We know that many of you see us primarily at educational events. Perhaps it’s at a health and safety conference, a meeting, or at one of our symposia. We often don’t have an opportunity to effectively share all of the pretty cool research that is happening in our labs and in the field.

Researchers at CROET are eager to learn more about what is important to you and your workplace, as well as to share their findings. We have recently updated information on our website to better share our accomplishments and highlights with you. It may be that there is a lot more happening than you imagined behind our walls. Did you know, for example, that our Genome Sciences group has developed patented technologies to repair sunlight-induced DNA damage? Or that our Nervous System Damage and Repair group has identified proteins that coordinate nerve growth and muscle excitation during normal development and following injury?

CROET has been built as a series of integrated programs, linking our outreach and education programs to our research programs – from workplace interventions down through human and laboratory research to research at the molecular and cellular level. We hope that you take a few minutes to learn about some of our specific highlights and accomplishments. And next time we see you – at GOSH or another conference or symposium – tell us what you think!

Resources:
CROET’s Accomplishments
Publications
CROET Research and Laboratories

We face so many challenges within our healthcare system. And here at CROET we are working to understand how to help make our community’s caregivers healthier and safer on and off the job. We are aware of issues many caregivers face day after day – sleep deprivation, stress, shift work, and workplace violence. Sometimes we forget to reflect on the amazing work done by real people caring for real patients that we love.

Please consider these words of thanks, shared by someone near and dear to my heart. And don’t forget to thank a caregiver that you know.

“Events last summer have given me profound respect, indeed affection, for our health care system. I was the recipient of two ambulance trips to emergency following 911 calls.  I was hospitalized 13 days and then spent 20 days in rehab. In all, I was cared for by about 20 nurses, aides, occupational and physical therapists – all of them professional to the highest degree and unusually caring.  I cannot say enough about the emergency team of firefighters and medics from Station 20.  They were, fast, efficient, young, strong and gentle. The best I can recall is they all looked like they were right out of central casting. And they saved my life.  At 83 I am now exercising 5-6 days a week and living independently without in home aid. Although it has taken weeks for my body and soul to heal I am bowled over by our health care system and so grateful. There are many unsung heroes – firefighters, nurses, therapists and doctors. Thanks to one and all.”

Resources
Oregon Healthy Workforce Center Projects
CROETweb topic: Healthcare

As a way to help members of CROET, OHSU and the community get to know and meet our staff at CROET, we have been holding regular seminars to showcase their research. One of the seminars within our Young Investigator Highlight series was given by Rob Wright, a Postdoctoral Researcher working with CROET’s Ryan Olson, on January 9^th.  Rob recently completed his PhD in Social Psychology and Occupational Health Psychology at Portland State University and has been with CROET  for 18 months.

Rob Wright

Say the word ‘work stress’ and just about everyone has an idea of what that means, at least to them. In fact, work stress is a pervasive part of almost any job, affecting nearly every employee and organization on important outcomes such as employee turnover, decreased productivity, cardiovascular disease and poor mental health. This highlights the importance of employees adopting effective strategies to handle or cope with their work stressors in order to prevent or reduce these negative outcomes.

Recent research from the Oregon Nurse Retention Project (ONRP), a collaborative effort between Portland State University, Clemson University and Oregon Nurses Association, suggests that effectively coping with work stressors, particularly interpersonal work stressors, may be greatly aided by the use of focused coping. Focused coping is using fewer coping strategies more than all others to cope with the stressor. In other words, rather than using multiple coping strategies (e.g., actively doing something about the problem, laughing about the situation, seeking social support), focused coping is the use of one or two coping strategies (e.g., seeking social support).

Using a sample of 144 RN’s across the entire state of Oregon in a 12-week weekly experience survey, this study found that those nurses who used focused coping rated their coping efforts in dealing with interpersonal work stressors (e.g., interpersonal conflict at work) as much more effective than those who did not use focused coping. This relationship was also true when other factors such as the amount of perceived control, level of support in the work environment, and typical weekly workload were considered. Moreover, those nurses who used focused coping had fewer physical health complaints and less job burnout than those who did not use focused coping. As such, this suggests that stress coping training regarding focused coping and allowing employees the opportunity to share effective coping strategies with each other may be a good practical way that organizations can help foster improved coping outcomes.

Submitted by Rob Wright. Questions? Contact Dr. Wright.

Resources
Total Worker Health resources on CROETweb
CROET’s Scientific Seminars

The planning committee to Oregon’s Wellness@Work program, now located in the Oregon Public Health Institute (OPHI), met Monday (January 14) to confirm and extend its mission, objectives, and organization. Pictured is the group meeting at Kaiser Permanente in Portland; others are on the phone.  Dawn Robbins, program manager, lead the meeting.

Wellness@ Work provides tools to:

• Assess your company’s wellness culture and environment
• Tailor model policies to meet your organization’s needs (in wellness)
• Inspire other employers with worksite wellness success stories

Look at their excellent website to access their tools and to view videos of companies telling interesting success stories about their wellness in the workplace programs.

Wellness@Work is supported by CROET at OHSU and the Oregon Healthy WorkForce Center by participation in the planning committee and by reference on our websites.

Perhaps by now you’ve gotten word on the 2013 Oregon Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Conference. Maybe you’ve attended before and already have it on your calendar for March 4-7, 2013. If not, make sure to visit the GOSH website, and review the enormous program containing over 150 technical sessions. You’re sure to see why this event is touted as the largest event of its kind in the Northwest. And when you do attend, make sure you stop by and see exhibitors like CROET, the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center, Let’s Get Healthy!, and O[yes] in the exhibit hall on Tues., March 5-Wed, March 6.

