Heed OSHA’s warning that it will concentrate enforcement efforts on industries with high rates of feasibly preventable back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Yesterday we looked at the prevalence of back injuries in the workplace, and at some quick and simple stretches and exercises that, with regular use, can significantly cut down on the number of back and other soft tissue injuries.
Today we continue delving into the daunting issue of back injuries—they are second only to the common cold as a cause of missed workdays—and we look at a tool that can help you train your employees on proper back and other safety techniques.
OSHA’s Technical Manual: Back Disorders and Injuries, states that back disorders result from exceeding the capability of the muscles, tendons, disks, or the cumulative effect of several contributing factors, which might include:
–Reaching while lifting
–Poor posture (how one sits or stands)
–Staying in one position for too long
–How one lifts, pushes, pulls, or carries objects
–Losing the strength and endurance to perform physical tasks without strain
–Poor design of job or workstation
–Repetitive lifting of awkward items, equipment, or patients in healthcare facilities
–Twisting while lifting
–Bending while lifting
–Maintaining bent or constrained postures
–Heavy lifting
–Fatigue
–Poor footing, such as on slippery floors
–Lifting with forceful movement
–Vibration, such as with forklift and delivery truck operators
All the safety training you need in one program: 25 subjects, one low price. It’s BLR’s Safety Training Presentations. Try it at no cost. Click for details.
What Should Employers Do?
There are no specific federal rules regulating back safety (or other ergonomics), but OSHA uses the General Duty Clause as an enforcement tool to regulate back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Employers must keep their workplaces free from recognized serious hazards, and that includes hazards that can lead to back injuries.
If you needed any more encouragement, OSHA has said that it will not focus its enforcement efforts on employers who have implemented effective ergonomic programs or who are making good-faith efforts to reduce MSD hazards.
On the flip side, OSHA plans to focus ergonomics inspection resources on industries with relatively high rates of injuries that appear to be related to MSD hazards, and where there are feasible ergonomic methods available to reduce those hazards.
With OSHA on the prowl for employers with high rates of back injuries and other MSDs, it is more important than ever to get your employees properly trained. We think a great tool for doing so is what one user described as “the Swiss Army Knife of safety training materials.”
We’re talking about BLR’s Safety Training Presentations, which includes 25 separate PowerPoint® prewritten safety meetings, each one responsive to either an OSHA training requirement or to other key causes of accidents. All are customizable so you can add your specific hazards or safety policies. In addition to Back Safety, the topics covered include:
–Bloodborne Pathogens
–Electrical Safety
–Emergency Action
–Ergonomics
–Fire Prevention
–PPE
–Welding/Cutting/Brazing
–Portable Power Tool Safety
–Scaffolds
–Hazard Communication
–Lockout/Tagout
–Forklift Operator Safety
–Confined Space Safety
–Fall Protection
–Respiratory Protection
— and more!
Try Safety Training Presentations at no cost and no risk. Click for details.
What’s more, Safety Training Presentations uses varied formats, not just slide presentations. Each lesson also includes interactive exercises, quizzes, completion certificates, sign-in sheets, evaluation forms, and training records. In short, everything you need to motivate, reinforce, retain, and transfer new knowledge—and document that you did.
Of course, training needs change as OSHA introduces new requirements or as new work practices and technologies bring new hazards. To cover this, you receive a new CD every 90 days you’re in the program, each containing 5 additional or updated topics.
Just as important, for those on a budget (and who isn’t these days?), the cost of these presentations averages under $20 each.
We’ve arranged for Advisor subscribers to get a no-cost, no-obligation look at Safety Training Presentations for 30 days. Feel free to try a few lessons with your own trainees. Let us know and we’ll be glad to set it up.