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20 Tech-Related Health Hazards on the Rise

Posted by admin on 04/11/2010 | 0 Comments

A work hazard is defined as a thing or event that can or has caused unsafe conditions for workers. Hazards can range from safety to biological and many others. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over 5,000 people died on the job in 2008, with countless others injured.

Just because one enters the field of technology doesn’t mean that they are not subject to the same dangers and health hazards that others are. Below are the top 20 tech-related health hazards. Because careers in tech are on the rise, so too is the danger of these hazards.

Better Known Tech-Related Health Hazards on the Rise

You may have already heard of these health hazards for techs and other workers.

1. Computer Workstation : All techs have the standard desk, computers, monitors, keyboard, mouse, etc., but did you know it can be one of the most harmful health hazards? Having a workstation that is improperly set up can lead to poor vision, sore muscles, a bad back, and much more. The U.S. Department of Labor offers this free webpage to show techs or anyone else working at a similar station how to set it up for maximum comfort and minimum risk.

 

2. Slips, Trips, and Falls : According to the ISSA, falls were the second leading cause of all workplace injuries in 2005 and accounted for over thirteen percent of money spent associated with workplace hazards. With costs for slip and fall accidents at work totaling approximately $70 billion per year, techs are not the only workers who should be careful. Running to and from appointments can be dangerous if not paying attention, if a floor has just been cleaned, coming inside from the rain, and more. The chances of falling also increase if you are a tech who has to carry bulky equipment to and from different areas.

3. Fatigue : Not just for truck drivers, tech workers are also subject to fatigue and can receive an injury from it just like anyone else. A tech who is sleep deprived is more likely to make a mistake, miss something essential, or even not watch where they are going, leading to the above. This article from Hubpages has more on assessing and managing fatigue for safety.

4. Repetitive Strain Injury : Also known as RSI, this workplace related hazard involves performing the same task over and over until the person performing it can no longer do it. Common types of tasks associated with repetitive strain injury are typing, writing, working a mouse, or bending up and down. Clay Scott states that he is not a doctor upfront but includes some interesting information on preventing RSI, what to do if you get it, and more.

5. Electrical Burns : Coming into contact with a live electrical wire can be no laughing matter. Even if a burn doesn’t appear right away, internal damage can be sustained. Because techs work almost exclusively with electrical machines, the risk for an electrical burn is high. This article from Anapol Schwartz tells more about the causes and treatments of electrical burns.

6. Flu : Touching other people’s keyboards, mouse, and other equipment can expose techs to a higher than normal amount of germs. With H1N1 flu still a concern, the health hazard is serious. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases has loads of help for reducing flu at work.

7. Indoor Air Quality : The quality of the air you breathe at work is hugely important to your health. Studies have shown that some indoor air can be more polluted than that of the outside. Factors such as odors, design, maintenance, moisture, and more can all effect the air quality and health of those who breathe it. This guide from the EPA has tons more on both good and bad air quality and is even available as a PDF.

8. Carbon Monoxide : In keeping with the above, carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the leading causes of poor and harmful air quality. Approximately 170 Americans die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning. It is produced by the incomplete burning of various fuels such as coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, and natural gas. This article from the Consumer Product Safety Commission has loads more.

9. Violence in the Workplace : This doesn’t just include “going postal.” Violence in the workplace can include any act in which a person is abused, threatened, intimidated, or assaulted within a place of employment. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety identifies these risk factors for violence in the workplace: working with the public, handling money, a small workforce, and others. More tips are given on how to identify and deal with violence hazards in the workplace.

10. Fire : With dozens of floors, elevators that can malfunction, and only a few stairways for hundreds or even thousands of people, an office building can be far more hazardous than the average home. In the face of fire, techs, assistants, and directors alike are all subject to severe health hazards. Whether you report to work at the same building or visit various, always know where the fire exits are should the worst happen. This report from CNN tells of a fatal office fire in Houston.

