Editorial

Editorial Archive

Stop sitting down!

October 2020

The UK Heart Research advises that unless you are a wheelchair user, there is evidence to show that prolonged periods of sitting can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Modern technology has changed how we spend our work and leisure time. It is not uncommon for people to spend several hours every day sitting behind a desk, watching TV, playing computer games or sitting at the wheel of a car. We have some tips to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting.

The UK NHS provides advice on activities that are suitable for wheelchair users with different physical abilities: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/wheelchair-users-fitness-advice

Take regular breaks from your seat

Whenever you are going to be sitting for prolonged periods of time, set an alarm to remind yourself to get up and move around regularly. If you are sitting watching TV, why not use the advert breaks to prompt you to get moving. You could use this time to run up and down the stairs, dance around the living room or do some star jumps.

Step away from your desk

The government has recently advised us to work from home over the winter if we can. As a result of this, many people are missing out on their active commute to work, such as walking or cycling. If you are working from home without moving much, you could set a timer to remind yourself to get up and move at regular intervals. Why not set yourself a 5- to 10-minute chore to complete once an hour that will get you moving, such as hanging laundry, hoovering or cleaning windows.

Active phone calls

Avoid staying seated during phone calls. Use the opportunity to walk around or do some squats and lunges. If you own exercise equipment, such as a stationary bike or treadmill, you could hop on for the duration of your phone call. Be careful not to get too out of breath during your phone call. You could pump up the pace for a few minutes after the call ends.

Choose hobbies that will get you moving

If your hobbies involve lots of time sitting, such as needlework, computer games, board games, reading or painting, try to get up and move around at regular intervals. You could set a timer to remind yourself to move more often. You could also look for new hobbies that will get you moving more, such as gardening, walking and DIY. If you enjoy reading, why not listen to an audio book through headphones while you take a walk or read while you pedal on a stationary bike.

Is online shopping keeping you in your seat?

Unless you are shielding or self-isolating due to COVID-19, you could switch from sitting in front of a screen to do online food shopping and start walking or cycling to the shops instead. Not only will this increase your physical activity, but it will also free up supermarket delivery slots for vulnerable people who need them the most.

OSH UPDATE + FIRE

You will also find lots of advice on keeping fit and healthy in OSH UPDATE + FIRE that is

• long established from mid 1990s with some of the databases in the collection service having information going back over 80 years or more.
• easily searchable by keywords, titles, journal names, standard number, authors, organisations, and will keep you and your colleagues alerted to hot topics such as coronavirus, COVID-19, air pollution, robots in the workplace, stress, violence and aggression in the workplace, workplace health risks, lone workers, preparedness and business continuity, risk assessment, bio-terrorism, management of road risks, all aspects of fire and related fire topics, workplace health and safety including mental health and much more.
• arguably the largest electronic collection in the World with very wide range of subject areas from worldwide sources. There is a special collection of OSH legislation, guidance and advice within OSH UPDATE and FIRE! And the subscription is very budget friendly!

The 26 databases and contents are from worldwide class organisations such as the US NIOSH, the UK Health and Safety Executive, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and many more similar global organisations.

Because of the current world challenges to control the pandemic it is a good time for all organisations worldwide to review their health and safety goals for 2020 and beyond decide on the training or re-training that is needed for all levels of staff and most definitely update their information resources.

Check out these successful efforts that are collected in OSH UPDATE + FIRE and OSHWORLD and introduce them into your workplace!

It is always good to keep researching and finding out if there are services and other ways of keeping up to date in this fast-changing world of ours.

Time is precious and many people are really stretched in their jobs and find it difficult to keep ahead in current knowledge that they should have for their jobs.

So, help is at hand for those working in health, safety and fire and fire-related industries which are brought together in an easy to use web service entitled OSH UPDATE + FIRE that is constantly updated.

Then try these long established Practical, Affordable Solutions for your health, safety, fire and environment information needs for a 15-DAY FREE NO OBLIGATION TRIAL contact: Sheila Pantry Associates Ltd | email: sp@sheilapantry.com | or fill in the Interest form www.sheilapantry.com/interest.html

Events

Many meetings and events have been cancelled worldwide because of the Coronavirus pandemic – but optimistically many events are now being arranged for months ahead and many converted to webinars. Look at the details – where possible, we add in the web sites of these events so you can request further information. And do let me know if you are organising any OSHE events so that these can be added to the OSHWORLD Diary.

FOCUS

This month’s OSHWORLD FOCUS is RoSPA Health and Safety Awards 2021 launched.

OSHWORLD – your portal to some great OSH and FIRE web sites in the world

Wherever you are in the world have a look at your health, safety, chemical, fire and environment procedures in your workplace and update them. Your review may also indicate training requirements and re-thinking how systems and services can be improved. This is where the free-of-charge OSHWORLD can help you.

Resources

In addition to the above we hope that you find the information in OSHWORLD useful in your daily work. Globally there are continually new titles, news items, new products so remember to look at the News to find the latest information from a range of worldwide sources.

Use OSHWORLD as your portal to many hundreds of validated and authoritative web sites that you can find in the Country and Subject links we offer. New subject topics are constantly brought together on web sites, e.g. nanotechnology and the workplace.

Most information services have a reference shelf where you can quickly check the reference sources – so OSHWORLD brings you a collection of Reference sources and also teaches you how to Search the Internet.

Visit the various Bookshops to order any new document as they are being published. Many of these Bookshops have a constant stream of new titles available.

Please send any suggestions or comments about OSHWORLD – your portal to validated and authoritative information. Remember also to look at our other really useful sites – www.sheilapantry.com and why not make a free entry about your company’s products in www.shebuyersguide.com

Don’t forget to learn from history – visit www.historyofosh.org.uk
An invaluable resource for students, lecturers, trainers, health and safety professionals and others with a general interest in industrial history, the site sets out developments from the 1802 Factory Act all the way through to the most recent regulatory changes made by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Also visit www.sheilapantry.com/memorial

Don’t work harder – work smarter! Be ahead of the game.

Well did you have a zero accident, incident-free and healthy 2019 in your workplace? Some would argue that this is not possible! But keep on trying again in 2020 and finding new ways of working safely in the COVID-19/Coronavirus world.