Featured Facts Sheets
Hand Washing: Reducing the Risk of Common Infections
Is it important to wash your hands? Simply put, yes. Hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infections. You can spread certain "germs" (a general term for pathogens like viruses and bacteria) casually by touching another person. You can also catch germs when you touch contaminated objects or surfaces and then you touch your face (mouth, eyes, and nose). "Good" hand washing techniques includes using an adequate amount of soap, rubbing the...
Walking - Benefits
Why should I walk? The phrase "Walking is man's best medicine," allegedly spoken by Hippocrates two millennia ago, is even more timely today. This fact is particularly true in industrialized societies where new technologies have not only changed the way we work but, even more profoundly, have also affected our lifestyles by reducing the physical effort of most of our daily activities (with the exception of sports). What are the health benefits of physical activity? Health Canada...
Fatigue
What is fatigue? In occupational health and safety, there is not a single definition of fatigue. Fatigue is often thought of as the state of feeling very tired, weary or sleepy resulting from various sources such as insufficient sleep, prolonged mental or physical work, or extended periods of stress or anxiety. Boring or repetitive tasks can intensify feelings of fatigue. Fatigue can be described as either acute or chronic. However, fatigue can include mental, physical, or subjective states....
Noise - Measurement of Workplace Noise
Why measure noise in the workplace? Measuring noise levels and workers' noise exposures is the most important part of a workplace hearing conservation and noise control program . It helps identify work locations where there are noise problems, employees who may be exposed to noise levels that can cause hearing loss , and where additional noise measurements need to be made. This information also helps determine appropriate noise control measures that need to be put in place. How is workplace...