Welder at his workshop

 This is a welder at his workshop in Nigeria quite all right but what his got on isn't commonplace in our society which readily  arouses comments such as "what does anyone need this kind of gadget for when other colleagues do the same with their hands as shield or goggles at most!". Others ask why all this complex stuff just a waste of resources. The difference remains at fundamental understanding on the part of  management  and commitment towards the health of their employees. There  is documented evidence to show that welders are more at risk of developing very severe lung problems ,  vision disturbances, burns and musculoskeletal  problems. This brings about  questions what are he statistics like in our own country - Nigeria. You only need to Google "Welding jobs in Nigeria"  to give you an idea of how available these jobs yet  possible number of people exposed: - undetermined.  Thoughts of whose keeping watch over the health of these workers keeps racing in my head.    

MANUAL HANDLING

Musculoskeletal problems are the largest single cause of absence from work in developed countries which not surprisingly surfaces as a significant cause of seeking medical help. Musculoskeletal problems like the name suggests are problems involving muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones which could be in any region of the body but usually occurs around joints. Common complaints typifying this problem include pain in the back, arms, legs, neck, fingers with or without swelling and limited movement in the affected part usually not quickly linked back to occupation remains the big issue. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) like many occupational health conditions can be caused or aggravated by work related factors when unspotted as a cause in the hospital leaves opportunities for recurrence. Musculoskeletal disorders are triggered during pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, hoisting and stretching activities.

Manual handling offers opportunities for all these activities - lifting, stretching, twisting, pushing, pulling, bending, and hoisting particularly frequent in packaging, assembly, construction work, health care industries etc. Manual handling no matter how simple doesn’t support normal human anatomical functions especially with poor posturing. It occurs when an individual physically interacts with a load. The term “load” used here describes any object which can be supported in order to remain stationary or moved around as a result of human efforts, it maybe inanimate such as machinery, supplies, tools or animate including human beings.

In Nigeria, vocations related to manual handling account for most of the activities engaged by unskilled laborers such as “Kpon Kpon” – load transporters or “Kole Kole” – waste dispensers. However activities considerably similar to these are often undertaken in the workplace. For instance, in the course of construction jobs, bricklayers are often seen carrying bags of cement (sometimes as many as 2 or 3) on their heads and climbing long staircases; at an assembly plant employees may often carry heavy parts from one place to another, in engineering jobs movement of load such as equipment, or defective parts is a common activity. In healthcare, Doctors, Nurses and other team members frequently support to standing position, transfer from lying to sitting or standing or to a wheel chair, change patients position on bed

Watch out for full article including prevention strategies this coming Saturday……

Full article Perils of the 21st century workplace

As humans we spend about one-third or one-quarter of our entire life asleep. During our middle years we spend a minimum of 8hrs for a period of about 35yrs at work before finally going on retirement. Unknown to so many of us, a good fraction of our lives is spent at the workplace about 12 years out of our entire lifespan (without consideration to whatever occupation a person may take up after retirement). Several jobs come with their own appendages and unarguably the most popular device which has found use in virtually every workplace is a computer. Bankers, writers, database administrators, engineers, secretaries offer solutions via computers.

Anyone who performs a major part of his/her work by spending at least 3hours per day on a computer qualifies as a computer user. The 21^st century addiction to computing helps institute the upcoming plague of the future also known as repetitive strain injury.  Repetitive strain injury can be caused or aggravated by workplace factors. Psychological factors such as stress at work, dissatisfaction with work, and feeling of lack of control over working conditions also contribute. Continuous hand movements on the keyboard and awkward positioning encourage discomfort felt in hands, neck, shoulder, elbow and other adjoining structures.  Structures commonly involved include muscle, bone, ligaments, nerves and other surrounding structures.

Continuous typing movements result in overuse of structures and rubbing of nerves, muscles, bones and ligaments. Persistent motion allows structures to make contact thereby encouraging irritation of nerve bundles. Warning symptoms an employee would notice include pins and needles, loss of sensation, numbness, pain, tension and in advanced cases wasting of muscles from disuse. As it is not uncommon for employees to adopt awkward working positions, bending, stretching, and limbs unsupported either to allow themselves fit into their workstations or cope with the problem complicates the issue at hand. Any conditions involving the upper limb could occur, however presentation would vary according to workstation peculiarities, tasks performed and other synergistic factors. Computer users are therefore more likely to develop conditions involving the hands and wrist as well as those acquired from poor posturing whilst carrying out work.

However continuous repetitive movement which significantly influences this condition is largely preventable. Studies corroborate that disruption of continuous repetitive movements can delay disease progression. Simple steps can be taken by the worker to reduce disability from this condition to control this menace.

