Smartphones allow people to be accessible to others 100% of the time. While that, in theory, may improve productivity, it also has the potential to be very disruptive to the work-life balance and the lives of both the phone owner and others.

According to WorkCover, the employer return to work plan is “the written formal offer of suitable duties” and “is designed to make clear what the worker can and cannot do when they return to work, and when this will be reviewed. The plan must be agreed by all relevant parties.”

The Federal Government has partnered with peak employer bodies and unions to deliver initiatives that promote and encourage healthy habits at work.

A Joint Statement of Commitment was signed on 8th September 2011 by the Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Australian Industry Group, the Business Council of Australia, the Council of Small Business of Australia, and the Australian Council of Trade Unions obliging the parties to promote ‘healthier workplaces and healthier workers’.
 

Anyone who deals with injury management knows the value of having a medical certificate issued that matches the injured worker’s abilities to the duties available at the workplace. Equally important is the issue of a final certificate when the worker’s capacity matches that of his/her pre-injury duties. But what information is provided to the treating doctor to make this call?

According to a survey of OHS and risk managers released 13th July 2011 by ComOps, more than half of all companies plan to review their occupational health and safety (OHS) policies due to this year’s natural disasters in Queensland. Results revealed that 78% of organisations found gaps in their OHS policies following the disasters and as a result, risk management strategy is now a greater priority overall.

Australia's economy is paying $730 million a year to meet the costs of depression that arise from excessive job stress, a University of Melbourne and VicHealth report reveals

http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/en/Publications/Economic-participation/Economic-cost-of-job-strain.aspx

A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that workplace psychological stressors such as

Women are now more likely to injure themselves from falling in a pair of high heels than during sport with paramedics reporting a rise in triple-0 calls by women suffering ankle fractures, dislocated knees and broken wrists as a result. In addition chiropractors and podiatrists have seen a dramatic increase in chronic injuries from long term wearing of extreme heels.

A leading orthopaedic surgeon has caused controversy at a public forum on back pain in the workplace by saying that the law should be changed so that workers can no longer receive compensation for low back pain. He felt that patients lost money, self-esteem and chances of further employment in the process of pursuing compensation claims and became victims in the process.

Other specialists, whilst agreeing that compensation has been shown to be associated with slower recovery from pain, believed that it is too simple to imply that compensation has only bad outcomes.

Research has shown some staggering statistics about the prevalence of sleep apnea and the risks associated with it being undiagnosed and untreated. 28% of truck drivers have been shown to suffer sleep apnea i.e. sleep disordered breathing and the consequences of reduced oxygen to the brain and excess fatigue and sleepiness during the day. Research has shown that there is a seven fold increased risk of crash with people suffering sleep apnea. Research has also shown that over 70% of companies’ injury and fatal crash costs can be attributed to sleep apnea.

Glucosamine has become recognised as the natural “drug” to take for osteoarthritic pain when you want to avoid prescriptive medication. However, a new study has found that glucosamine does not help to relieve low back pain.

The study involved 250 people, half of who were given daily doses of glucosamine and the other half a placebo. After six months both groups reported less low back pain and disability but there was no difference in comparison between the two groups.