Prevent Back Injuries with Training

One of the most important ways employees can prevent back injuries is to lift correctly. The proper technique involves these steps:

• Stand close to the object with a wide stance. Feet should be shoulder-width apart, with toes pointing outward.
• Bend at the knees and hips, and try to maintain the body’s natural curve.
• Pull the load close and grip it firmly.
• Tighten stomach muscles to act as a back support, and lift the head, which will help lift with the legs rather than the back.
• When ready to lift, use the legs and keep the back straight.

Good Posture, Safe Backs

Another good way to prevent injury is to maintain proper posture while sitting or standing. Here are some key points to teach employees:

• Try to maintain the body’s natural curves when sitting, standing, or moving about.
• When standing, stand straight with shoulders back, head up, and feet shoulder-width apart. Don’t slouch or hang the head.
• When standing for long periods, put a foot up on a rail, ledge, or stool in order to help the body maintain its natural curve.
• When sitting, don’t slouch backward, forward, or to the side. Sit up straight against the chair’s backrest, with shoulders back and head up. A footrest may help maintain proper position.
• When keyboarding for a long periods, make sure the keyboard and chair are positioned to allow the shoulders to stay back and the forearms to stay parallel to the floor.
• Stretch and change position as often as possible.

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Try a demo of BLR’s remarkable new Employee Training Center at no cost or obligation. We’ve got some great safety training programs for preventing back injuries. Get details here.

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Exercise for Healthy Backs

Exercising is important, too. These simple, quick exercises can help prevent back injuries. (Remind employees that they should consult with their doctor before starting an exercise program.)

• Walking for 30 minutes a day will help strengthen muscles and prevent weight gain.
• Daily stretching exercises will help improve flexibility and keep the back in good condition. Stretching exercises might include bending backwards or sideways, rotating hips, or twisting gently from side to side.
• Sit-ups help strengthen stomach muscles, which in turn help support the back.
• Leg lifts help strengthen the muscles in hips and buttocks. This exercise can be done when standing or when lying on the floor.
• Squats strengthen the back, stomach, and leg muscles, and also help with safe lifting.

You’ll find all this information, plus a lot more, in BLR’s Employee Training Center’s 28-slide Back Safety PowerPoint^® training session—designed with all your employees in mind.

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Unlimited training—one low cost. Demo the new Employee Training Center. There’s no cost or obligation. Try it.

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Welcome to the Employee Training Center

Unlike many training solutions available on the market today, BLR^® courses in the Employee Training Center are routinely reviewed and updated to reflect changes in state or federal regulations or best practices. Each training course is developed by BLR lawyers, industry experts, and instructional designers who have experience across a wealth of industries, topics, and compliance areas.

Courses keep participants interested with engaging audio, built-in exercises, and key points to remember. At the completion of every course, individuals take a quiz designed to test for competency in all the course material presented. Quiz results and course completion times are automatically recorded.

Every course can be tailored with supporting and custom documents. BLR provides supporting documents for courses that include complete slide show notes and the answer key for the included quiz. As the administrator, you have the option of displaying uploaded documents and requiring review before the session begins. This is especially useful for company policies or worksite-specific information. Supporting materials can e added, edited, or removed at any time.

With only a few minutes’ setup, you company will have a complete Web-based training program with professionally developed courses, employee testing capabilities, and systematic documentation of employee training sessions and scores. And remember, BLR’s Employee Training Center courses can be delivered at individual employee desks, in computer centers, at training kiosks, or even in a classroom.

No wonder BLR’s Employee Training Center was named “Best Workforce Training Solution” by the Software Information Industry Association. It can help you launch a cost-effective and successful employee training program.

We urge you to sign up for a no-obligation demo by visiting the new Employee Training Center. Or, feel free to call our customer service people toll-free at 866-696-4827.

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