Lesser Known Tech-Related Health Hazards on the Rise

These tech-related health hazards are more obscure and not as known as the above.

Source : ephemerist.com

11. Nanoparticles : For techs who work in the chemistry field, nanoparticles are a huge concern. In this article from Scitizen, 49 experts from across Europe put nanoparticles at the top of the list of substances from which workers need protection. Prof Dietmar Reinert, one of the co-author of the report, comments on their dangers, along with others.

 

12. Secondary Lead Smelter : Lead doesn’t have to come as a paint to be a health hazard for techs. Those who work in engineering positions at a range of plants, especially secondary lead smelter plants, can be exposed to toxic levels of the element. If your plant has raw materials processing, refining, or other activities with lead, visit here to see the OSHA Lead Requirements and more.

13. High Voltage : Perhaps you have heard that you shouldn’t buy a house near power lines, but did you know that this applies to working conditions as well? These studies reported on by the Health Physics Society tell both sides of the story on spending large amounts of time in close proximity to EMF fields. They concluded that exposure to the low-level EMFs near power lines is safe, but some scientists continue research to look for possible health risks associated with these fields. Read for more on the topic.

14. Battery Acid : You may know the dangers of battery acid, but the people who need your technical services may not. As a tech, you may be asked to deal with old batteries that can be very hazardous. Be sure to have the correct safety equipment as contact with battery acid can cause severe burns and other injuries. This article contains the basics of working with batteries.

15. Benzene : This chemical is used to make plastics, fibers, rubbers, and much more. Approximately 240,000 people in the U.S. are exposed to this colorless liquid with a sweet color. Breathing high levels of it can cause drowsiness, rapid heartbeat, headaches, or even death. Visit here to get the rules regarding Benzene, as well as other pertinent information.

16. Asbestos : Even though its use was abolished in the construction of both homes and offices a long time ago, techs and other workers are still subject to asbestos exposure. In fact, the workplace is the most likely place for this health hazard. Job sites most likely to contain asbestos include auto plants, metal works, refineries, power plants, and chemical plants. This site has tons more on asbestos including exposure, cancer, and more.



Source : kenoath.com

17. Needle Sticks : If you are a tech who works in the healthcare field, this is a concern for you as well, in addition to doctors and nurses. Although there are strict procedures for how to handle used needles, injuries still happen. Whether working on a computer or sophisticated piece of imaging equipment, be wary of any stray needles and do not handle yourself if you see one.

18. Noise : If you are a tech who works with or near noisy power tools, your hearing may be in danger. We’ve all sat too close to a speaker and have had our hearing impacted on a short term basis. However, techs that are constantly exposed to loud noises during the work day can experience a more permanent hearing loss. The CDC has more here.

19. Heat Stress : If you are a tech who works outdoors, in a mine, construction, or related, this can be a serious health hazard. Heat stress can cause exhaustion, headache, dizziness, and more serious problems. Workers over 65 are more subject to it. The CDC also has more on causes and prevention.

20. Stress : Last but not least, stress can take a huge toll on workers, including techs. In fact, according to this report by Fairleigh Dickinson University, three out of every four American workers describe their work as stressful. They found that work related stress costs over $200 billion in missed work, productivity, worker’s comp, medical costs, and more. Stress indicators, causes, and coping mechanisms are given.

Be sure to speak to a supervisor if you have any concerns regarding the above 20 tech-related hazards on the rise to address them immediately. If you have suffered an injury, please consult a physician as soon as possible.

If reading about the above has got you a little too stressed, take a look at the Top Ten Net Surfing Risks at Work for a quick laugh..

