Herbal Health – information on herbal medicine

Do you believe your job threatens your health or safety? You can report bad working conditions to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) by filing a complaint under Section 11(c) of the Job Safety Act. The system is supposed to help and protect workers against discrimination by the boss.

But some workers say they complained to OSHA and later learned that they had been named as informers to their bosses. They suspect OSHA of the leak. Joseph Kinney says it must be noted that the OSHA inspector’s job is not problem-free. “Sometimes,” he explains, “workers who are angry will take revenge by phoning in a false safety violation.”

Now a new approach is being tried. In 1987, the New York State Legislature set aside 1 million dollars for a network of clinics to diagnose and treat job-related illness.

“With this program,” says Dr. Landrigan, “we can go to the workplace, speak to the manager or union bosses, and screen other workers who might be exposed to similar hazards. This is a way to prevent disease, which you cannot do under workers’ compensation.”

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GENERAL HEALTH

Bacteria and parasites in food are a frequent cause of illness; yeasts produce fermentation, as in fruit juices and cider; molds attack berries, citrus fruits, breads, jellies and jams, and other foods. Enzymes, normally present in food, cause chemical changes that lead to softening of the food, development of off flavors, loss of some nutrients such as vitamin C, darkening of peeled fruit, or rancidity of fats. Physical factors also cause undesirable changes in food: milk in clear glass bottles exposed to a few hours sunlight loses much of its riboflavin and takes on a tallow flavor; ice cream held too long in a freezer may become grainy or gummy. Animals or insects may contaminate food with hairs, droppings, or insect fragments.

Foods are contaminated by any of the following ways:

1.   Preparation by persons whose hands have not been washed after each use of the handkerchief or toilet, or contact with other source of dirt and filth.

2.   Exposure to dust, flies, insects, and nasal sprays of persons who cough or sneeze.

3.   Use of equipment and dishes that are poorly cleaned and rinsed.

4.   Failure to refrigerate fresh or cooked food promptly, thus speeding up the action of bacteria, molds, yeasts, and enzymes.

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GENERAL HEALTH