Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of May 28, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from why one’s mental health can impact her/his body’s aging to how scientists are applying COVID-related research techniques to help identify drug misuse in communities to the pros and cons of retiring abroad. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of industries across the board insisting that OSHA treat the mental health aspects of safety in the workplace with the same level of care that they currently require for the physical aspects of safety. Recently, a major contractor took a stand on this very issue in spite of OSHA’s claim that these hazards “are outside the agency’s purview for providing a safe workplace.” Hopefully, the research about to get underway on psychological safety in the construction industry will help provide additional evidence to move OSHA from a passive stance to an active approach to mental health. Focusing only on the physical aspects of safety is a half-hearted strategy to keeping workers safe. After all, people do not leave their personal baggage at the time clock. What more needs to be considered? It is no secret that: 1) Illegal drug use exists on the job (white- and blue-collar); and 2) Addiction is a brain disease. As May (Mental Health Month) comes to a close, let’s commit to making mental health in the workplace an everyday issue not unlike requiring tool guards, masks, and hearing & eye protection. If our workers truly are our most valuable asset, then why are we waiting to include at least a 1-hour segment addressing these mental health “hazards” in our OSHA-10 and OSHA-30 courses?
Pushing US-DOL’s OSHA to require Suicide Awareness training
New grant awarded to study psychological safety in construction
Getting to know the adolescent brain
Youth promoting MH for the young
Youth / Social Media / Surgeon General / MH (1)
Youth / Social Media / Surgeon General / MH (2)
On MH and the aging of your body
DEA / Opioids license / Failures
Lessons learned from COVID wastewater & Drug overdoses
Why ALL of us should carry Narcan!
Is OR legalizing psychedelics?
Ozempic: Who pays for weight loss?
New kickoff rule = A safer NFL?
On worker shortages & rolling back Child Labor Laws
US having fewer babies: Impact of Limited Social Mobility & Weak Safety Net
Share of immigrant workforce grows in USA
Surge in youth immigrants reaching the US border
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
Missouri Household Survey: Broadband
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
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