Jon discusses the modern, effective methods of reducing workplace injuries with Susan Anderson from US Foods Radio. In an industrial work environment, the rigors and repetitive stress of physical tasks can cause significant wear and tear on the body. The best way to prevent this stress from turning into injury or illness is with a preventative health approach: […]
In an industrial work environment, at-risk behaviors such as poor posture and improper eye protection can be observed and corrected almost immediately. But another critical aspect of workplace safety often goes undetected– until the damage is already done. In the U.S., 22 million workers per year are at risk of occupational hearing loss [5]. Hearing damage typically occurs painlessly and progressively, but frequent and repeated exposure to high noise levels in the workplace can result in permanent hearing loss. Due to numerous sources of noise hazards such as heavy machinery and power tools, the mining, manufacturing, and construction industries experience the most incidences of work-induced hearing damage [1]. Although completely preventable, it has remained one of the most prevalent occupational health concerns for nearly three decades.
Demanding schedules are certainly no new phenomenon in the modern workplace. Shift work, particularly at night or in rotation, presents a set of occupational hazards that are often perceived as unavoidable. However, recognizing the risks of shift work and implementing solutions to mitigate these risks is an important part of maintaining a safe work environment that facilitates productivity and long-term health.
When enjoying a meal, few take the time to consider all the steps it took to bring each of the ingredients from farm to dining table. Whether or not the food was prepared in your kitchen, at a restaurant, or in a retail setting, the main components of the dish were either harvested or raised from somewhere.
For workers who spend much of their day lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying materials—especially in a repetitive manner—it’s incredibly important to perform these movements properly in order to protect the back from discomfort or injury. Safe lifting techniques, such as getting close to the object you’re lifting or bending at the knees instead of from the back, are great examples of ergonomic principles that help workers protect themselves when moving materials.
The problem is that no one works in a vacuum; in real-world situations, you can’t always avoid working in awkward, ergonomically-incorrect positions. When certain job tasks do require getting in awkward positions, tightening the gut is the best way to stabilize the spine and safely engage in a variety of movements.
In order to avoid these consequences, employers must do their best to prevent workplace eye injuries from occurring in the first place: by 1) assessing hazards, 2) using proper eye protection, and 3) encouraging worker compliance.
Synovial Fluid—The Juice That Keeps You Loose Most of us don’t really think about how we’re able to reach for this or bend down to grab that. We just do it. We don’t think about all the intricate parts of our bodies and how each must work in concert just for us to stand up. […]
Work-related injuries such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) disrupt an organization’s bottom line like nothing else. Besides being short-handed, this means employees are covering for their injured—and now absent—coworkers which keeps them from performing the tasks they’ve been charged with. Productivity and therefore, the bottom line, suffer.
So what can be done? Work-related injuries are just part of doing business, right? Not necessarily. By performing a few simple warm-up exercises, your employees can be on their way to an injury-free and productive shift.