E-News for July 2000
Greetings ALMA Members,
With the growing prevalence of ergonomic and back injuries in the workplace, some labs are considering personal protective equipment that might reduce the risk to workers. The use of back belts when performing tasks requiring lifting or moving heavy objects has grown over the past few years and may even be required by procedure for some tasks within some organizations. These belts were initially used by doctors to provide additional support during rehabilitation of injuries and were later adopted by athletes for weight lifting. The “industrial back belt” has been in use for only a few years with more than 70 versions on themarket. Numerous organizations associated with worker safety have investigated the effectiveness of these belts and the results thus far have been inconclusivethere are no accepted scientific studies that demonstrate a clear benefit derived from wearing a backbelt. In fact, there is concern that wearing a belt will give the worker a false belief that they are protected and may lead them to even greater risk by lifting more weight than they normally would attempt. NIOSH recommends that rather than relying solely on back belts, companies and workers should minimize risk by developing and implementing a comprehensive ergonomics program that includes assessment of all work activities, training on lifting mechanics and techniques, a surveillance program to identify work-related problems, and a medical management program. It also recommends that the use of these belts should always be optional rather than mandatory.
Another type of personal protective equipment, latex gloves, are commonly used by laboratory workers when handling chemicals to prevent exposure to their skin. While providing good protection from the chemicals, these gloves may themselves be the source of a problem. Studies have shown that from 1 to 6% of the general population have a latex allergy with the percentage rising to 8 to 12% among workers who are regularly exposed. Symptoms include: skin irritation; nasal, eye, or sinus irritation; hives; shortness of breath; coughing; wheezing; or unexplained shock. The proteins responsible for latex allergies have been shown to fasten to the powder that is used on some gloves which tends to exacerbate the problem. Once a worker becomes allergic, certain medications may reduce the symptoms but the most important treatment is to prevent further exposure to latex. If any of your lab staff exhibit any allergic reaction symptoms, consider gloves made from a number of alternative materials including nitrile, vinyl, Neoprene, Viton, etc. that are available from your lab supplier.
In an article entitled “Understanding the Difference Between Management and Leadership” (Research Technology Management, 43, 2000, p.57), Michael Maccoby points out that management is a function whereas leadership is a relationship. This distinction becomes very important in today’s flattened organization since management tasks can be effectively delegated but leadership cannot. For example, team members can take on management functions such as planning, budgeting, monitoring quality, dealing with suppliers, etc. but the organization needs a leader to envisage the organizations future, invest the resources to create it, and lead the workforce to implement it. As managers, many of us prefer to spend our time engaged in the management tasks that produce physical output and provide a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day whereas time spent in leadership activities such as talking to the staff are often viewed as unproductive or unrewarding. But consider the case of the GE/Durham plant that assembles engines for the Boeing 777 where management functions have been delegated to worker teams so that there is only one manager for 170 employees. The simple fact is that these administrative skills are relatively common and there are usually several people in the organization who can do them as well as the manager. The real value that a successful manager brings to the organization is leadership—the soft side of the job. The manager’s job is listening, informing, focusing the teams on objectives, and representing the lab to the customer and within the company. There are four things that a leader can do to make an organization successful—selecting talent, motivating people, coaching, and building trust. As lab managers, it is worth reflecting on how much of our time we spend on these leadership activities versus the administrative tasks in judging our own worth to our organizations.
Don’t forget to make your hotel reservations for our 21st annual conference in Palo Alto from Nov. 1 to Nov. 3. Most of you have probably already heard that we had a problem with the hotel rate published in our brochure and will actually be paying $189 per night. But believe it or not, this is still cheaper than the normal rate so make your reservations early and mention ALMA to insure that you get this “low” rate.
If you have any comments, cost saving suggestions, opinions, etc. let me hear from you .
Wayne