PRIME Occupational Medicine - PRIME News Updates

16 Nov 2015

5 Essential Elements of a Total Worker Health Program

16 Nov 2015 Healthcare

Each year in the United States, about 4,500 workers die from work-related injuries, and more than 50,000 die from work-related illnesses. More than 3 million suffer nonfatal occupational injuries or illnesses; 2.8 million are treated in the emergency department; and 140,000 are hospitalized. The price tag to employers reaches $250 billion each year. Although employers have made progress in recent decades by reducing occupational injuries and illnesses and controlling their costs, there’s clearly more to do. And, getting it done may require a novel approach.

12 Nov 2015

CDC Warns of Severe Flu Cases in Young Adults

Report: Prescribed Meds Remain Top Drug Threat in U.S.

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12 Nov 2015 Lifestyle, Medical, Safety

Forget marijuana. The real, biggest drug threat in the U.S. comes from legal drugs, according to a new national report.
The 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says in 2013, more than half of the 46,000 deaths due to drug overdose in the U.S. were caused by prescription painkillers and heroin.
The DEA calls prescription meds, particularly opioid painkillers, the No. 1 drug threat in the U.S. today.
Why? Because the number of people reporting current use of controlled prescription drugs (CPDs) is more than those reporting use of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA and PCP combined.

10 Nov 2015

CDC Warns of Severe Flu Cases in Young Adults

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10 Nov 2015 Healthcare, Medical

Flu season has started, and although so far it has not been as bad as last year’s, there have been reports of some young and middle-age adults developing severe cases of influenza, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Feb. 1, the CDC announced that flu cases are increasing across the country. And although the nation as a whole isn’t experiencing as much flu as this time last year, “some localized areas of the United States are already experiencing high activity, [and] further increases are expected in the coming weeks,” the CDC said in a health alert to physicians.

15 Oct 2015

Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome

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15 Oct 2015 Medical, Safety

Among 38 stonecutters, Hamilton found that 89 percent reported “vibration-induced white finger,” according to research published in the British Journal of Industrial Medicine. Fast-forward to modern times, and the disorder is known as hand-arm vibration syndrome. Symptoms range from tingling, numbness, pain and “blanching” (loss of color) in the fingers, as well as weakened grip due to nerve and blood vessel damage, from using vibrating tools. In severe cases, gangrene can occur.

14 Oct 2015

Seasonal Flu – Employer Guidance to Reducing Exposure

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14 Oct 2015 Healthcare, Medical

The pandemic flu remains a concern for all employers. A pandemic can occur at any time and can be mild, moderate, or severe. CDC considered the pandemic in 2009 to be mild, but it still created challenges for employers and showed that many workplaces were not prepared. The precautions identified in this guidance give a baseline for infection control during a seasonal flu outbreak, but they may not be enough to protect workers during a pandemic.

27 Sep 2015

Prescription Painkiller and the Workforce

Prescription Painkillers and the Workforce

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27 Sep 2015 Safety, Workplace

Bill Butler took pride in his ability to move heavy objects without assistance. However, the machinist experienced lower back pain. He was prescribed prescription painkillers, specifically hydrocodone, to relieve the pain and, after developing a tolerance, began taking methadone.

26 Sep 2015

Trip Hazards Do’s and Don’ts

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26 Sep 2015 Safety

The national statistics on injuries and deaths from workplace slips, trips, and falls are disturbing…

One reason that falls are so common is that there are hazards everywhere. Employees can slip, trip, or fall in production areas, in offices, on stairwells, from ladders, off loading docks–and other places specific to your workplace…

23 Aug 2015

Reducing Beryllium Exposure

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23 Aug 2015 Safety

OSHA is proposing to dramatically lower its decades-old permissible exposure limit for beryllium to one-tenth of the current level.

The current PEL for the metal is 2.0 micrograms of respirable beryllium per cubic meter of air. The agency’s proposal would set the PEL at 0.2 µg/m³. An official notice of proposed rulemaking was published Aug. 7.

25 Jul 2015

Preventing Heat Stress

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25 Jul 2015 Safety

The National Weather Service has predicted that Louisiana’s August temperatures will be 20 to 40% above normal.

Prime Occupational Medicine would like to encourage you to prevent your workers from becoming the next statisics! Heat related illnesses are easily prevented if you and your employees know what steps to take:

22 Jul 2015

Understanding the Hazards of Silica

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22 Jul 2015 Safety

Each year, more than 300 American workers die from silicosis, and thousands of new cases are diagnosed. Silicosis is the name given to incurable lung damage that occurs when workers inhale dusts that contain crystalline silica.

Silica comes in different forms, but crystalline silica is the type that causes scarring in the lungs. Crystalline silica is found in granite, sandstone, quartzite, and various other rocks and sand. Workers who inhale very small crystalline silica particles are at risk for silicosis.

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