In Episode 32, the S+H editorial team dives into the October issue’s feature story on how to help reduce the stigma around workers’ mental health. The team also discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced changes in safety training.

Arlington, VA – More than 40 percent of health care professionals who reported at least one symptom of influenza during a recent flu season did not stay home from work, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Has your workplace considered starting a healthy eating program? According to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, “When a workplace can help employees to make wise food choices, as part of a workplace health program, it can influence the person’s long-term health and wellness.

Workers might be facing a number of issues during the COVID-19 crisis that can have an impact on mental health, including furloughs and layoffs, social isolation, financial hardships and worries, and health concerns for themselves and their families.

February is Heart Health Month. Try this quiz.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Take time this month – and all year round – to promote awareness of worker well-being.

Imagine for a moment that you’ve lost your ability to see, or that your sight has been significantly impaired. It’s a scary thought. However, you can take simple steps – starting today – to help keep your vision healthy, the National Eye Institute says.

Experts say employers need to make workers’ mental health as high of a priority as physical health. A big step in that process: confronting the stigma that often accompanies mental health disorders.

Want to live a longer and healthier life? Stay well-hydrated, say researchers from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

In Episode 44, the S+H team examines the October issue’s feature story on respirable crystalline silica. Also, Suzi Craig, vice president of workplace mental health at Mental Health America, joins the podcast to discuss normalizing conversations and attitudes around mental health in the “Five Questions With …” segment. 

Rewarding employees with pizza may be a popular way to celebrate a workplace success, but it isn’t exactly the healthiest choice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says employers should “encourage healthier food and beverage choices at workplace meetings, conferences, parties and other events.”

A look at the “non-siloed approach” to safety and well-being.

Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. workforce is older than 65, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2020, 1 in 4 American workers will be older than 55.

Hartford, CT — Thirty-three percent of people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic are concerned about their mental health, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by health benefits provider Aetna International.

Tilburg, Netherlands — Employers who take a more tailored approach to supporting workers who return to work after a mental health-related absence “could not only prevent mental health problems from becoming more severe but also help employees achieve a more sustainable return,” according to a new research report from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

San Francisco — Around half of workers say their employer isn’t doing enough to address the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by Total Brain, a mental health and brain performance platform provider.

Geneva — As telework grows more common, the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization are encouraging employers to develop programs to help make the practice “healthy and safe.”

Changsha, China — Night shift workers who have high blood pressure may be at increased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, or experiencing a stroke, results of a recent study show.

Cologne, Germany — Workers who engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors and encourage their colleagues to do the same can help create a more healthful workplace, results of recent study show.

Working in high-risk areas such as hospitals regularly exposes health care workers to the influenza virus, putting them at an elevated risk for contracting the illness.

When a COVID-19 case occurs in the workplace, the local health department may ask an employer for help. Health departments are responsible for leading case investigations, contact tracing and outbreak investigations.

How are powered air-purifying systems protecting frontline health care workers from COVID-19?

What advice can I offer my employees who are hard of hearing because of ear wax?

Geneva — Health care workers who treat COVID-19 patients deserve more robust occupational safety and health programs, according to the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization.

Aurora, CO — “Lack of recognition as frontline workers” adds emotional strain to the physical demands, staffing obstacles and COVID-19 concerns of workers who clean and sanitize health care facilities and equipment, results of a recent University of Colorado study suggest.

Washington — The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on April 4 heard oral arguments on why it should order OSHA to issue a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry.

Toronto — To increase health care workers’ knowledge, awareness and prevention of occupational hand dermatitis, the Center for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease has launched a free e-learning module.

Atlanta — Health care workers who were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic were more likely to have contracted the illness on the job rather than in household or community settings, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study has concluded.

Washington — A companion bill to the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195), passed by the House in April 2021, has been introduced in the Senate.

Durham, NC — The rates of “moral injury” that health care workers experienced during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic was akin to those of U.S. military combat veterans, results of a recent study show.

North Kingstown, RI — More than 4 out of 5 health care workers experience headaches associated with the use of personal protective equipment, according to a new report from the Association of Migraine Disorders.

Washington — Echoing comments made by OSHA administrator Doug Parker during a hearing three weeks earlier, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry may be published sometime in the fall.

Columbus, OH — Legislation recently introduced in the Ohio Statehouse would direct health care employers to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan within six months.

Washington — Burnout among health care workers could make it more difficult for patients to get the care they need, cause a rise in the cost of care, worsen health disparities and weaken the ability to prepare for the next public health emergency.

Tumwater, WA — Health care workers should rely on their clinical recognition skills, workplace safety protocols and personal protective equipment to avoid contracting and spreading monkeypox, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries advises.

Aliso Viejo, CA — A recent survey of nurses shows that fewer than half believe their organization values their safety and health, a drop of more than 30% in three years.

New York — Employees in fields with higher workplace injury rates are generally less likely to be covered by employer-provided health insurance plans, results of a recent survey show.

Washington — The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled it doesn’t have the authority to order OSHA to issue a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry, denying an emergency petition filed by National Nurses United and other labor groups.

Washington — The National Academy of Medicine has unveiled seven priorities it says will help strengthen the well-being of the health care workforce and “restore the health of the nation.”

Washington — OSHA submitted its permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review Dec. 7.

Washington — The House has passed legislation that would eliminate a rule requiring health care industry employers who participate in Medicare and Medicaid to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Washington — NIOSH has added all types of uterine cancer to the list of health-related conditions covered by the agency’s World Trade Center Health Program.

Washington — Newly introduced legislation would direct OSHA to issue a standard requiring employers in the health care and social services sector to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan.

Washington — OSHA is requesting feedback as it considers developing a possible standard aimed at preventing workplace violence in the health care and social assistance industries.

Washington — An OSHA standard on safe patient handling and mobility could reduce musculoskeletal disorders among health care workers, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society says in a new policy statement.

New York — Registered nurses, social and other behavioral health workers, and people in health care support face a significantly higher risk of drug-overdose death, according to the results of a recent study.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency wants feedback as it considers a training program for health care providers on recognizing, treating and reporting pesticide-related illnesses and injuries.

New York — Registered nurses, health technicians and health care support workers face an elevated risk of suicide compared with workers in non-health care fields, results of a recent study indicate.

Washington — Health care workers are reporting burnout and poor mental health at levels higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.