Does Your Work Make You Sick?

This is exactly what we need to kick start the economy and get people off perpetual unemployment/welfare.............studies showing that work is bad for you.

GREAT!!!!!!!

We have implemented hand sanitizer dispensers all over the factory and in the restrooms. There are toilet seat covers in the stalls and we offer flu shots to every employee. In our monthly meetings we educate employees on different illnesses going around and different steps on how to protect themselves from contracting them. About all you can do is educate and offer the means of protection from illnesses, but in the end it's the responsibility of each individual to practice good hygiene and protect themselves the best they can.

Do coworkers and bosses who give everyone headaches when they are around count as a work place health issue?

I believe they do. I know mine gives me a headache every day. I wander if I can get family medical leave for that?

Does your work make you sick?

In the context of hygiene, a regular sanitizing cleaning of work spaces (i.e. bathrooms) is important. In my workplace, a janitorial service does this several times a week.

As for monitoring cleanliness, I would be interested in methods of monitoring or understanding indicators that this facility is monitored (germ sniffers?, air quality analyzers?). I suspect this facility does NOT monitor cleanliness in this regard that it is a luxury (Overhead expense that would not be allowed).

Addressing the saying that "work can make us sick" are non-biological aspects such as workplace tensions, hostilities, etc comes to mind. In this context, one step I take is breaks; real, go out and get into another frame of mind, breaks. Another step is going to the gym at lunch 3 days a week. Intense Cardio exercise helps me cope with work tensions and increases my resistance to biological illness.

Other than that, I wash my hands and take care NOT to touch the door handle on the way out of the restroom, as I have witnessed others leaving without washing their hands.

I like how Ellen DeGeneres descrbes touch free technology; We use the "touch free" soap dispenser and wash our hands under the "touch free" water spout and dry with the "touch free" hand dryer then grab the "disease infested" door handle on our way out of the restroom.

Ever go any place in the third world? Sanitation? What sanitation!

One of the problems today is that everyone has too little exposure to everyday germs, bacteria.

Some of the replies border on fruitcake!

Yes, I have been to third world countries (military)

Sanitation? Very little if any.

No problem with expsoure there.

I worked in many countries over a 30 year period. Some better and some worse.

I feel ill every time the TV people start to scream about disease following some disaster. In many places people are living more or less like always - very poorly but surviving.

This entire train of thought seems to be a bit of mental illness - or maybe just someone working on a way to get time off.

Studies I have seen in the headlines indicate that the typical desktop is "dirtier" than the typical public toilet seat. At least the toilet seat gets cleaned regularly. And now, so does MY desktop and keyboard and mouse.

How about the steering wheel in your car?

Whenever I remember it and have sanitizing wipes. And kitchen grabbing surfaces.

So many germs, so many surfaces... My age is currently "the new 30" and I'm pretty darn healthy, so I'm not going to really worry much more about it until I get to the age where a bout of the flu can reasonably take me out for good - 20 years or so.

Stress (in the work place) contributes to a depressed immune system as well as the changes which contribute to weight gain along with hypertension and other ill effects.

Changing a few hygiene practices are easy, but changing a company's culture is a whole other world. Until it can be shown to improve the bottom line, companies will continue being lean and mean.

Gonna add ya another "GA", here, re: 'Culture-changing' (even tho you meant it in a different context) ~

When a company has survived for decades treating a certain department as its ugly stepchild, a "necessary evil", or other wicked 'aphorism', and after years of diligent hard work you find yourself at the center of that target, you are made to feel as tho you are

filthy vile worthless nasty contemptible disgusting despicable ignominious ... literally killing your spirit, with a very real impact (negative) on your immune system.

"Cheers"...