Office workers, truck drivers and couch potatoes beware: a University of Western Sydney study has found that men who spend more than four hours of each day sitting down are more likely to experience chronic disease such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. [ + ]

Earthquake-related research by the University of Canterbury psychology team in New Zealand may have significant implications for assessments of work readiness. [ + ]

Dangerous scaffolding, unsafe work at height and inadequate temporary fencing were just some of the 90 safety breaches WorkSafe inspectors found on housing construction sites across western Victoria last month. [ + ]

Washington University engineering researchers have created a new type of air-cleaning technology that could better protect human lungs from allergens, airborne viruses and ultrafine particles in the air. [ + ]

Flowcrete’s Deckshield car park decking system has been used in a major redevelopment project, at a retail site in Johannesburg. [ + ]

A national warehousing company solved the issue of workers’ injury risk by implementing a scissor lift table when unloading goods from a high number of pallets each day. [ + ]

Over the last 10 years, the safety maturity of many commercial and industrial sectors has increased dramatically. No longer is it just the safety managers or supervisors prioritising safety in the workplace, so are workers on all levels. [ + ]

In order to engage and influence the board on safety issues, safety professionals need to be good storytellers. They also need to have the courage to intervene when required. But most importantly, they need to make business sense. These were some of the key messages from day one of the OHS Leaders Summit which is being held in Noosa. [ + ]

Working at heights continues to be a key issue within the safety world and despite continual education we still see workers falling both with safety systems in place and without. [ + ]

A mine site worker who was hospitalised for dehydration three times in a month says his condition only improved after he started drinking Sqwincher rehydration drinks. [ + ]

A study published in Traffic Injury Prevention has found that drivers take more and longer glances at electronic billboards than regular signs, indicating a possible link between these digital signs and highway crashes. [ + ]

Fire safety is an important responsibility for anyone managing a business or facility of any size. To ensure the safety of building or site occupants, it is vital that an adequate fire protection solution is in place and that sufficient fire safety training is provided to building occupants. It is also important that any fire protection equipment on site is routinely serviced so that it is kept in proper working order and ready when needed. [ + ]

A Kansas State University researcher studied cyberloafing - wasting time at work on the internet - and the effects of internet use policies and punishment on reducing cyberloafing. [ + ]

US researchers from Lighting Research Center and Penn State have identified links between visibility and safety from roadway lighting. [ + ]

The role of handheld devices and PDAs (personal digital assistants) has gradually increased from ‘toys’ used by early adopters to day-to-day tools deployed by organisations that want to improve their staff’s productivity and minimise unnecessary administrative tasks. [ + ]