From January inspectors have been targeting sites that carry out metal fabrication looking at the control of exposure to welding fume and metalworking fluids. This will continue into the summer. Information on controlling the risks from these hazardous substances can be found through the inspection programme link below.

The purpose of the Inspection Programme is to target sectors using substances causing cancer, asthma and silicosis to ensure the risks are properly managed. Ill health effects from exposure to these substances can be chronic and life-changing and every year many workers develop occupational asthma or occupational cancer as a result of exposures to substances in their workplace.

Infused water benefits and drinking green tea

Firstly, the infused water

Often a topic of discussion in face-to-face training sessions, here is some info for you. Please share this with others you’d like to be spending your retirement with so we can all be as healthy as we want to be.

Have you ever tried fruit infused water? This healthy, hydrating beverage will nourish your body and delight your senses. Squeezing the fruit to release juice into the water before steeping will enhance its nutritional value. There are thousands of recipes available, and each has unique benefits.

So, are you ready to give it a try? Here are 10 benefits of fruit infused water:

1. GET MORE NUTRIENTS IN YOUR DIET

When you prepare this beverage, nutrients leak out of the fruit into the water. This flavor-packed drink is rich in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. It’s a much healthier alternative to store-bought “vitamin waters,” energy drinks, sodas, and plain water.

2. WARD OFF DISEASES

Depending on the ingredients used, fruit infused water may lower your risk of diabetes, obesity, cold, flu, and heart disease. The natural compounds in fruit help maintain body pH within the ideal range, which decreases your chances of developing cancer.

3. SLOW THE AGING PROCESS

Fruit infused water contains powerful antioxidants that slow aging and fight free radical damage. They also increase collagen production, leaving your skin smooth and silky. If you start drinking fruit infused water today, you’ll look and feel younger within weeks.

4. BOOST YOUR METABOLISM

The active compounds in fruit speed up metabolism, causing your body to burn more calories throughout the day. For example, lemon water is well-known for its metabolism boosting effects. This refreshing drink energizes your body and promotes fat loss.

5. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT

Fruit infused water is more filling and nutritious than plain water. It also contains fewer calories and sugar than soft drinks. Some fruits suppress your appetite and reduce cravings. By drinking fruit infused water, you’ll have more control over your weight and feel full longer between meals.

6. HAVE MORE ENERGY

This high-vitamin drink provides explosive energy. It’s particularly good for athletes, fitness buffs, and active people. Fruit infused water can successfully replace sports drinks. It’s healthier, safer, and has a better taste. Not to mention its antioxidant and electrolyte power!

7. SPICE UP YOUR DIET

There are lots of different ways to make fruit infused water. You can try cucumber and fresh mint, strawberry and orange, watermelon and peach, frozen grapes and lemon and much more. With so many recipes available, it’s impossible to get bored.

8. ENJOY BETTER DIGESTION

Does your belly hurt? Are you constantly bloated? Citrus infused water supports digestive function and can help settle your tummy. If you have digestive problems, drink water with ginger, lemon, papaya, oranges, or apples. These fruits help clean the body’s systems and have a cooling effect on your stomach.

9. GET RID OF TOXINS

Due to its high antioxidant content, fruit infused water cleanses your body and helps eliminate toxins. This beverage will keep your body hydrated and remove waste from your system. As a result, you’ll have a stronger immune system and enjoy better health.

10. SATISFY YOUR SWEET TOOTH

This flavorful drink will satisfy your sweet tooth without the extra calories and sugar. It’s a great choice for dieters and fitness buffs looking to stay fit. Fruit infused water is naturally sweet and has only a few calories.

Why Green Tea?

Firstly, it should be said that most people seem to make green tea too hot. If you make it with boiling water you kill the antioxidants, the very reason for drinking green tea! Make it with water no hotter than 80ºC. It will infuse from green through yellow to brown, learn your colour and take the bag out then. Green is sweet, yellow is becoming more bitter and brown, well, if you want brown tea, buy some builder’s tea!

Green tea has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, originating in China but widely used throughout Asia this beverage has a multitude of uses from lowering blood pressure to preventing cancer. The reason that green tea has more health benefits attached to it than black tea is (apparently) due to the processing. Black tea is processed in a way that allows for fermentation whereas green tea’s processing avoids the fermentation process. As a result, green tea retains maximum amount of antioxidants and poly-phenols the substances that give green tea its many benefits.

Here’s a list of some of its amazing benefits — benefits that you may not have been aware of. Some of these benefits are still being debated, so please do your own research if you want to use green tea for medicinal purposes.

Weight Loss. Green tea increases the metabolism. The polyphenol found in green tea works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories.
Diabetes. Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating. This can prevent high insulin spikes and resulting fat storage.
Heart Disease. Scientists think, green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks.
Esophageal Cancer. It can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, but it is also widely thought to kill cancer cells in general without damaging the healthy tissue around them.
Cholesterol. Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It is said to delay the deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells.
Tooth Decay. Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant “catechin” in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions
Blood Pressure. Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
Depression. Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. It is this substance that is thought to provide a relaxing and tranquilizing effect and be a great benefit to tea drinkers.
Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial. Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents which make them effective for treating everything from influenza to cancer. In some studies green tea has been shown to inhibit the spread of many diseases.
Skincare. Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, This is because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that green tea applied topically can reduce sun damage.

Imagine the scenario where an employee is using a grinder to cut metal. Simple enough, it happens in garages and workshops everywhere. Now imagine that employee gets a little of that hot metal in is eye and the garage owner finds himself facing a claim – and central to the claim is the question, “Was the employee trained to use abrasive wheels?”.

Such an easy fix! So easy, it fit’s into the “so far as is reasonably practicable”, which is the expectation of any employer.

Crown Safety’s Online Abrasive Wheels course is a simple fix and meets the requirements for maintenance staff everywhere. Purchase multiple licences for discounted prices. Watch the video-ad to find out more – http://crown-safety.co.uk/abrasive-wheels

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Benefits of fruit infused water and drinking green tea