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Why replace traditional cleaning products with plant-based ones? 

New recommendations may change the way you think about blood pressure.  The ACC/AHA* developed these categories for defining and treating high blood pressure in 2017:  

This holiday season, give yourself the gift of sleep.  Did you know that adults require seven hours of sleep every night?  Getting sufficient sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being.  It improves memory and focus, and even improves our mood.  Unfortunately, getting fewer than seven hours of sleep regularly is associated with health problems such as high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.  Certain treatable health conditions, such as sleep apnea, can leave us feeling drowsy during the day.  If you're feeling slee

How to prevent diabetes?  Learn more about it.  Did you know that one in three Americans has Prediabetes, a precursor to diabetes? Did you also know that Prediabetes is REVERSIBLE?  Lifestyle changes are powerful and can PREVENT the onset of type 2 Diabetes:

-Increasing your activity level 

-Making healthy food choices 

Learn more at: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/index.html

Respirators are worn by millions of U.S.

It’s summer, with longer days and more leisure time, it’s a great time to get active.  Consider these reasons to invest in yourself as advocated by the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/features/physical-activity/index.html

As summer approaches, now is the time to create safe work practices for outdoor work in the heat.  Cal/OSHA recommends these 4 steps:

Close contact with co-workers can make staying healthy a challenge during flu season.  Getting a flu vaccine every year is the best way to prevent flu.  The CDC recommends these other important actions to protect yourself and others from getting and spreading the flu: (https://www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceutical-interventions/workplace/employees.html)

1. Stay home when you are sick

Cal/OSHA’s new Silica standard took effect in June, 2017, and has been enforced since Fall 2017.  The standard contains a new permissible exposure limit (PEL) as well as new requirements for medical surveillance. https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/1532_3.html

Workers who inhale fine crystalline silica particles are at increased risk of developing serious silica-related diseases, including:

This holiday season, join the CDC in promoting sustainability with its “Go Green for the Holidays” suggestions.  The season of giving can be an opportunity to give responsibly and with care for the environment.  How you wrap gifts, which types of decorations you hang, and how you shop can positively impact your environment and your community.  Here are some of the CDC’s sustainable holiday ideas:

This week is the California Department of Public Health’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (October 22-28). Many workers are still exposed to lead on the job, and may risk inadvertently exposing their families to lead when bringing home lead dust from work on clothes, shoes, or tools. In work environments with lead, employees can prevent exposure with careful personal hygiene such as washing hands at break times and changing clothes prior to leaving the worksite. Click on the links below to learn more about working safely around lead:

According to AAALAC International, Allergic reactions to animals, occasionally resulting in the development of occupation-related asthma, are among the most common conditions that adversely affect the health of personnel in the animal research environment. It is estimated that the prevalence of allergies in animal care workers range from 10% to 44%. Preplacement screening evaluations, attention to facility design, work practices, and the use of personal protective equipment can reduce the potential development of laboratory animal allergy and possibly alter its severity.

Two decades of data from California suggests that being exposed to fragrances at work can increase one’s chance of developing asthma or trigger a flare-up of pre-existing asthma. Fragrance exposure may occur with the use of air fresheners or when coworkers use fragrances for personal care.

This month, the California Department of Public Health brought attention to a potentially serious health risk for California outdoor workers in the Central Valley. Valley Fever (or, coccidioidomycosis) can affect workers who dig in the soil. It is a fungal illness caused by inhaling spores found in soil in parts of the Southwestern U.S. Employers in these areas are encouraged to help prevent Valley fever by training employees, taking measures to control dust, and suspending outdoor work during heavy winds.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is celebrating National Healthy Homes Month this month.  Paying attention to both indoor air quality and physical hazards can contribute to our wellness.  Some of HUD’s recommendations to create a safe and healthy environment inside our homes include: