Common Causes of Sprains and Strains in Your Workplace and Some Solution Ideas

1. Common Causes of Sprains and Strains in Your Workplace and Some Solution Ideas

2. This slide show outlines… …some common causes of sprains and strains in workplaces, and some ideas for reducing or eliminating them. Links to the following PowerPoint slide shows can be found at the appendix at the end of this slide show. • A Five Step Process for Preventing Sprains and Strains • Recommended Exposure Limits for Preventing Sprains and Strains

3. Identify causes of sprains and strains in your workplace Locate resources and contacts for more assistance By the end of this slide show, you will be able to…

4. Sprains and strains Some job tasks can cause injuries from: • Lifting • Awkward postures • Forceful gripping or pinching • Repetitive motions & Intensive keying • Hand-arm vibration

5. Sprains and strains • Sprains and strains are occupational disorders of: • muscles • tendons • ligaments • joints • blood vessels • nerves They are also known as Work-related musculoskeletal disorders, or WMSDs

6. Hazards to watch for Lifting Awkward postures Forceful pinching, gripping Repetitive motion Intensive keying Hand-arm vibration

7. Lifting

8. To lower the risks of lifting… • Reduce the weight • Increase the weight (so people truly can’t lift the item) • Use mechanical assistance • Slide instead of lift • Team lift • Avoid unnecessary lifting • Use mobile storage • Rotate to non-lifting tasks • Bring loads as close to the body as possible before lifting them • Remove obstacles to reduce reaching • Place objects at a good working height

9. Awkward Postures

10. To lower the risk of awkward postures… • Raise, lower or tilt the work for easier access • Use a stool for lower level work • Alternate between bending, kneeling, sitting, and squatting • Use an elevated work platform or rolling stairs for higher level work • Use tools with longer handles • Limit overhead storage to infrequently used items

11. Forceful Pinching and Gripping

12. To lower the risk of forceful gripping… • Use lighter tools • Suspend the tool with tool counter-balancers • Use longer lever arms on tools • Use hand trucks, carts or conveyors instead of carrying loads

13. To lower the risk of pinching… Change from pinch to grip: The upper box has cut out handles which allow a much more comfortable and less stressful grip on the box. a Power Grip: is up to 5 times stronger than a Pinch Grasp:

14. Reducing pinching… Change pinching to gripping

15. Repetitive Motion and Intensive Keying

16. To lower the risk of Repetitive Motion and Intensive Keying… • Eliminate unnecessary motions • Use power tool instead of hand tools (He’s using a power wrench rather than a ratchet.) • Automate the task • Enlarge the job • (Substitute some tasks that don’t include repetitive motions or keying.)

17. Hand-Arm Vibration A link to a Hand-Arm Vibration database is in the appendix at the end of this presentation. When searching for a low vibration tool, look for the lowest vibration level (VL).

18. To lower the risk of Hand-Arm Vibration… • Use anti-vibration gloves • Isolate the vibration from the user • Use low vibration tools

19. The Ergonomics Ideas Bank This is a searchable database of solutions to help prevent workplace sprains and strains A link to this web page is in the appendix at the end of this presentation

20. Appendix - Links More slideshows: Helpful tools: Ergonomics Ideas Bank Ergonomics Awareness A Five Step Process for Preventing Sprains and Strains Low vibration tools Recommended Limits for Preventing Sprains and Strains Contact an L&I ergonomist

21. Help from L&I at no cost to you We offer free, confidential consultations to help you prevent sprains and strains in your workplace. To learn more: • Click here to email us – Ergonomics@Lni.wa.gov • Call – (360) 902-5450 • Click here to visit our website – http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Consultation/