december 2023
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Inside the December Issue |
Portable X-Ray
The Newest Addition to Your First Aid Kit
BY JEANNE WALTER, CVT
When the first aid kit was originally released
by Johnson and Johnson in 1888,
no one would have thought that emergency
care at the site of the injury could include
portable X-ray technology. At the time, the
first radiographic image was still seven
years away from being taken. Even as the
X-ray brought new insight into diagnostics
and treatment, the cost and size of the
equipment largely limited these systems
to hospitals. This was inconvenient for a
number of reasons, particularly when diagnostic
images were required for injured
workers in remote sites.
Today, however, new technological innovations
have made X-ray technology
much more accessible. Portable units,
some even battery-powered for use in
spaces without access to electricity, are
now available to bring the radiographic
imaging capabilities of the hospital directly
to you. Healthcare at all levels continues
to evolve, and facilities now have more opportunities than ever to provide
the care employees need without ever
having to leave the premises.
Now, access to this diagnostic technology
is not just easy, it’s also important.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics maps injury
cases from 2017 to 2021, with 2.8 injuries
per 100 full-time workers in 2017
and 2.7 in 2021, an improvement that can
largely be attributed to facility safety efforts. However, it still leaves 2.6 million
people with workplace injuries and illnesses,
the majority of which resulted in
time away from work, job restriction or
transfer. With the persistent prevalence
of injuries in workplaces, bringing in resources
such as a portable X-ray system
can be a dramatic boost to diagnostics that
can reduce lost time from work while augmenting
overall employee safety efforts.
These three considerations can help determine whether adding portable X-ray capabilities is right for your organization.
Types of Injuries
The first factor to explore when considering
adding a portable imaging system
is the common hazards your
employees face from the work they do
and the injuries that happen as a result.
According to the National Safety Council
(NSC), prior to the COVID-19 pandemic
putting exposure to the COVID virus in the lead in 2020, the two most common
causes of illnesses or injuries resulting in
time away from work were overexertion
and falls, slips or trips. If this trend
proves to be true in your workplace, you
have undoubtedly seen your fair share of
resulting fractures, dislocations and
sprains, which are impossible to properly
diagnose and treat without taking radiographic
images. These injuries can also
result from transportation incidents and
contact with objects and equipment, the
other two causes in the NSC’s top five2.
When a break or dislocation is suspected,
radiographic imaging can be highly beneficial
to determine if and how the inhouse
medical staff can treat the injury or
if a trip to the hospital is required.
On-site X-ray capabilities can also provide valuable information when an injury is more serious. Some workplaces are undeniably more dangerous than others, and unfortunately, severe or even life-threatening injuries can happen. Full story »
today's News
U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program Celebrates over 25 Years of Achievements
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program celebrates over 25 years of achievements in lighting efficiency. Since the ENERGY STAR label for lighting and lightbulbs was first introduced in 1997 to improve market uptake of energy efficient lighting, well over 3 billion ENERGY STAR certified light bulbs have been sold in the United States.
JLG Opens Las Vegas Service Center with Sustainable Features
MCCONNELLSBURG, PA -- JLG Industries, Inc., an Oshkosh company and manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and telehandlers, has opened a 30,000-square-foot Las Vegas Service Center to service equipment rentals and owned machines in the western U.S.
LiftEx 2023 brings the lifting industry to Liverpool
LIVERPOOL, UK -- LiftEx 2023, sponsored by CoreRFID, attracted the crowds to the Exhibition Centre located among the vibrant docks on the banks of the Mersey in Liverpool on 21-22nd November. Over 1000 visitors across two days came to see the lifting products and services from more than 80 global exhibitors.
CSB Releases Final Investigation Report for Fatal Dust Explosion and Fire at Didion Milling Facility
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final report into the deadly explosions and fires at the Didion Milling, Inc. (Didion) dry corn milling facility in Cambria, Wisconsin.
Work-related deaths and disabilities show an increase globally
TAMPERE, FI -- A team of researchers from Tampere University, Finland, and the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) in Italy have published an overview of global estimates of work-related diseases and occupational injuries.
