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Online Exclusive: Sample Healthcare Worker Injury Prevention Policy
COCA Online Exclusive February 2012
California has adopted the Hospital Patient and Health Care Worker Injury Protection Act in Section 6403.5 of the Labor Code. The act covers the lifting, repositioning, and transfer of patients by healthcare workers in acute care hospitals. . . . more »

Ergonomics: Back Injuries Cost California Farms More Than $22 Million Each Year; Prevent These Costly Injuries
September 2010
Life on the farm can mean back-breaking work for the workers who spend their days in the fields. Carrying heavy weights such as tools and produce, they work bent over, kneeling, reaching over plants, and twisting their wrists as they apply force. . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: Workers Might Not Stay Strong to the Finish While Weeding Spinach; Employer Cited for Providing Short-Handled Tools
August 2009
While conducting a "heat sweep" of area farms on July 25, 2007 to check for compliance with heat illness prevention regulations, two state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) inspectors observed employees . . . more »

Ergonomics: Lean Manufacturing, Part 1; When More Efficiency Leads to Aching Backs
August 2008
Over the last decade, many manufacturers have embraced "lean manufacturing," a strategy to eliminate wasted time, motion, and storage by streamlining production, altering production processes, and paring back warehousing. These changes often show up in the bottom line at . . . more »

Bulletin: Special Report included with this issue: "Lighten the Load: Identify and Control Ergonomic Hazards in Your Workplace to Prevent Costly Injuries, Increase Productivity, and Keep Workers on the Job"
April 2008
Ergonomic injuries, such as sprains, back pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome, cause workers to miss a significant number of workdays and . . . more »

Health and Wellness: The Pregnant Employee and the Workplace; Safety Concerns for Women
April 2008
When pregnant worker Naomi Snyder showed up for her job at arts and crafts retailer Michael's in Modesto one day, a contractor was buffing . . . more »

Best Practices: When One Man's Home Is Another Man's Workplace, Part 3; Service Providers and Laborers
April 2008
Coast and Valley Carpet Care sent cousins Jose and Victor Cortez to a condo in the Ventura County city of Moorpark two years ago to clean the . . . more »

News Notes: Back and Neck Injuries Cost More, But Outcomes Worse
April 2008
Healthcare expenditures for back and neck problems increased substantially between 1997 and 2005. During that same period, patient outcomes worsened, . . . more »

Best Practices: When One Man's Home Is Another Man's Workplace, Part 2; Home Health, Social Service, and Emergency Medical Workers
March 2008
In Part 1 of our series on employees who work in third-party private residences, we looked at general issues that affect all of these workers and their employers. This month in Part 2, we look at hazards that apply to home health, social service, and emergency medical workers. . . . more »

Ergonomics: Lessons from Medical Waste Handling; An Investigation and Guidelines from the State's Occupational Health Branch
November 2007
In 1997, there were 2,400 medical incinerators in the United States. Because of the environmental impacts of incineration, by 2004 this number had dwindled dramatically to 110, with large-scale, off-site steam autoclaves replacing the incinerators. Autoclaves are more . . . more »

News Notes: Adjustable Chairs Reduce Pain in Garment Workers
June 2007
A five-year study led by University of California researchers has found that adjustable height chairs with curved, two-part seat pans can significantly reduce neck and shoulder pain in sewing machine operators . . . more »

DOWNLOAD: Lighten the Load: Identify and Control Ergonomic Hazards in Your Workplace to Prevent Costly Injuries, Increase Productivity, and Keep Workers on the Job
April 2008

Do the aching backs in your workplace lead to a miserable aching in your head? Ergonomic injuries like back pain, often described by the term "musculoskeletal disorders" (MSDs), are a perennial leading cause of nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses. More than 350,000 American workers suffered ergonomic injuries that resulted in lost work time in 2006, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In this Special Report, we discuss ergonomic hazards and break down the steps involved in creating a program to reduce ergonomic injuries. . . . more »

News Note: Take More Breaks to Avoid Back Injury at Work, Study Says
April 2007
Workers who lift for a living need to take longer or more frequent breaks to avoid back injury, according to a new study conducted at Ohio State University. The study found that workers . . . more »

News Note: ACOEM Funds Back Pain Research
August 2006
The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have announced that the first recipient of their new, jointly-funded Medical Fellow Research Program will study risk factors for . . . more »

Bulletin: New guide released on the safe lifting and movement of nursing home residents
June 2006
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has issued a new guide, "Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents." The guide highlights the benefits of a safe resident li . . . more »

News Note: NIOSH Seeks Comment on Safe Patient Handling Presentation for Schools of Nursing
April 2006
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is seeking comments on a draft training presentation, "Safe Patient Handling and Movement Principles." The presentation was developed to help . . . more »

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