| As seasoned safety and health professionals, we | | | | employees use their bodies and behave in ways |
| are all faced with the challenge of reducing strain | | | | they believe are safe and practical. Unfortunately |
| and sprain injuries (also referred to as soft tissue, | | | | with cumulative trauma, we often do not feel the |
| musculoskeletal, overexertion injuries, etc.). In | | | | damage we are doing to ourselves as we do it. |
| fact, strains and sprains represent the highest | | | | To answer the question regarding how we make |
| frequency of injury and the greatest portion of | | | | material and sustained reductions in strain and |
| workers' compensation costs for many | | | | sprain injures, we must consider and address our |
| companies. According to the Bureau of Labor | | | | employee's belief system. |
| Statistics, strain and sprain injuries have accounted | | | | Ask yourself: Do most of your employees blame |
| for over 40% of all the occupational injuries | | | | their working behaviors or techniques for their risk |
| reported each year. And, this has been the case | | | | of injury or how they feel everyday? Or, do they |
| for decades now. With all the progress in the | | | | believe their risk of injury, aches, and pains come |
| safety and health and ergonomics fields over the | | | | with the territory because of the work they do? |
| years, why do so many companies struggle to | | | | Ask them and they will tell you. In surveying |
| make material and sustained reductions in strain | | | | more than 50,000 employees, the answer is |
| and sprain injuries? Looking at the typical | | | | consistently the same. It's the tools, equipment, |
| company, you will find nearly all have implemented | | | | job tasks, working environment, working hours, |
| some form of ergonomics program or policy. The | | | | the job itself, or aging that cause their aches, |
| typical program may include providing training to | | | | pains and injuries. Worse yet, these beliefs have |
| employees on ergonomics, body mechanics and | | | | been reinforced over their lifetime by their daily |
| safe lifting; using an in-house ergonomist; and/or | | | | experiences. To get employees to change how |
| relying on an insurance company or consultant for | | | | they use their bodies you must address their long |
| ergonomic expertise. Some companies may even | | | | held beliefs. But, it is not that simple. You can't |
| perform physical abilities testing on new hires; | | | | change your employees' beliefs - only they can. |
| employ early diagnosis and pre treatment options; | | | | This is why traditional approaches used to train |
| or have an onsite occupational nurse or clinic. | | | | employees on body mechanics and ergonomics |
| These steps are important and in some cases | | | | often fail. Research shows that traditional |
| necessary. And, many of the companies taking | | | | approaches to training can be effective at |
| these measures have seen reductions in their | | | | increasing an employee's knowledge but are not |
| injuries. However, the reality is - strains and | | | | effective at changing their behavior. Why? Telling |
| sprains continue to occur. What is missing? | | | | and showing employees facts and information will |
| To answer these questions we must first look at | | | | not usually change their long held beliefs. |
| body mechanics. The role body mechanics plays | | | | To get employees to change how they use their |
| with regard to strain and sprain injuries is well | | | | bodies you must help them find it within |
| established. How we use our bodies determines | | | | themselves to change. When employees discover |
| how much stress we put on them and where we | | | | for themselves that their behaviors and |
| put that stress. Using your body in ways it was | | | | techniques determine how they feel and their risk |
| not designed or putting more stress on your body | | | | for injury then and only then will they open |
| than it can handle over the years leads to | | | | themselves up to the possibility of change. More |
| cumulative trauma and increases the risk of strain | | | | importantly, when employees can discover the |
| and sprain injuries. | | | | solutions for themselves, they are far more likely |
| Moreover, because our exposure to cumulative | | | | to enact long term change. |
| trauma and risk for strain and sprain injuries | | | | To accomplish this, start by exploring what your |
| exists on and off the job, ergonomic efforts that | | | | employees believe to be the source of their |
| focus on the few tasks identified on the job site | | | | aches, pains and potential for injury. Incorporate |
| as "at risk" may only address a small percentage | | | | these findings into your overall ergonomics |
| of total exposure for your employees. The body | | | | program. Develop approaches in your training |
| mechanics we use both on and off the job | | | | designed to address and in some cases challenge |
| determine our risk of strain and sprain injuries. If | | | | these beliefs. The key is to get the employee to |
| your habit is to bend, twist, reach, etc., that is the | | | | see, feel, hear, and discover for themselves that |
| technique you use on and off the job. | | | | their behaviors dramatically affect how they feel |
| While sometimes dictated by the job task, we | | | | every day and their risk of injury at home and on |
| choose how we use our bodies as we go through | | | | the job. Then and only then will you see the |
| our day both on and off the job. We develop our | | | | types of reductions in injuries you are looking to |
| habits based on our experiences. Like you, your | | | | achieve. |