·         Arms should be adequately supported on the desk to avoid overstretching and full arm extension while working.

·         The height of a work station should accommodate its user(s) without causing them a need to bend their necks or adopt awkward positions.

·         Sometimes to meet with work demands, computer users tend to multitask while typing which increases strain. These tasks include answering telephone calls and as such bending the head to reach the neck and shrugging of shoulders while fingers remain typing. If possible such multitasking should be avoided.

·          Seats at the work station should be adjusted to suitable heights to allow the back rest provide full back support. Back rests promote good posturing as it helps to keep spine straight. Whilst your back remains rested, your feet should rest freely on the ground not allowed to float. This can be helped by foot rest which helps to further complement good posture.

·         More importantly, typing or data entry should be spaced with other cognitive activities to allow adequate time for the muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves to recover from the strain. At least 15minutes should be allowed after every hour of typing and this can be allocated to cognitive activities. It could also be helpful to alternate one hand typing with other hand to allow each one some rest time.

Regardless of cause or presentation, repetitive strain injury inters with normal functioning capacity.  Employees, employers, family members equally feel the pinch of workplace associated conditions. Whilst there is always a great urge to get everything done “ASAP”, in the long run fewer things get done ‘faster’. Eventually, the consequences of multitasking and repetitive hand strain set in; an employee’s productivity decreases, symptoms of strain worsen, requiring frequent hospital visits, medications and a job change or loss of employment in near future. On the other hand, the employer suffers reduced productivity, the work burden shifts to other employees, loss of skilled staff and cost of medical bills, medications and transport in and out of hospital. In addition, extra expenditure would be incurred to train alternative staff, advertise for the position, hire training venue all of which compare less favorably with simple prevention.

The fact that you don’t work  long hour’s with a computer doesn’t necessary erase back pains, waist pain and any muscle pain in general. If you draw on the similarity computer work environment has with a manager it is easy to see that both professions so to speak have got one thing in common- sitting for long periods.

Computer Users

Anyone who performs a major part of his/her work on the computer such as database operators, software developers, bankers, secretaries etc should be careful of developing strain in their hand and back problems

 Simple steps can be taken by the worker to reduce disability  include:

·         Arms should be adequately supported on the desk to avoid overstretching and full arm extension while working.

·         The height of a work station should accommodate its user(s) without causing them a need to bend their necks or adopt awkward positions.

·         Sometimes to meet with work demands, computer users tend to multitask while typing which increases strain. These tasks include answering telephone calls and as such bending the head to reach the neck and shrugging of shoulders while fingers remain typing. If possible such multitasking should be avoided.

·          Seats at the work station should be adjusted to suitable heights to allow the back rest provide full back support. Back rests promote good posturing as it helps to keep spine straight. Whilst your back remains rested, your feet should rest freely on the ground not allowed to float. This can be helped by foot rest which helps to further complement good posture.

·  More importantly, typing or data entry should be spaced with other cognitive activities to allow adequate time for the muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves to recover from the strain. At least 15minutes should be allowed after every hour of typing and this can be allocated to cognitive activities. It could also be helpful to alternate one hand typing with other hand to allow each one some rest time. 

FUMIGATION EXERCISE

As young men perform a fumigation exercise, someone recognized the need for  protection but with loosely fitted cotton! gloves. Cotton gloves are like socks which simply absorb  fluid and definitely these chemicals. The pump hanging loosely on his back  contains the chemical mixture which includes DDT, petrol, kerosene you name them which he prepared on the spot. One important question remains that can anyone trace what chemicals they have been exposed to should they  come up with skin conditions or more serious problems in the near future. Can we take action now to save todays lives and those yet to come or remain at the mercy of fate.

Perils in the workplace

 I have found that lots of my older friends don't reach retirement age anymore. On the average, a Nigerian lives for about 46.3 years and men live for a shorter time than women. Todays generation live shorter lifes than our predecessors. Major differences in both era exist in type of work engaged in, technological advancements submerging the workplace without counterpart control on  health effects could very well be responsible  for this trend. 
As humans, we spend about one-third or one-quarter of our entire lives asleep. During our middle years, we spend a minimum of 8hrs for a period of about 35yrs at work before finally going on retirement. Unknown to many of us, this time spent at our workplace accounts for about 12 years of our entire lifespan ( that is without consideration to whatever occupation a person may take up after retirement). For professionals, even more than the above estimated time may be spent serving at work.  
I am beginning to consider health and welfare considerations received at the workplace in relation to the facts on ground


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