| "The best solution is to recognize and address | | | | modifications to mediate the discomfort. |
| discomforts issues before they become an injury." | | | | Modifications are generally possible through |
| Sue Patenaude | | | | changes in body mechanics and other "no cost" |
| Injured workers and their management are | | | | corrections. The modifications may be applied |
| exposed to a wide variety of information from a | | | | across a business unit in order to reduce risk to a |
| variety of sources, medical and safety are only a | | | | group of employees performing similar tasks and |
| few. Recovery can be confusing and unnecessarily | | | | functions. Close communication is maintained with |
| extensive. | | | | management and supervisors to ensure |
| In cases where discomfort becomes injury, it is | | | | appropriate applications, awareness and avoidance |
| critical to early resolution without complication to | | | | of the perception that injury reporting is |
| identify the root cause. Root cause must include | | | | discouraged. Employees are encouraged to report |
| the fundamental soft tissue, joint, and movement | | | | injury if severity warrants and at times, |
| as well as the basic ergonomic factors of | | | | professional evaluators request employees to |
| repetition, force, duration, and posture. If the | | | | report an injury; however, if employees are |
| fundamental anatomical part and movement is | | | | empowered to recognize their own levels of |
| identified, it is then possible to identify substitute | | | | discomfort and take action early, injury reporting |
| movements that will allow for recovery and | | | | is significantly reduced. |
| prevent recurrence. | | | | The Patenaude team has extensive experience |
| Skilled root cause analysis is essential to case | | | | and skill working with discomfort identification |
| management. | | | | programs and has been the source of requests |
| Every individual must be thoroughly familiar and | | | | to help particular business units experiencing high |
| self reliant with the fundamentals ofthe injury and | | | | injury rates. A recent example occurred with a |
| how to recover, irrespective of treatment, lost | | | | biotech client experiencing high injury rates within |
| work time or other typical "treatment"remedies. | | | | their line and inspection operator teams. A |
| Without that information, treatment and lost | | | | discomfort program was initiated as well as the |
| modified work are at high risk for being | | | | design of state of the art inspection booth |
| unnecessarily extensive, with recurrence likely. | | | | equipment, with the assistance of engineering |
| This information must include work and non work | | | | professionals. The injury rate reductions have |
| activities as cumulative trauma is not partial to the | | | | been between 85-90% per client. |
| location of the activity. | | | | Task Modification/Rotation |
| Our perspective and skill is an outcome of our | | | | High risk functions with less than ideal equipment, |
| service reputation resting on the quick response | | | | can experience significant risk reduction by |
| to our interventions and the ability to see and | | | | modifying the task and providing carefully |
| modify the functions the employee is performing | | | | analyzed rotation schedules. Those situations |
| and their unique body mechanics. Our clients | | | | where employees are using equipment that may |
| experience dramatic reductions in injury rates, | | | | not be ideal for individual anthropomorphics, are |
| amount of treatment and lost work time. The | | | | frequently appropriate for changing placement of |
| Patenaude team has pioneered the treatment of | | | | equipment, tools or supplies and/or designing |
| cumulative trauma injuries in industry by working | | | | rotation schedules that match the risk factors, i.e., |
| in clinics within industrial sites since 1983 and | | | | if there are risks for shoulder discomfort at one |
| having treated thousands of employees. Our | | | | station, the following rotation should not include |
| perspective and skill is an outcome of our service | | | | risks for shoulder discomfort. This may be |
| reputation resting on the quick response to our | | | | employee generated rather than equipment. |
| interventions and the ability to see and modify the | | | | Equipment that fits one employee may not fit |
| functions the employee is performing and their | | | | others. These rotations are most effective if they |
| unique body mechanics. Our clients experience | | | | are based on body part risks rather than purely |
| dramatic reductions in injury rates, amount of | | | | repetition, duration, force aspects. |
| treatment and lost work time. | | | | With feedback and information from operators |
| Discomfort | | | | and supervisors, the Patenaude team has |
| Programs that promote early identification of | | | | provided a variety of complex rotation schemes |
| ergonomic discomfort are the most mature and | | | | for our clients resulting in a high level of |
| experience the most efficient use of ergonomic | | | | satisfaction and the ability to effect risk reduction |
| benefits. Employees are provided with an 800 | | | | during prolonged periods of equipment changes. |
| number and email contacts so that they may ask | | | | Click here to find out more information about |
| for assistance in root cause identification and | | | | Ergonomics. |