MASTERCHEF  “My dear friend Maryann sent me a flyer one morning telling me to apply to be on Fox’s TV competition MasterChef,” Lexy explains. “I loved to cook, and loved the show, but I never ever thought my two minutes of spontaneous boldness would lead to all of this. My time on that show was challenging. I was six weeks pregnant with my third child upon arriving in Los Angeles and morning sickness took full effect as soon as I stepped into that amazing kitchen. I was stressed every day,...

WHAT IS METABOLIC FLEXIBILITY? While most people have heard the term metabolism, the majority of them likely can’t explain what it means, Dr. Ian says. “Your metabolism is the collective effort of billions of cells in your body that are carrying out chemical processes (work) every second of your life – even when you’re sleeping -- that allow you to live and function and be who you are.”   Dr. Ian says metabolism basically involves the breakdown of food into small, simple nutrients, and the...

GUT HEALTH  Dr. Don Colbert maintains that people can take control of their health. As he likes to put it, “Your genetics may load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.” Our choices can change our genetics, he adds. Dr. Colbert is often asked why the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is so important. He says it’s because it’s considered the “second brain” due its complex neural network. “The gut-brain axis is a fascinating and intricate connection that highlights the two-way communication between...

This is one sustainable renovation that is built with energy efficient materials, timeless design and healthy alternatives. 

Keeping stucco and EIFS secured to surfaces.

In the bustling world of health care, every detail matters, especially when it comes to creating spaces that promote healing and comfort. UCLA Health Center, renowned for its commitment to excellence in patient care, recently underwent a remarkable transformation.

In the face of spiralling demand, Kirsty Marrins reports on a sector that has taken the leap online to communicate across a pandemic

Briarcliff Manor, NY — You’re at home with family in the evening when you receive an email notification. It’s from your boss. Do you respond? A new study finds that pressure to check work email from home can negatively affect your health, your relationship with your significant other, and his or her health.

Does your workplace lack a safety and health program? If you’re looking to create one, OSHA offers 10 tips to get you going.

Lowell, MA — A new online training course is designed to introduce Total Worker Health concepts to occupational safety and health professionals.

Tumwater, WA – Washington state is offering grants to fund innovative workplace safety and health or return-to-work programs.

Iowa City, IA – Police work is mostly sedentary, with officers likely to be more active on their days off than while working, according to a new study from the University of Iowa.

Lowell, MA — Noting that corrections officers have an average life expectancy that’s 16 years less than other occupational groups, the Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace has created a mentoring toolkit aimed at combating a decline in health early in correctional workers’ careers.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency has identified health risks from exposure to the chemical compound trichloroethylene and is calling on Congress to pass stronger federal toxics laws.

Baton Rouge, LA – Service industry workers in Louisiana report a higher prevalence of poor health, chronic health conditions, and risk factors such as smoking and binge drinking than all other workers in the state, according to an analysis conducted by the state’s Occupational Health and Injury Surveillance Program.

Lyon, France — The World Health Organization has reclassified firefighting as a carcinogenic profession.

Washington — Concerned that firefighters’ protective gear may contain potentially harmful “forever chemicals,” the International Association of Fire Fighters and the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association are advising their members to take precautions to reduce exposure.

San Francisco — The Washington State Nurses Association is among four labor unions suing Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia and OSHA in an effort to compel the agency to move forward with rulemaking on an infectious diseases standard that would require employers in the health care industry to protect workers from exposure to harmful infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola and influenza.

Washington — The AFL-CIO and National Nurses United are part of a coalition of labor unions and organizations that has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Labor and OSHA, petitioning a federal court to direct the agency to issue a permanent standard on COVID-19 focused on health care workers.

Washington — NIOSH and the American Staffing Association have announced a multiyear partnership agreement to advance protections for temporary workers.

Morgantown, WV — A permanent disability caused by a work-related injury can increase the risk of other serious health disorders and even premature death, results of recent study suggest.

Washington – A new publication from NIOSH is intended to help public health researchers better understand workers’ compensation insurance and how records can be used to help prevent workplace illnesses and injuries.

Washington – April is National Workplace Violence Prevention Month, and OSHA hopes to raise awareness by releasing updated guidance for health care and social service workers.

Geneva — A new guidebook from the International Labor Organization is intended to help employers compile data on key performance indicators related to safety and health.