Players Love to Hate on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Posted by admin on 04/10/2010 | 0 Comments

Gamers over the years have progressed from adults and teenagers playing Atari and games at the local arcade to staying at home and playing their Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 at all hours of the night.  You can find all ages of people playing these games and while you will find some respectful, fun people to play with, there are always those jerks out there who players have come to vilify on a regular basis.  Here’s a quick rundown of the players you’ll find on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.M

• The Yeller:  In the chat lobby, this person decides to start yelling into their mic at all times.  Usually, they are 10 year old kids screaming to their mom about getting milk brought to them. Other times, it’s two friends in the same lobby trying to appear cool and yell insults at every one.  Once the game starts it just gets worse.  If they make a kill, you know about and how sweet their “headshot” was.  More often than not though, they are getting killed and regularly yell about how that was such a bull shit shot.  The yeller doesn’t know any better, but that’s probably because he doesn’t know who his father is.
• The Complainer:  Much like the yeller, this guy takes every opportunity to talk about how shitty his teammates are, how bad the game is, and how bad his life is.  Most people take the opportunity to mute this guy about 2 minutes in, but I think everyone should always listen to them for the sake of your enjoyment.  This gamer is usually near the bottom of the list in Kill to death ratios, unskilled, and probably just masturbated and is about to.  While it’s always better to have the complainer on the other team, I highly recommend shooting this guy a friend request, before he shoots something else.
• The Sniper:  In most scenarios in Modern Warfare 2, sniping is almost unnecessary and entirely boring.  Since most game features require some type of objective besides killing your enemy, teammates are often frustrated by watching their teammate sit idly by zoomed in to a 2 foot spot while an opponent tea bags them and then mercifully knife them in their head.  Most of these guys end with a terrible low score total, don’t assist in helping a team win, and are just horrible players to play with.  Lastly, the sniper is usually a 40 year old man with an all too slow reaction time to actually run in and try to kill someone with an assault rifle of any kind.
• The Noob Tuber/Rocket Launcher/Javelin Ass hole:  Most of the time, bullets and thrown grenades are what most players use to kill their enemy, but sometimes, it takes a special type of asshole to run around and kill people wildly without aiming with a rocket launcher.  Sure, this style of gamer is usually 200 yards away without a clue where you are, but boy howdy, if you get anywhere near where it lands, say goodbye to your hard earned killstreak.  Sure the noob tuber works fine (except for when it bounces harmlessly off the ground), but that rocket launcher destroys any person within a 20 foot radius and says to the gaming Gods, actual gaming skills be damned.
• The foreigner:  In general, most of the gamers who play MW2 are playing in the U.S.A. with their friends or colleagues.  However, once in a blue moon, you’ll get stuck with a group of foreigners.  Usually, they are French, and the French know what you’re saying but talk needlessly in their own language.  Sure you could enjoy muting them, but most gamers yell into their mics and try to get them to shut up.  So not only do you have foreigners chatting, you’ve not brought “The Yeller” & “The Complainer” back into the mix.  It’s at this point in the game where I back out, load another round up and pray to God I’m not about to get sniped by some asshole on Estate.
• The Serious Gamer:  This guy, while usually an average player, always yells at his teammates for not capturing a flag, getting killed while reloading, or losing a kill on last stand to a teammate.  This poor guy spends his days working at Blockbuster or Gamestop just waiting to get off so he can spend his nights with his “online friends” and yell at them until they sign off in tribute to this bastard tiring them out.  This guy has studied online guides, tips, and youtube videos for hours so he can figure out strategies and hope to outthink random people.  It doesn’t work, ever.
• Hackers/Glitchers: While you see few hackers on console games these days, glitchers are ever prevalent and ruin just about every round.  A few months into the game, the Javelin glitch had guys running Kamikaze style into groups of people and getting 3-4 kills at a time while they could do nothing.  These guys love to piss people off with their style of play and laugh in the face of people who report them and lower their gamer score.  While most players wish to rain scat on their heads, Infinity Ward and Xbox as a whole have yet to do anything to paying customers who bend the rules.

While most people would consider noobs to be a part of this list, I do not.  I love playing against these guys because of their low skill level, ease of death, and just overall goofiness of these guys running around with a cooked grenade and trying to shoot at the same time