“Manchete alemã!” Maioria dos pilotos com depressão esconde doença das empresas

A maioria dos pilotos que sofrem de depressão oculta a doença das companhias e das autoridades aéreas, segundo um estudo divulgado hoje (5) pelo jornal alemão Bild. O problema veio à tona após a queda do avião da Germanwings, com 150 pessoas a bordo, no último dia 24, na região dos Alpes franceses. O copiloto da companhia, Andreas Lubitz, que teria deliberadamente derrubado avião, que fazia a ligação entre Barcelona (Espanha) e Dusseldorf (Alemanha), sofria de depressão e, segundo a investigação em curso, fez buscas na internet sobre métodos de suicídio na véspera da viagem. Segundo o estudo divulgado pelo Bild, o caso de Andreas Lubitz não é único entre os pilotos, que procuram esconder os problemas de saúde dos seus superiores. A análise, do diretor do Departamento de Medicina da Organização Civil Internacional da Aviação, Anthony Evans, datada de novembro de 2013, revela a existência de déficits graves no acompanhamento dos pilotos em matéria de saúde mental. De acordo com o estudo, cerca de 60% dos pilotos que sofrem algum tipo de depressão decidem continuar a voar sem comunicar aos empregadores. Com base na análise de 1.200 casos de pilotos com depressão, o trabalho de Evans revela que cerca de 15% dos profissionais optam por tratar-se em segredo com medicamentos que conseguem por seus próprios meios, e apenas 25% declaram ao empregador que está fazendo tratamento.   O estudo resulta da observação de casos entre 1997 e 2001, informa o Bild, que destaca ainda a enorme pressão a que são submetidos os pilotos e o fato de um diagnóstico de depressão implicar seu afastamento do serviço. A investigação alemã sobre queda do avião da Germanwings revelou que Lubitz fez, há alguns anos, antes de receber a licença de piloto, tratamento psicoterapêutico por ter tendências suicidas. Nas buscas à casa do copiloto e dos pais foi descoberto que Andreas Lubitz estava em tratamento e que tinha um atestado médico para o dia da catástrofe, que não tinha comunicado à companhia. Fonte: Agência Brasil Comentário: Esta “manchete” bem tendenciosa, me leva a muitos questionamentos: E os programas de prevenção e diagnóstico precoce a saúde mental a saúde dos trabalhadores em trabalhos expostos a ambiente insalubre, periculosidade e alto risco ?  Estes programas são realizados na prática ?  São realizadas consultas periódicas com profissionais da saúde mental custeados pela compania?  Quais foram as medidas preventivas realizadas pelas empresas ?  Será que a compania se limitou de somente cumprir a legislação? Será que tudo que estudamos sobre saúde mental, ouvimos em congressos por palestrantes nacionais e lemos em caros livros, na prática representam meras obras de ficção? Agora, fazer busca na casa do falecido é comparável ao ato de um abutre farejando carniça. Uma forma de desviar o foco e direcionar toda a culpa para uma só pessoa. Este acidente ainda está muito mal esclarecido! Comentado por Dr. Gustavo Coutinho Bacellar – Médico do Trabalho

150 people died in plane Accidental France

An Airbus A320 of the German company Germanwings fell on Tuesday morning in southern France, killing 150 people (144 passengers and 6 crew members.

The plane was going from Barcelona (Spain) to Dusseldorf (Germany) and fell by steep so 8min

Were aboard 67 German, 45 Spanish and Turkish

The wreck is at 2,000 meters altitude in the Alps.

A black box was found. Accident causes are still unknown.

Source: G1

150 people died in plane Accidental France

An Airbus A320 of the German company Germanwings fell on Tuesday morning in southern France, killing 150 people (144 passengers and 6 crew members.

The plane was going from Barcelona (Spain) to Dusseldorf (Germany) and fell by steep so 8min

Were aboard 67 German, 45 Spanish and Turkish

The wreck is at 2,000 meters altitude in the Alps.

A black box was found. Accident causes are still unknown.

Source: G1

911 Truth! American heroes patients!

NEW YORK, New York (CNN) — Nearly three out of every four workers who participated in rescue and recovery efforts at the site of the collapsed World Trade Center towers have experienced some health problems, a federally funded study found.

