Soft-Tissue Concerns In Reducing Work Place Injuries

1. Soft-Tissue Concerns In Reducing Work Place Injuries • GOAL: • We can work without getting hurt! Jesse McGrady, PT 1730 Savannah Highway Charleston, SC 29407 843-763-4115

2. SAFETY COMMITMENT • Being committed to safety is the first step. • Need total commitment from upper management to unskilled labor. • One person can not do it alone. • TEAM effort is required.

3. Safety numbers matter • The Lower the Numbers The Better: • TCIR • Total Injuries • Reportables • Recordables

4. Safety Covers a Broad Spectrum • There are many aspects of safety, but my main area of concern is the prevention of soft-tissue injuries • We CAN work without getting hurt.

5. FACT: • OSHA reports that soft tissue injuries represent nearly 1/3 of all work related injuries, affecting hundreds of thousands of Americans each year

6. What is soft Tissue? • Muscle Tendon • Ligament • Fascia (myofascia) • Discs • Nerves • Bursa

7. Injury common names • Strains/Sprains • Overuse/Overexertion Syndrome • CTD-Cumulative Trauma Disorder • RSI-Repetitive Strain Injury

8. Injury Specific names • Strains and Sprains of Neck and Back • Disc disorders with sciatica • Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow) • Golfer’s Elbow • Mechanic’s Elbow • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome • Rotator Cuff Syndrome • Tendonitis • Synovitis • Plantar Fascitis • Bursitis

9. Risk factors • Repetition: especially for fine movements. • Force: lifting, pulling, pushing, vibration, contact pressure. • Posture: awkward and static (in one position). • Work Environment: temperature, noise, light, humidity. • Work Organization: how hard, fast and long people work, how much they have to say about their work, and the equipment/tools they use, and social relations at work.

10. Who is at risk? • Every employee is at risk. • Male or Female. • Sedentary to heavy job classifications. • Sedentary is more prone to risk of repetition and static posture. • All other jobs carry EVERY RISK.

11. Prevention is key • Ergonomical Approach • Educational Approach

12. Ergonomical approach • Defined as the science and art of fitting the job and workplace to the worker. • Adjustable surfaces, equipment, and workstation. • Choice of tools for different hands and tasks. • Accessible mechanical devices for handling material. • Fully adjustable chairs and sit to stand stools. • Prevent mental stress by having more say about their jobs and how they do them: • reasonable schedules, hours of work, and break periods. • adequate staff levels and proper training about the job and equipment.

13. Educational approach • The Smarter the Better!!! • Managers and Supervisors (Coaches of the Team): • Understands Jobs • Aware of the risk factors of soft-tissue injuries • In touch with the general employee population (ages, genders, general health) • Good Listeners • Educated in soft-tissue injury prevention

14. Educational Approach Employees (Industrial Team Athletes): Physical Machines • Proper training in jobs • Instruction in soft-tissue injury prevention including basic anatomy and physiology of neck, back, shoulder, arm, hand, knee, foot, and ankle • Understand the use of warm up and cool down stretches and exercises • Realize when they are under stress or at risk and take appropriate action • General Health / Good Nutrition

15. Additional tools • Specialized Committees set up to address problem areas • Specialized Safety training beyond what is normal - i.e. F.O.C.U.S • Safety Ambassadors - selected out of general employee population • Safety Meetings - talk about soft-tissue concerns • Risk Analyses • Access to gyms and work-out areas • Utilization of Industrial Physical Therapists • Ergonomists