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A constant safety reminder is important
because some hazards don’t occur immediately, they’re cumulative. |
There are many
names for the physical consequences of performing the same motion over a long
period of time—repetitive
strain injuries, musculoskeletal disorders and cumulative trauma disorders to
name a few. Many names, but they all mean potential turnover, losses in
employee productivity and medical expenses for employers.
What’s frightening is this can arise in any workplace where employees must perform the same motions on a consistent basis. Sound familiar? It might because there’s a risk of developing this type of injury in jobs as different as working on a computer at an office and installing ceiling tiles.*
What’s frightening is this can arise in any workplace where employees must perform the same motions on a consistent basis. Sound familiar? It might because there’s a risk of developing this type of injury in jobs as different as working on a computer at an office and installing ceiling tiles.*
Pain from
repetitive stress most commonly occurs in the*:
- Neck
- Shoulders
- Forearms
- Hands
- Wrists
- Elbows
- Lower Limbs
Because
problems manifest at different speeds and in different ways for each
individual,
early detection and treatment can be a tall order. That’s why the best solution is confronting sources of repetitive stress before an injury can occur. After all, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their workers. **
early detection and treatment can be a tall order. That’s why the best solution is confronting sources of repetitive stress before an injury can occur. After all, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their workers. **
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Naturally, the
best way to address concerns you might have is to remove repetitive motions
from the daily workload of employees; however, in many cases this simply isn’t
possible.* Often the wisest and most popular route is to better focus your
workplace on ergonomics (the science of workplace design that tries to make the
job fit the person rather than the person fitting the job).***
A couple of resources that might be helpful in this are the ErgonomicsGuidelines for Manual Material Handling from NIOSH and this brief piece on Repetitive Motion Injury Prevention from Minot State University.
A couple of resources that might be helpful in this are the ErgonomicsGuidelines for Manual Material Handling from NIOSH and this brief piece on Repetitive Motion Injury Prevention from Minot State University.
Wherever you
choose to start, the important thing is simply that you do so before an
employee is facing a muscle strain, a lower back injury, or a similar
affliction. *
Learn more with these links:
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