The study, conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Mount Sinai Hospital, was based on the screenings of 3,500 workers at Ground Zero and the Staten Island landfill, where tons of debris was trucked after the attacks.

The preliminary results, based on 250 of the first screenings, suggest lingering health issues for a majority of the workers, and for many, a delayed diagnosis.

“Seventy-three percent of the sample had ear, nose and throat symptoms, or abnormal ear, nose and throat physical exam findings, or both”

Said Dr. Robin Herbert, co-director of the screening program.

Herbert said 57 percent of those tested had lung problems and 20 percent had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

An estimated 35,000 workers — who responded from all across the country after the worst terrorist attacks on U.S. soil

— were exposed to concrete dust that may have contained asbestos, lead, fiberglass and other particles released when the twin towers collapsed after being hit by two hijacked aircraft. All are eligible for the free and confidential exams, which end in July.

“This particular screening program is very unique. Never before has an occupational medical screening program involving as many workers as are involved in this program been launched”

Said Dr. John Howard, director of NIOSH.

One of those who participated in the medical study is Frank Greer, a sheet metal worker, who said the privilege of serving in recovery efforts came at a huge price.

“I’m really worried about my kids and the future. I want to be there to take care of them,”

Greer said.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, helped obtain the program’s initial $12 million in funding.

 

“This is an American priority, to take care of these brave men and women” Clinton said.

The senator said she is seeking an additional $90 million so that Ground Zero workers can be screened and treated. At present, those screened receive diagnostic evaluations and a referral, but no treatment reimbursement.

“I would even hope the president would address this issue in his State of the Union address”

Clinton said.

“I can’t imagine anything better than having the president of the United States saying, ‘We stand with our own.’ Just like in the military, we don’t leave anybody behind in our homeland either”

She added.

Source: CNN

Be Competitive! – Advantages of Investing in Best ergonomic conditions

Many employers give short shrift to the ergonomic designs of equipment such as desks and chairs when outfitting work spaces for teleworkers.

That is a mistake, says attorney Charles A. Edwards, a partner in the Raleigh, N.C., law offices of Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, who advises clients on the intricacies of federal and state laws as they apply to ergonomic issues in the workplace. 

(…) However, he notes that federal and many state regulators are still concerned about cumulative trauma disorders, or CTDs, and how companies respond to these injuries. 

CTDs are musculoskeletal disorders involving damage to tendons, bones, muscles, and nerves of the hands, wrists, elbows, neck, and back. 

Edwards says employers should be just as concerned. He tells clients to be aggressive in terms of supplying ergonomically correct equipment to avoid workers’ compensation claims and damaging lawsuits. 

This advice applies to the home offices of telecommuters as well as offices on company property. 

Edwards also tells clients that they should work closely with their ergonomic consultants, workers’ compensation carriers, and industry and trade associations to ensure that they are up to date on current developments. 

At the same time, Edwards advises clients to do whatever they can to properly equip their teleworkers. If employers don’t provide the furniture and equipment, they should make sure employees agree in writing to provide the correct furniture. 

Edwards says this decision should be made from a competitive standpoint, if not from a legal one. He observes that more and more employers are aware of employees’ ergonomic concerns and use this concern as a recruiting advantage over less savvy employers. 

“If you don’t take the right steps, but your competitor does, then the fact is that the worker is more likely to go to work for your competitor,” Edwards says.