What about wellness? We are looking for presenters to share their favorite wellness tools during the full day GOSH course Excellence in Worksite Wellness: Taking Your Program to the Next Level (session 706), on Thursday, March 7. The goal of the Favorite Tools part of the day is to share something that you have used or seen that you think the participants would be excited to learn about. The idea is similar to a program SAIF Corporation has sponsored internally called Cool Tools. So, do you have a favorite wellness tool? Perhaps an app or a website or product that has been particularly useful within your work team? If so, we would love to hear about it! To learn more or propose a tool, please contact Jim Nusser.

And by all means – whatever your interests in workplace safety, health and wellness – plan to attend the 2013 GOSH!

Resources:
More on CROET & the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center at GOSH

Motor vehicle-related accidents are perennially the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the United States. Between 2003-2009, thirty-five percent of all occupational fatalities were associated with motor vehicles as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although a variety of factors are associated with this statistic, adverse weather conditions can play a major contributory role. In Oregon, we deal with a wide variety of weather-associated hazards: rainfall, wet pavement and flooding; snow and icing; freezing rain and ice storms; fog ⎯ these are just a few of the hazards we face during inclement weather.

With the arrival of winter weather in Oregon, it is never too late to prepare yourself, both physically and mentally for driving under adverse conditions. Here are some links to helpful resources that will help you to make a safe transition into winter weather driving:

Minnesota Department of Public Safety: Winter Driving

Weather Underground: Winter Driving Preparedness

Portland Bureau of Transportation

Occupational Safety & Health Administration: Winter Storms

Oregon OSHA: Vehicle safety for small businesses in the construction

January has arrived. 364 days of 2013 await us – much of it still an unfilled, undetermined calendar. What are your plans? Resolutions? Initiatives? 

At CROET we have many – plans, resolutions and initiatives.  We look forward to more opportunities to work together with you, our partners here at OHSU, in Oregon, and throughout the U.S. and beyond.

Happy New Year. What does 2013 hold?

About CROET
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e-newsletters
publications

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and toxic gas that results from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil, wood, and coal. Each year in the United States, more than 400 people die from accidental carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, more than 20,000 visit emergency rooms and more than 4,000 are hospitalized due to CO exposure. CO-related injury and death is most common during the colder months of the year, when the doors are closed and the heat is on, and during natural disasters, when people are likely to use electrical generators or cook and heat with combustible materials such as charcoal. In industry, CO poisoning occurs most often in the service sector, agriculture, construction and manufacturing. The signs and symptoms of acute exposure to carbon monoxide may include headache, flushing, nausea, vertigo, weakness, irritability and unconsciousness. Permanent central nervous system injury is also possible.

Below are some tips that can help you to prevent CO exposure in the home:

1. Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
2. Install a battery-operated or battery back-up CO detector in your home and check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall.
3. Seek prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or nauseous.
4. Don’t use a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove, or other gasoline or charcoal-burning device inside your home, basement, or garage or near a window.
5. Don’t run a car or truck inside a garage attached to your house, even if you leave the door open
6. Don’t burn anything in a stove or fireplace that isn’t vented.
7. Don’t heat your house with a gas oven.

Excellent sources for information on how to prevent CO poisoning can be found on the websites of the US Centers for Disease Control, National Library of Medicine, OR-OSHA and Federal OSHA.

‘Tis time for Oregon high school student producers to think about what creative piece they will submit for this year’s O[yes] Speak up. Work safe. video contest! Thanks to continuing support from sponsors, creators of the top three winning videos earn cash prizes for themselves with matching prizes for their schools.

Although the contest deadline isn’t until February 1, 2013, you might encourage any students you know to begin thinking about their angle and message. And share the contest webpage with students, teachers and anyone else who might be interested in the contest. O[yes] welcomes entries from all reaches of Oregon.

2012 video finalists.

Submissions will be judged on the following:

• A teen worker health and safety message based on the concept of “Speak up. Work shouldn’t cost you your future” as the main focus of the video (See rules for more specific details.)
• Creativity and originality
• Overall production value (video and audio quality)
• Youth appeal

Following the contest, videos are used by O[yes] at educational events and exhibits, on YouTube, and in the classroom. The mission of O[yes] is to prevent young worker injuries and fatalities.

Resources
2013 O[yes] Video Contest Info
O[yes] Website
O[yes] finalist videos from 2009-2012 on YouTube

CROET research faculty and outreach are meeting to learn about a model of a research program developed by Liberty Mutual (workers compensation) Insurance Company, discuss CROET’s accomplishments in recent years and to consider its research program going forward. We broke up into small work groups to develop new concepts or ideas for research that would involve collaborations between CROET faculty/staff, OHSU departments, Oregon state organizations (e.g., Workers’ Compensation Division, Oregon OSHA, Oregon Health Authority), labor and business (including Worker’s Compensation insurance companies SAIF and Liberty) in Oregon, and other Universities or colleges in Oregon or the region. The overall goal is to shape a research program that brings basic and intervention (applied) faculty and outreach and education staff together to address important workplace problems or needs in Oregon and to think about how best to engage with other partners that would support the research and dissemination of the results. Pictured is the CROET gathering in Forest Grove taking place as this is written.