As you begin to read this post, stop for a moment and answer the following questions: Are both of your feet flat on the floor? In order to see your screen, how are you holding your head and neck?  What kind of chair are you sitting on? When you leave the office at the end of the day, how does your body feel?

Millions of people spend 40 hours a week or more sitting at a desk, staring at a computer screen all day. It is something that employees across a variety of industries and careers share.

 OSHA has come up with the top 4 tips for sitting (ergonomically) pretty.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) recommends these 4 tips for computer workstations:

1. Hands, wrists and forearms straight, in-line and roughly parallel to the floor
2. Feet fully supported by the floor or a footrest if the desk height is not adjustable
3. Thighs and hips supported by a well-padded seat and generally parallel to the floor
4. Knees about the same height as the hips with feet slightly forward

OSHA and other ergonomic experts also recommend taking several breaks throughout your workday to break up prolonged periods of sitting still in the same posture.  These breaks can include making small adjustments to your chair or backrest, stretching your fingers and hands, or standing up and walking around every few hours.

It may seem simple enough to follow these guidelines, or disregard them if you’re sitting “comfortably,” but several types of injuries can stem from improper posture and equipment in the workplace, including neck strain, tendonitis and bursitis in the shoulders, hands or wrists, lower back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Companies may drag their feet on purchasing more ergonomically correct (and therefore more expensive) equipment, but it is likely to be a cost-saving approach in the end.  Some experts estimate that “the return on investment of properly executed ergonomic programs have been estimated as high as 16 to 1, i.e., $16 saved for each dollar invested” through worker’s compensation and other injury claims.

Try to think about these suggestions throughout the week. 

Does it feel awkward to sit correctly?  If so, chances are your normal position isn’t quite ergonomically correct.  Are you experiencing any of those aches and pains at the end of a long day? 

Try bringing to your employer’s attention issues you see with your current equipment and suggestions on things that may work better or try gathering a group of coworkers to get up and do those stretches once or twice a day. 

You may be surprised at what a difference a few minor changes make.

Bill Implements Renewable Energy Project for District

 On September 22, Governor Jerry Brown signed three renewable energy bills into law at Fowler, CA's Marshall Elementary School.

Senate Bill 585 will implement a project at Fowler Unified School District that will install solar panels over playgrounds, parking lots and excess land at five of the district's six schools. The project is expected to offset about 98% of the district's electricity costs over time.

Construction of the solar project will begin early in 2012 and should be completed by the spring.

The project is being handled by TerraVerde Renewable Partners of Larkspur, CA, which develops solar energy facilities for local and state governments, school districts, non-profit organizations and commercial real estate owners. The company is also handling similar projects at the Sonoma County YMCA and Petaluma City Schools, as well as the Big Pine, Clovis, Dinuba and Kings Canyon Unified School Districts.

TerraVerde President Rick Brown stated at the signing that Fowler's electricity costs are "the highest non-personnel costs in their entire budget. So to be able to find a way to control and reduce that cost is a significant benefit to the kids because that money is then going into the classroom."

The school district will invest about $4.8M from general obligation bonds, but because of SB 585, it will receive rebates of $793,000. The district should save about $2.5M in energy costs over the first 5 years, and the project will pay for itself within 11 years.

Governor Brown also signed two other bills into law: Assembly Bill 1150 authorizes the California Public Utilities Commission to collect funds for the Self-Generation Incentive Program through December 31, 2014, while Senate Bill 16 requires the Department of Fish & Game to expedite their permitting process for renewable energy projects.

Albania Deleon Goes to Prison for Asbestos Training Scam

After nearly 19 months as a fugitive living in the Dominican Republic and another year and a half awaiting sentencing, EPA fugitive Albania Deleon has finally received her prison sentence. Deleon was first arrested and placed on trial in November 2008, following a five-year fraud scandal with her business, Environmental Compliance Training (ECT).

The Massachusetts-based company provided week-long certification courses in asbestos removal, a dangerous profession that requires strict safeguards. An investigation found, however, that ECT was signing certificates without placing the workers in the training course. Over 2,000 untrained individuals were certified as a result, despite a real lack of qualifications in the removal process.

Asbestos exposure causes significant health problems, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, a rare but extremely deadly form of cancer that attacks the thin membranes lining the lungs, heart, chest, and abdomen. Improper asbestos removal is a leading cause of exposure.

Following a 2008 trial that lasted three weeks, Deleon fled the United States and assumed a false identity, but was caught in 2010 in the Dominican Republic through a joint effort led by the EPA, US Marshals office, and local authorities.

The recent sentencing includes a seven-year prison sentence, three additional years of supervised release, and fines including $1.2 million to the Internal Revenue Service for restitution and another $369,015 to AIM Mutual Insurance Company.

According to Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, the "sentence marks the final chapter in bringing Albania Deleon to justice.  Committing environmental crimes to make a profit that put workers and our communities at risk carry serious consequences."

Citation Regulatory Analyst Kym Luttermoser offers her own impressions of the Deleon case in her blog article, EPA Fugitive Captured.