Sit-stand desks improves health and productivity Sydney University study reveals

April 9,2016

NEW research from the University of Sydney has found that workers who use sit-stand desks are just as productive as those who use traditional desks, while also reporting feeling more energised, more productive and being more satisfied. Despite a growing number of intervention studies looking at the impact of sit-stand desks on workers’ sitting and standing behaviours, relatively little is known about the effects on worker productivity. This pilot study measured the effects on the productivity of 30 call-centre workers using powered sit-stand desks. “Our study found that workers who increased their standing by up to 60-90 minutes a day were more active and felt more energised than workers who used traditional desks, while not compromising their work output,” said lead researcher Dr Josephine Chau from the university’s School of Public Health. More and more work places around the country are incorporating stand-up options for desk workers. “They reported being more satisfied and feeling more productive at work. “The proportion of workers who reported they had enough energy throughout their work day increased sevenfold, from 6 per cent to 44 per cent when using sit-stand desks.” The findings of the study are good news for office workers who want to make the case for sit-stand desks in their workplaces. “Sit-stand desks are a good option for office workers who want to reduce the amount of time they spend sitting during their working day,” Dr Chau said. “A growing body of research suggests that prolonged periods of sitting is linked to a higher risk of developing chronic diseases, including obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.” The ideal setup allows workers to sit or stand at their desks depending on their needs. Fellow researcher Dr Lina Engelen said that prolonged standing also has its own risks. “People need to be mindful to build up their standing time gradually and avoid going from no standing to standing all day at work,” she said. “It’s a bit like training for a marathon — you don’t go from running 0km to 42km overnight.”

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Claims workplace violence at Sunshine Mental Health Service ’endemic’ as staff face assaults

April 7,2016

NORTH West Mental Health will apply for a slice of the State Government’s $20 million Health Service Violence Prevention Fund as it emerged staff at its Sunshine centre are increasingly being assaulted. The Health and Community Services Union has called on the Victorian Government to step in following claims that 17 physical assaults and violent incidents have been reported by mental health staff at the Sunshine Mental Health Service at Sunshine Hospital during January and February this year. Some of the incidents reported to management in that two-month period include an attempted strangulation of a staff member, a door slammed in a staff member’s face resulting in soft tissue damage and potential future surgery, a chair thrown at a staff member and a series of threats against staff members by patients and visitors. The Brimbank Leader understands that the reports were leaked to the union by a service insider claiming that workplace violence at the Sunshine centre is endemic. Union assistant state secretary Paul Healey said the situation at Sunshine was a clear sign that more need to be done to stamp out the growing culture of tolerated violence against staff in mental health services, and that this was an example of the serious lack of investment in a hospital catering to a major growth area. “The Victorian Government has refused to fund enough beds to properly cater for this part of our community,” he said. “We need the Andrews Government to take a series of decisive measures — that includes better staffing, regulations that make senior management accountable for staff safety and improved building design.” North West Mental Health (NWMH), which runs the Sunshine service rejected the assertion that senior management dismissed the seriousness of violence against staff. NWMH executive director Ruth Vine said, if successful, the service would use money from the fund to increase its CCTV coverage, to purchase saliva testing kits and purpose designed furniture that is not easily lifted or thrown. She said management did not accept that violence was an expected part of providing mental health services and treated any incidence of violence with the utmost seriousness. “We take active steps to prosecute the perpetrators of violent assaults, especially when these assaults are by visitors to our service,” she said. “We acknowledge that our staff deal with impulsive and sometimes aggressive patients and that sometimes the level of verbal and physical aggression is exacerbated by drug use, especially methamphetamine.” Mental Health Minister Martin Foley said the government’s $20 million Health Service Violence Prevention Fund was introduced to help reduce the problem of violence in healthcare settings and against hospital staff. “Violence in any workplace is unacceptable, particularly when its levelled at those who are caring for others,” he said.

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Take Five top tips - Manual handling

March 18,2016

Safe handling and lifting in the workplace It’s an employer’s responsibility to ensure the safety of their staff in the workplace. However, in order to ensure the safety of all, employees have an important role to play in adhering to guidelines and following safe working practices. A major cause of injury in the workplace is lifting and handling heavy items. One wrong move and you could injure your back, resulting in significant pain and absences from work. To help, commercial and industrial equipment manufacturer and retailer, Slingsby, has shared its top tips for safe manual handling in the workplace. How to lift To prevent injury, you’ll need to adopt best practice when lifting an object. Follow these steps: Make sure there is a clear pathway to where you want to move the item to. Stand directly in front of the item you’re lifting, making sure your feet are shoulder width apart. Keep your back straight and bend your knees to squat to the floor. Using both hands, firmly grip the item. Keep the object close to your body and stand up by slowly straightening your legs. Try not to jerk or twist. Carry the item to its chosen location by taking small, careful steps. If the item is large, ask a colleague to guide you to prevent accidents. To put the item down, keep your back straight and slowly bend your legs. Lower each side separately to avoid trapping your fingers. How much should I lift?close-927870__180 While there are general guidelines for how much men and women should lift, different factors can influence the exact weight. In general, men should lift no more than 25kg, while women should limit themselves to a maximum of 16kg. However, if they are lifting an item above shoulder height, the limit drops to 10kg for men and 7kg for women. When items need to be lifted above shoulder height while being kept away from the body, the limits drop further, to just 5kg for men and 3kg for women. Manual handling and lifting equipment Manual handling and lifting equipment, such as lifts and trucks, are used by staff in many industries to transport heavy loads. However, without proper training, this equipment can be as, if not more, dangerous than using an improper lifting technique. If your employer has supplied equipment, they should provide full training to ensure you can safely and confidently use it.

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Latest ISO 45001 update

October 1, 2017

ISO has confirmed a provisional publication date of 27 November for the Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) of ISO 45001. Publication of the final standard is likely to be in the first half of 2018. OHSAS 18001 will be withdrawn on publication of ISO 45001 and organizations currently certified to OHSAS 18001 will have a three year period to migrate to ISO 45001. BSI will continue to keep clients updated with the development of this standard, with support materials and training courses available to support the migration.

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