Northwest Public Health Fall/Winter 2006

Volume 23, Number 2

Keeping Workers Healthy and Safe

Viewpoint: Protecting Workers and Promoting Public Health in the Workplace
Susan Wilburn

Hooked on Safety: Using Public Health Methods to Prevent Accidents in Alaska
Nicolle Mode
Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations. The Alaska NIOSH station has used public health methods to help reduce fishing accidents and fatalities.

Safe Flights in Alaska
Nicolle Mode
Commercial pilots in Alaska face daunting challenges. NIOSH research has helped improve pilot safety.

Extreme Stress: Promoting Resilience Among EMS Workers
Randal Beaton
Emergency medical services workers face high levels of stress on the job. The author looks at their sources of stress and ways to reduce it.
Resources related to this article.

Not Just a Domestic Problem: Intimate Partner Violence
Anne Doherty
Workplace violence brings to mind attacks by angry customers, but each year in the US 30,000 to 40,000 cases of violence in the workplace are caused by domestic partners. The author discusses the problem and some responses by businesses.
Resources related to this article

Lift that Patient, Save that Back
Barbara Silverstein and Ninica Howard
Nursing staff have among the highest back and shoulder injury rates of any occupational group. Washington State is working to change that.

Measuring Back Strain
Kathy Hall
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an inexpensive device to measure workers’ posture and torso movements over the course of a work day.

A Community Intervenes: Reducing Children’s Pesticide Exposure
Beti Thompson and Gloria D. Coronado
Agricultural workers’ concerns about pesticide exposure don’t stop at the farm fence. Their children’s health is also threatened by the pesticides used where the parents work. The authors discuss a variety of methods to educate parents and children about reducing pesticide exposure.

No Acceptable Level of Accidents
Maggie Jones
A barrier to employing people with visual disabilities is the challenge of ensuring their safety. Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind demonstrates what it takes to keep their blind machine shop employees safe.

Caution: Teens at Work
Mary E. Miller
Working teens are injured at a rate at least two times higher than adults. The author outlines steps teens, parents, teachers, and employers can take to keep teens safe on the job.
Resources related to this article

Wellness in the Workplace
Five short articles describe new workplace wellness initiatives in the Pacific Northwest.

Healthy Workplace Initiative: The British Columbia Ministry of Health implemented an organization-wide, multi-focus initiative.
Take the Stairs, Save Your Heart: Wyoming Department of Health tested a simple solution to increasing stairway use.
Seattle 5 a Day: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center studied ways to increase healthy food use at local worksites.
Washington Wellness Works: Washington State Department of Health kicked off a health improvement initiative for state employees.
ACS Workplace Solutions: American Cancer Society and the UW Health Promotion Research Center developed a practical program to illustrate the business case for employer-sponsored cancer prevention.

Resources related to this article

Annotated Resources on Occupational Health and Safety
Laura Larsson

From the Dean

From the Editor

Northwest Region at a Glance: Occupational Nonfatal Injury Incidence Rates and Overview of State Occupational Health and Safety Structures

Insert: SPHCM Spotlight on Research

Complete Fall 2006 issue (low resolution pdf)

Info Northwest Public Health Fall/Winter 2006 Volume 23, Number 2 Keeping Workers Healthy and Safe Viewpoint: Protecting Workers and Promoting Public Health in the Workplace Susan Wilburn Hooked on Safety: Using Public Health Methods to Prevent Accidents in Alaska Nicolle Mode Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations. The Alaska NIOSH station has used public health methods to help reduce fishing accidents and fatalities. Safe Flights in Alaska Nicolle Mode Commercial pilots in Alaska face daunting challenges. NIOSH research has helped improve pilot safety. Extreme Stress: Promoting Resilience Among EMS Workers Randal Beaton Emergency medical services workers face high levels of stress on the job. The author looks at their sources of stress and ways to reduce it. Resources related to this article. Not Just a Domestic Problem: Intimate Partner Violence Anne Doherty Workplace violence brings to mind attacks by angry customers, but each year in the US 30,000 to 40,000 cases of violence in the workplace are caused by domestic partners. The author discusses the problem and some responses by businesses. Resources related to this article Lift that Patient, Save that Back Barbara Silverstein and Ninica Howard Nursing staff have among the highest back and shoulder injury rates of any occupational group. Washington State is working to change that. Measuring Back Strain Kathy Hall Researchers at the University of Washington have developed an inexpensive device to measure workers’ posture and torso movements over the course of a work day. A Community Intervenes: Reducing Children’s Pesticide Exposure Beti Thompson and Gloria D. Coronado Agricultural workers’ concerns about pesticide exposure don’t stop at the farm fence. Their children’s health is also threatened by the pesticides used where the parents work. The authors discuss a variety of methods to educate parents and children about reducing pesticide exposure. No Acceptable Level of Accidents Maggie Jones A barrier to employing people with visual disabilities is the challenge of ensuring their safety. Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind demonstrates what it takes to keep their blind machine shop employees safe. Caution: Teens at Work Mary E. Miller Working teens are injured at a rate at least two times higher than adults. The author outlines steps teens, parents, teachers, and employers can take to keep teens safe on the job. Resources related to this article Wellness in the Workplace Five short articles describe new workplace wellness initiatives in the Pacific Northwest. Healthy Workplace Initiative: The British Columbia Ministry of Health implemented an organization-wide, multi-focus initiative. Take the Stairs, Save Your Heart: Wyoming Department of Health tested a simple solution to increasing stairway use. Seattle 5 a Day: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center studied ways to increase healthy food use at local worksites. Washington Wellness Works: Washington State Department of Health kicked off a health improvement initiative for state employees. ACS Workplace Solutions: American Cancer Society and the UW Health Promotion Research Center developed a practical program to illustrate the business case for employer-sponsored cancer prevention. Resources related to this article Annotated Resources on Occupational Health and Safety Laura Larsson From the Dean From the Editor Northwest Region at a Glance: Occupational Nonfatal Injury Incidence Rates and Overview of State Occupational Health and Safety Structures Insert: SPHCM Spotlight on Research Complete Fall 2006 issue (low resolution pdf)

Sections

Northwest Public Health Fall/Winter 2006