Health Related Issues

Health in the office

We spend a substantial fraction of our lives in the office, therefore it is important to follow certain guidelines for staying healthy. One of the most important is certainly a proper position when sitting at the desk. Have a look at the following documents:

anatomy of our back (.html or .ppt)
back care in everyday life (.html or .ppt)
manual handling of loads (.html or .ppt)
exercises while lying (.html or .ppt)
exercises while sitting (.html or .ppt)
the ESO Back Care Course (.html)

A very comprehensive "Workstations and Office Workplaces Design Manual" is available (in English and German versions) which gives all the information you need to properly set up your work place in the office.

A condensed set of images on the topic of ergonomics and the PC:

Smoking in the office - a "hot topic!" Have a look at this document.

In case of extremely hot weather: some useful hints

Shift work: An interesting article (in German) about the rhythm of being asleep/awake and consequences for shift workers

Extremely high altitude: If your office happens to (or will) be located at a place like Chajnantor, you should have a look at our High Altitude information page.

Mental health is as important as physical health. If you feel that you are suffering from stress or have other psychosocial problems, then have a look at one of the following pages:

Work related stress (HSE, UK)
Stressabbau und Stressprävention am Arbeitsplatz/Diminuer et prévenir le stress au travail (stressnostress, CH)
Stress at work (NIOSH, USA)

Safety at the workplace

No combustible materials in the corridors of the ESO building!

Health and safety assessment of your workplace

For your own health and safety you can perform a self-assessment of your workplace by using the following two forms:

"Is my office workplace safe?" In order to find out, go through this checklist (.pdf and .doc)! If you find problems, pass it on to your division head via your Division Safety Officer so that these problems can be addressed (in coordination with the Site Safety Officer).
"Is my workplace in the laboratory/integration area/workshop safe?" In order to find out, go through this checklist (.pdf and .doc)! If you find problems, pass it to your division head via your Division Safety Officer so that these problems can be addressed (in coordination with the Site Safety Officer).

In particular you should watch the following:

Noise:
Your work area should be relatively quiet.
The European Standard dictate a maximum noise level of 55 dB(A) for office work. It is generally recommended by several international institutes that there should be a limit dependend on the quality of the office work: this is a maximum level of 45 dB(A) for high quality scientific work up to a maximum level of 55 dB(A) for general office work.

Distracting noises should be removed or controlled. For example, acoustic hoods should be placed over printers and fax machines if necessary or they should be removed from the immediate work area.

Noise from air conditioning, power supply and keyboards should be minimal. If equipment develops a noise problem, contact maintenance staff immediately.
Temperature:
Computers and associated equipment emit heat. For example, a flat screen can avoid heating of small offices.

Adequate ventilation and air conditioning systems will avoid excessive localised heating of the environment and operator.
Breaks while Keying
When keying, take short breaks of 30-60 seconds to proofread, etc. Relax your hands in your lap or on the desk. After extended periods of keying, a change of activity will relieve fatigue.

It is important to stand or walk during breaks away from keying. Perform other work as varying tasks will give you the break from keying which is required to rest tired muscles. Avoid activities such as writing during breaks. Don't remain seated at your workstation for prolonged periods. Vary your posture as much as possible.
Health Problems
Discomfort and strain in arms, neck, hands or back may be the result of unsatisfactory work practices or conditions.

Complete recovery is usually dependent upon reporting symptoms early and correcting the cause of the problem.
- Report the problem to your supervisor, divisional safety officer or site safety officer.
- Assess work methods and the workplace in cooperation with your supervisor, your divisional safety officer or site safety officer.
- Seek medical attention as soon as health problems appear. (ESO-Physician: Dr. Lueg-Müller, 089 - 32 99 14 10

Duty travel

health considerations on duty travel

Health outside the office

General

It is recommended to be vaccinated against some common diseases, in particular before travelling overseas. ESO staff may have their vaccination status checked or updated by BAD; see this Bulletin for details.

Avian flu (Bird flu)

You can find the latest information about avian influenza (="bird flu") on the following web pages:

WHO: general information
WHO: latest information
Robert Koch Institut: information about the situation in Germany (in German)

Influenza

Latest information about the spread of influenza infections in Germany (Robert Koch Institut)

Ticks and other bugs

Ticks are little creatures, only a few millimetres small, but they can carry dangerous viruses. It is important to know about the risks, possible prevention and what to do in case you are bitten by one of them because ticks (German: "Zecken") are quite common in southern Germany and large parts of Bavaria. For the moment we can offer information from the following external sources:

in English: Lyme.org
in German: Onmeda, Zecken.de
in Italian: Univ. Trieste
in French: Tiquatac.org

During fall and early winter parts of the ESO Garching headquarters sometimes suffer from an invasion of green bugs. A thorough investigation in the internet came up with the comforting result that this is NOT an alien invasion but a fairly common earthly creature called Palomena Prasina. These bugs are harmless to humans because they feed from the juice in tree leaves.

Environmental health

Bayerisches Landesamt für Umweltschutz (information in German)

current radiation levels in Garching
radiation levels around nuclear establishments in Bavaria (including the Garching research reactor FRMII)

Umweltbundesamt (Berlin)

A brochure reporting about Environmental Health in Germany
corrent ozone levels and forecasts

Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (Salzgitter, Germany)

The results of a study were released on Dec. 10, 2007 which was had been commissioned by the (German) Federal Office for Radiation Protection. The report shows a statistically significant increase in cases of cancer in children who live near nuclear reactors.
The results of the study are summarised here; the page includes direct links to the complete study (in German).
A more extensive dscription of the study is available here (in German)
Additional comments by an external group of experts is available here (in German).

Sports activities

ESO staff may participate in a number of sporting activities organised by the IPP Sports Club if the become paying members. See the details.