucoma

Treatment

Irrigation of the eye with generous amounts of eyewash solution must be started immediately and should continue for about 10 minutes with the eyelids as widely open as possible. If eyewash solution is not available, use tap water. It is very important to dilute and wash away the chemical in the eye as quickly as possible. The ideal treatment would be to go immediately to an eyewash or emergency shower station and wash out the affected eye with isotonic eyewash solution. If this is an alkali or hydrofluoric acid burn, continue washing the eye until medical help arrives. All alkali or acid eye burns must have immediate treatment by a doctor and ongoing care by an ophthalmologist.

Prevention

Unfortunately most eye injuries are due to negligence and are completely avoidable. Safety glasses or goggles should always be used when working with hazardous materials.

Sources

• eMedicineHealth
• F.A.S.T. Rescue First Aid & CPR Guide
• Wikipedia

This information is offered as information only and is designed to promote Health & Safety in the workplace and the community. It is subject to change.

In 1986, Dr. Klatt recruited a small team of people and organized the first Relay for Life event. Relay for Life is now the main volunteer driven fundraising event of the Cancer Society and has spread to over 21 countries. While the aim of Relay for Life is to raise money for cancer research and cancer patients, Relay is instrumental in raising cancer awareness, celebrating the lives of cancer survivors and remembering those who have died due to cancer. Relay for Life is an event which moves anyone who participates in it and has bound many communities and groups together in the fight against cancer.

The first Relay for Life in Canada was held in 1999 and raised $85,000. Now after 11 years, there are 485 Relay for Life events in Canada raising over $54 million. F.A.S.T. Rescue has been a proud sponsor for the York Region Relay for Life events since 2008. As a sponsor, F.A.S.T. Rescue provides First Responders and Paramedics for each York Region event to ensure that the participants remain safe.

Fainting (also known as syncope) is a temporary loss of consciousness. Fainting occurs when the brain experiences a temporary loss of blood supply. These episodes are short-lived and the person who has fainted usually becomes alert very quickly after he/she regains consciousness. 3% of people between the ages of 30 to 62 years old have experienced fainting episodes. This number doubles for people over the age of 75.

Causes

There are many causes of fainting. The most common is known as Vasovagal Sycope, which includes:

• Environment factors such as a hot, crowded setting
• Emotional factors such as high stress or fear
• Physical factors such as overexerting oneself
• Illness such as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and dehydration

Other less common causes of fainting occur in specific situations. These include:

• Situational syncope in which susceptible people have fainting episodes only in certain situations such as coughing.
• Postural syncope which occurs when a person lying down faints when he/she suddenly stands up.
• Cardiac syncope occurs from heart disease. This type of fainting is dangerous as it can be life threatening.
• Neurologic syncope is when a person faints due to neurological issues such as seizures and stroke.
• Psychogenic syncope which occurs when a person suffers from an anxiety disorder

Symptoms

While the most obvious symptom of fainting is the loss of consciousness, there are other symptoms that are associated with the type of fainting.

• The symptoms of Vasovagal syncope include light-headedness, feeling shaky, blurred vision, dilated pupils, sweating and/or a low pulse rate. Fortunately, consciousness normally returns quickly in these situations.
• Situational syncope results in a short-lived loss of consciousness.
• Postural syncope includes symptoms such as high blood loss (i.e. black stools or heavy menstrual flow), high fluid loss (i.e. vomiting or diarrhea), light-headedness, pale skin, sweating and/or dehydration (i.e. dry lips or tongue).
• Cardiac syncope includes symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, weak pulse, pale skin and/or sweating.
• Neurologic syncope symptoms include headaches, loss of balance, slurred speech, double vision and/or vertigo (i.e. feeling of the room spinning).  Surprisingly, sufferers of neurologic syncope usually have a strong pulse rate and normal skin colour.

Treatment

Some fainting episodes are caused by serious underlying issues and as a result, medical help should be sought out immediately. In the meanwhile, a bystander or first aider can assist the person by taking the following steps:

• Assist the person to the ground to minimize further injury
• Ventilate the area with fresh air
• Loosen tight clothing
• Try to wake him/her up by yelling or tapping. If there is no response, call 9-1-1
• Check for effective breathing and begin CPR if necessary. If the person is breathing, he/she should be put into the recovery position
• If the cause for fainting is not apparent, medical attention must be sought out
• Stay with the casualty until he/she is fully recovered

View video

Sources

• eMedicineHealth
• F.A.S.T. Rescue First Aid & CPR Guide
• YouTube
• ABC News

This information is offered as information only and is designed to promote Health & Safety in the workplace and the community. It is subject to change.

Nancy Brouillard and Dean Turner

Nancy Brouillard, the Area Manager of the Heart & Stroke Foundation York Region, thanks Dean Turner, President of F.A.S.T. Rescue Inc. for continued support.  F.A.S.T. Rescue has been a supporter of the Heart & Stroke Foundation as well as involved with running the Heart & Stroke Leadership courses since its inception in 1998.