Washington — Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is among five Senate Democrats who have expressed opposition to any rollback to the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s respirable coal dust rule, in a letter sent Dec. 22 to Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta.

Washington — Coal miners soon will have access to a series of free, confidential health screenings through the NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Washington — Health care workers will be the focus of OSHA’s emergency temporary standard on COVID-19, which will be issued June 10, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh told the House Education and Labor Committee during a June 9 hearing.

Spokane, WA — Individual organs in the digestive system contain separate biological clocks that may influence the metabolism of people who work the night shift and help explain a link to shift worker health problems such as obesity and diabetes, a recent study from researchers at Washington State University suggests.

Uppsala, Sweden — Losing sleep, even for one night, can negatively impact metabolism and help trigger excess weight gain – possibly explaining a link between sleep deprivation and shift worker health problems – according to the results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University.

Shift work is a way of life for nearly 15 million Americans, spurring numerous studies that link the practice to health problems and chronic conditions. “It’s really important to recognize these risks, and we need to understand them and we need to treat them,” a leading researcher says.

Vallejo, CA — Citing multiple studies that suggest shift workers are at increased risk of developing sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome – raising their chances for heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes – a recent analysis led by a researcher from the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine concludes with actions both employers and workers can take to help improve shift worker health.

Darien, IL — In an effort to balance “the need to meet operational demands with the need to manage fatigue-related risks” related to shift work, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society have issued guidance on designing optimal work shift durations.

San Diego — Eating within set times while not skipping meals can reduce the cardiovascular health risks of firefighters and other shift workers, results of a recent study show.

Melbourne, Australia — Rotating shift workers are more likely than other workers to eat unhealthy foods, a new study has found.

Los Angeles – The Los Angeles garment manufacturing industry – the nation’s largest cut-and-sew apparel base – is “plagued by workplace violations and marked by a lack of worker protections,” according to a new report released by the Garment Worker Center, the UCLA Labor Center and UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health.

Falls Church, VA — Former OSHA administrator David Michaels is among more than a dozen health and safety experts calling on the Biden administration to update and strengthen Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to help prevent COVID-19 transmission.

New York — Workers in the manufacturing, warehousing, construction and transportation industries need better support for their mental and emotional needs, results of a recent survey suggest.

Silver Spring, MD — Awareness of nanotechnology or nanoparticles in the construction industry remains relatively low among contractors, union leaders and apprenticeship program staff, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the Center for Construction Research and Training – also known as CPWR.

Keeping video surveillance systems up and running can be challenging — in large part because not everything needed to keep the camera functioning properly is under the control of the security integrator.

Washington — OSHA is withdrawing the non-recordkeeping portions of its emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 focused on health care workers, the agency announced Dec. 27.

Amherst, MA — The long-standing approach that “the customer is always right” can take a toll on workers’ mental health and limit their capacity to serve customers, according to a recent study.

Aurora, CO — A new, free online tool is intended to help safety professionals make a stronger business case for employer investment in safety, health and wellness programs.

The SALUS HC is a high-performing powered air-purifying respirator designed to protect health care workers from exposure to particulates and biological aerosols. Its compact and ergonomic shoulder-mounted carriage conforms to all body types to provide uninhibited range of movement.

Elk Grove Village, IL – To help the aging workforce remain productive, employers need to establish a “culture of health” in the workplace, according to a new article from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and NIOSH.

Atlanta – Productive aging is about minimizing losses and maximizing growth. That was the message from James Grosch, NIOSH Center for Productive Aging and Work co-director and research psychologist, during a Sept. 27 webinar, “Productive Aging and Work: Theory, Health Data & Practical Solutions” – part of the NIOSH Total Worker Health webinar series.

Houston — For older workers, the right job fit can benefit overall health and well-being, while a poor fit is more likely to push them into retirement, according to researchers from Rice University and Colorado State University.

Washington — L. Casey Chosewood pointed out the obvious reality every worker faces. “All of us are aging,” the director of the Office for Total Worker Health at NIOSH said during the agency’s June 10 webinar on the future of work and the implications for aging workers.

Washington — The director of NIOSH’s Office for Total Worker Health says employers should think about the physical and mental health needs of their employees returning to the job amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Edmonton, Alberta — Contract workers who fly in and out of oil sands may experience higher levels of work-related stress and more mental health issues, according to a recent report led by researchers from the University of Alberta.

Washington – A pair of high-profile incidents overseas has prompted a study into the emotional and mental health of commercial pilots in the United States.