Back injuries are among the most common workplace injuries and also among the most common MSDs. Make sure your employees know about these strategies for preventing back injury and pain.

Although they may not be as dramatic as fatal accidents or amputation incidents, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can be extremely painful for employees, as well as costly for employers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, MSDs accounted for 33 percent of all workplace injury and illness cases. Workers with MSDs required a median of 11 days away from work to recover, compared to a median of 8 days for all types of injuries.

  • Back injuries are the most common, accounting for 41.8% of MSDs. To help prevent back injuries, educate your workers about safe lifting practices. Workplace wellness programs that encourage physical fitness and a healthy body weight may also help to reduce back injuries.
  • Shoulder injuries accounted for just 13% of MSDs, but tended to be the most severe, requiring a median of 21 days away from work to recover. Light stretching, the use of lifting and gripping aids, and frequent short rest breaks can help to minimize the risk of shoulder injuries.

Preventing Back Injuries

According to the staff at the Mayo Clinic, there are several steps your employees can take to avoid injuring their backs:

  • Physical activity. Exercise helps keep the back limber and strong. The people at the Mayo Clinic remind us that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (walking or golfing, for example) or 75 minutes of more vigorous activity (jogging, basketball, tennis, or biking, for example). HHS also recommends strength training twice a week to strengthen back and abdominal muscles.
  • Posture. Poor posture is a common cause of back pain. Slouching when standing or sitting is a major culprit. When standing for long periods, employees should stand with feet apart and weight balanced over both feet. When sitting, employees should sit up straight, with both feet flat on the floor. A pillow can be used to support the lower back.
  • Proper lifting. The key to safe lifting and preventing back injuries is to lift with the legs, not with back. When lifting objects, employees should bend the knees, maintain the natural curve of the back, and let the leg muscles power the lift as they rise. For objects that are too heavy to be lifted safely, employees should use mechanical aids or get help from a co-worker.
  • Repetitive tasks. Repetition of the same movements over and over puts a lot of stress on the body. Tasks that involve bending, twisting, reaching, and lifting should be modified to the extent possible to minimize strain on the back. The Mayo Clinic staff also recommends that employees alternate tasks that are physically demanding on the back with less stressful ones to give their backs a chance to rest.

Time out. Frequent short breaks when performing physically demanding or repetitive tasks can also help reduce the risk of back injury. Employees should take minibreaks of a minute or two every half hour or so to stretch and relax tired back muscles.

Preventing Shoulder Injuries

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint and is, in fact, the most mobile joint in the body, allowing 230 degrees of motion vertically and enabling us to reach out to either side or across the body in front.

The fact that the shoulder is so mobile and so versatile also makes it vulnerable to injury. As we said in yesterday’s Advisor, although shoulder injuries only account for 13% of MSDs overall, they tend to be the most severe, requiring a median of 21 days away from work to recover.

Once you identify shoulder injury risk factors in your workplace, make sure employees take these steps to help prevent problems:

  • Minimize lifting. Provide mechanical assists, such as carts, slings, dollies, and jacks, to raise objects and hold them in place. Put materials as close to the area where they will be used as is practical. For example, rather than piling roofing materials in a single spot, place them in different areas across the roof.
  • Lighten the load. When lifting cannot be eliminated, or when objects (such as tools) must be held at arm’s length, ensure that the items being lifted are as light as possible. For example, a corded electric drill may be lighter than a battery drill. Lighter-weight building materials, such as drywall, can be used in project specifications. For heavy objects such as furniture, having a team of workers lift them can reduce the weight carried by individuals.
  • Control motion. One of the most dangerous situations is a “save”—when a load shifts or a patient slips and workers attempt a save to prevent a fall. Minimizing the possibility of shifting or falling loads can help prevent these situations. For example, a patient-lifting device that secures the patient with a belt or sling before moving may save the patient from a fall so that the healthcare worker doesn’t have to. A jack or brace that holds a work piece in place may prevent not just shoulder injuries but crushing and other injuries as well.
  • Improve the grip. Lifting requires more force, and is more difficult (and more likely to cause injury) when there’s no easy way to grip an object. Drywall panels, for example, don’t have handles, and neither do hospital and nursing home patients. Removable suction handles and similar temporary handles can be applied to flat surfaces, and gait belts and other devices can give healthcare workers an easy spot for holding unstable patients.
  • Encourage rest and stretching. Workers can minimize damage from lifting, overhead, and arms’ length work by taking frequent, very short breaks (15 to 30 seconds) and gently stretching hard-working muscles.

For more information or assistance with your Environmental and Health & Safety regulatory compliance needs, contact Ralph Carito at Total Environmental & Safety, LLC (Total) at rcarito@TotalEnviron.com or 908-442-8599.