Most accidents occur when there is an unplanned transfer of energy from one place to another. As an example, a hammer dropped from a height will have kinetic energy, and when the falling hammer is stopped by hitting another object it will exert a force...
Back pain is a big problem – studies have estimated that 540 million people around the world suffer from back pain at any one time. More than 4 million working days a year in the UK are lost because of it, and in the USA...
What is the body mass index and how do we define obesity? The body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly accepted measure of general obesity, and is one of the tests included in seafarer medical examinations. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms...
Terminal velocity is the highest velocity attainable by an object as it falls through a fluid (air is the most common example). It occurs when the sum of the drag force and the buoyancy is equal to the downward force of gravity acting on the...
Your eyes are amazing things. Did you know: Your eyes are capable of focusing on 50+ things at any given second. Your eyes have the fastest lens known to mankind. They are much faster than any camera lens. While camera lenses take a few seconds...
Personal protective equipment, or “PPE”, is often considered as our first protection from workplace hazards. THIS IS WRONG – PPE is our LAST line of defence against hazards and to stay safe it is important to remember this. WHEN DESIGNING SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK A “HIERARCHY...
WHAT IS HEAT STRESS? Heat stress occurs when the body’s means of controlling its internal temperature starts to fail. As well as air temperature, factors such as work rate, humidity and clothing worn while working may lead to heat stress. HOW DOES THE BODY REACT TO HEAT? Your...
The Five Ways to Well-being are a set of evidence-based public mental health messages aimed at improving the mental health and well-being of the whole population. They were developed by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), a British charitable institution that promotes “social, economic and environmental justice”....
Since the dawn of history, mankind has made use of naturally occurring substances for medicinal, religious and social purposes. These substances may be used to control pain, to make people feel relaxed and happy, or to alter mental perception. These natural substances, and an even...
In 2013, around 54 million people worldwide sustained injuries from road traffic accidents. This resulted in 1.4 million deaths. This means that nearly 27,000 people a week were killed in vehicle crashes. The death rate is highest in Africa (24.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants) and...