June 3, 1999

CNN.com, by Thomas York

Igual ao Cigarro! Rótulos dos agrotóxicos poderão ter ilustrações

Imagens realistas dos danos causados por agrotóxicos poderão ser incluídas nos rótulos desses produtos, assim como ocorre nas carteiras de cigarro. A medida está prevista em projeto de lei (49/15) da deputada Carmen Zanotto (PPS-SC) que altera a Lei dos Agrotóxicos (Lei 7.802/89). A proposta determina que as imagens, com montagens fotográficas, alertarão o usuário quanto aos riscos de intoxicação, caracterizando os possíveis prejuízos e consequências à saúde do homem. Carmen Zanotto destaca que, segundo a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), em média 20 mil pessoas morrem anualmente vítimas dos pesticidas. No Brasil, estima-se que o número seja de 5 mil trabalhadores por ano. Para a deputada, isso se deve à “incapacidade do agricultor e, de um modo geral, do cidadão comum, de lidar com formulados químicos tão complexos e perigosos como os pesticidas”. Atualmente, a lei exige que os rótulos e bulas dos agrotóxicos apresentem informações detalhadas sobre, por exemplo, o manuseio recomendado, as práticas preventivas contra intoxicações, as medidas de primeiros socorros e os riscos potenciais à saúde humana, aos animais e ao meio ambiente. No entanto, Carmen Zanotto acredita que a medida não é suficiente por essas pessoas possuírem reduzida habilidade para entender e avaliar essas informações. “A linguagem escrita não esclarece sobre o perigo a que está se expondo”, argumenta Carmen. Para a deputada, as imagens devem ser as mais realistas possíveis, com o uso de montagens fotográficas, para evitar equívoco no entendimento. Ela acredita ser “justo e humanitário alertar o agricultor do risco em lidar com esses venenos”. Tramitação A proposta, que tramita em caráter conclusivo, será analisada pelas comissões de Seguridade Social e Família; de Agricultura, Pecuária, Abastecimento e Desenvolvimento Rural; e de Constituição e Justiça e de Cidadania. Fonte: Agência Câmara

Undocumented workers have the same rights than any New York citizens

(…) if an undocumented worker is hired by an employer, he or she then has the right to be paid minimum wage and overtime, the right to health protection and workplace safety, and the right to organize to improve labor conditions. (…)

Undocumented workers awarded $3.85 million in accidents

• Story Highlights
• Two undocumented workers from Mexico, one from Ecuador reach settlements
• The three had been injured in different construction accidents around New York
• Attorney says undocumented workers have same rights once they’re on the job
• Advocate says undocumented construction workers often have less-safe site

NEW YORK (CNN) — Two undocumented workers from Mexico and one from Ecuador have reached court settlements in recent weeks for a total of $3.85 million in damages for New York construction-site accidents, an attorney for the men announced Wednesday.

“All three cases involve construction and terribly unsafe working conditions”

“We’re here today to re-emphasize — as we have in the past — to the Latino community and all undocumented workers that they have the same rights once they’re on the job as any New York citizen.”

The attorney, Brian O’Dwyer, said in a news Conference.

A 33-year-old undocumented plumber from Mexico who was scalded by an exploding pipe at a Wall Street construction site in 2004 settled his damage claim for $2.5 million, according to a statement given to reporters at the news conference. The married father of two, who says he still has nightmares from the accident, hopes to open a restaurant or bar with the settlement money, his cousin told reporters.

In a separate statement, owners of the Wall Street site said only that the injured plumber was “employed directly by [the] contractor and not by the owner of the property nor the managing agent.” Reached through a public relations firm, a spokesperson for the contractor, Swig Equities, had no comment.

Another undocumented Mexican worker suffered severe injuries to his left foot and other parts of his body when a steel beam fell on his lower body at a building site in downtown Manhattan, the news conference statement said. The 52-year-old settled his damage claim against Beway Realty Corp. and F.J. Sciame Construction Co. Inc. for $750,000, according to the statement.

David Koeppel, a managing member of Beway Realty, said he was not familiar with the case. F.J. Sciame Construction, the site’s contractor, did not respond to inquiries.

A 36-year-old Ecuadorian laborer who worked at the Arverne by the Sea community in Queens — a neighborhood The New York Times has called a “bright spot” in the housing market for its strong sales and low foreclosure rates — settled a damage claim for $600,000, the news conference statement said.

He was injured when three large 44×10-foot trusses, each weighing 200 pounds, collapsed onto him in August 2007, fracturing his hip and causing other injuries, according to the statement.

The father of three, who had worked in construction for more than a decade and owned his own company at the time of the accident, said he was very sad after the accident because he did not know how he would support his family. His two sons, now 7 and 8, and his 16-year-old daughter were all born in the United States.

“The contractor tried to blame me,” he said at the news conference, speaking in Spanish. What message would he give other workers? “Don’t be afraid to talk to a lawyer.”

