Proposed new Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards would require employers to protect workers from repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis and back pain. Musculoskeletal problems have been identified as the most expensive and preventable work-related disorders on the job site. Opposed by some business leaders and praised by labor leaders, the regulations call for identification of ergonomic hazards and correction of any injury-causing conditions.

Being a natural woman is of no benefit when it comes to getting enough sleep. Surveying 1,012 women aged 30 to 60, the National Sleep Foundation discovered that American women only sleep an average of six hours and 41 minutes each night. The survey, reported in Delicious (May 1999), identified reproductive cycles, pregnancy and menopausal symptoms as a major interference in sleep. Two-thirds of the women complained of losing sleep due to headaches, menstrual cramping and pregnancy, while another one-third blamed hot flashes for their insomnia.

We all know work is often the most stressful thing in a client’s life. Now, Japan has taken steps to help prevent “karoshi,” otherwise known as death from overwork. The Japan Labor Ministry’s plan is to identify likely candidates of karoshi (those exhibiting obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high blood lipids) and offer them free medical examinations that could prevent a fatal outcome due to overwork. In 1998, approximately 90 people succumbed to karoshi in Japan, up from 32 in 1994. After parliamentary approval, the plan could be in place early next year.

Rest between performances and not going “on pointe” at such early ages may help ballerinas lengthen their careers and avoid problematic arthritic ankles, according to a study released at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. The University of Toronto study detailed the use of magnetic resonance imaging on 11 female dancers at the National Ballet of Canada. Researchers found all 11 had some degree of arthritis in their ankles.