Although he had not yet recovered enough to resume construction work, he hopes to use the settlement money to build a home for his family in New Jersey.

Messages left for The Beechwood Organization, developers of Arverne by the Sea, were not returned.

Joel Magallan, executive director of Asociacion Tepeyac, an immigrant advocacy group, said that while construction work is often dangerous, undocumented workers are likely to work at sites that lack safety equipment and OSHA regulation compliance.

“This is a great day for the undocumented immigrants”

Magallan said

“They have to know today that they have rights — the same rights as other workers who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.”

“Many workers are threatened by their employers with deportation or discharge if they bring their cases to court”

O’Dwyer said

“What we find normally on work sites in New York is that deaths occur to the undocumented far out of proportion to their work in the workplace, and that is because of the fact that they just do not receive the safety protections” he said

In 2005, O’Dwyer won a historic $4 million settlement for a 33-year-old Mexican worker who had fallen 30 feet in a scaffolding accident in the Bronx. The injured worker, who was hospitalized for four weeks and underwent seven surgeries after the 2001 accident, told CNN on Wednesday that workers — documented or undocumented — should not to be afraid to stand up for their rights.

Although it is illegal for an employer to knowingly hire a worker who is undocumented, according to the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigration Affairs, if an undocumented worker is hired by an employer, he or she then has the right to be paid minimum wage and overtime, the right to health protection and workplace safety, and the right to organize to improve labor conditions.

“Each of these men was injured in the course of their work on construction sites, and their immigration status was irrelevant to their right to seek redress for those injuries”

O’Dwyer explained in a statement:

“Enforcing laws requiring a safe workplace serves the interests of all Americans, whether they are citizens or not.”

The men involved in the settlements said they chose to remain anonymous to protect relatives outside of the United States, who could become the target of kidnapping schemes if knowledge of their settlements became public.

From CNN International Edition

link: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/17/new.york.undocumented.workers.lawsuit/index.html

Things you should know about the Burnout Syndrome!

When Arianna Huffington collapsed at her desk in 2007, she woke to find herself covered in a pool of blood. Sporting a broken cheekbone from the fall, the incident spurred the editor-in-chief to sit up and rethink her workaholic lifestyle.

Since then, Huffington has made it her mission to raise awareness around work-life balance with her “sleep evangelist” mantra infused across the HuffPost website. From her “GPS for the Soul” app to installing nap rooms inside her New York headquarters, it’s rare for the media mogul not to mention sleep deprivation in TV appearances or her weekly editor’s note.

CNN anchor Maggie Lake sat down with Huffington to discuss redefining success as outlined in her new book “Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Happier Life.”

“It’s very important to recognize [burnout] is a global phenomenon.

I was in South Korea recently where we also have Huffington Post. Stress and burnout are much worse there than in the United States. People consume alcohol four times as much as a way to alleviate stress; 40 people commit suicide a day. You go to China, and stress is now a daily topic of conversation because people have paid such a price.”

“I believe we need to define success beyond the two metrics of money and power.

[We need] to include a third metric that incorporates our health, well-being and wisdom. A capacity to be connected with our better selves… Not to miss the moment — because that’s all we have. We can’t DVR our lives and watch it later.”

“Nothing kills creativity more than burnout.

So in fact, the best thing we can do for our careers is to foster and nurture that creativity and that effectiveness… There is absolutely no trade off between doing well in our jobs and taking care of our own human capital.”

“The situation is changing.

In Germany, Volkswagen gives employees company phones which are automatically turned off at 6pm and then turned on again at 7am… Here in the United States, 35% of large and medium size corporations have introduced some stress reduction policies. Businesses are losing $300 billion a year because of stress… All of these things that we are discussing do not just affect our personal lives, they affect the bottom line.”

“Introducing even five minutes of meditation.

Now meditation is really our quiet time. It is time to unplug from all our devices, unplug from the world… all my smartphones, my iPad, whatever I have is outside my bedroom. I never charge smartphones by the bed.”

See the interview : http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/01/business/is-the-global-workforce-headed-for-a-burnout/index.html

From Maggie Lake, CNN and Lauren Said-Moorhouse, for CNN