Back injuries are one of the most common workplace maladies. This week, our Safety Training Tips Editor provides tips for preventing these injuries, along with their painful—and costly—consequences.
It’s not surprising that there are so many back injuries on the job. The back is involved in almost every move your employees make during the workday. Among other things, their backs help your employees:
–Stand up
–Sit down
–Bend
–Reach
–Turn to the side
–Push or pull
–Lift and carry
All that work puts a lot of strain on the back, and one false move can lead to an injury.
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The good news is that back injuries are preventable. Simple precautions can keep employees’ backs safe. Train your workers to:
–Keep their backs strong and fit with exercise and a healthy lifestyle. (Being overweight and out of shape significantly increases the risk of back injury.)
–Maintain good posture by keeping ears, shoulders, and hips aligned when sitting, standing, or walking.
–Be aware of their backs every time they move, and avoid awkward movements.
–Use good body mechanics when they lift.
–Treat back injuries promptly and properly to prevent problems from getting worse.
Put the focus on these back-saving tips as well. During safety meetings and training sessions, also remind workers to:
–Use material-handling aids such as hand trucks, pallet jacks, carts, and dollies, to handle heavy loads.
–Keep knees bent when working on their backs, and get up frequently to stretch.
–Use leverage to increase strength and save the back.
–Bend the knees and lift with the legs when shoveling.
–Split big loads into smaller loads that are easier to carry, or get help if the load is too big for one worker to safely handle.
–Bend the knees and squat down when working low, rather than bending at the waist.
–Avoid jumps from heights … even modest ones … such as loading docks, trucks, or platforms (The shock could hurt the back).
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Here are some additional back-savers for use at home:
–Sleep on a firm mattress.
–Push rather than pull loads.
–Drive with the back firmly supported against the back of the seat, knees bent and slightly higher than the hips.
–Avoid overreaching when reaching for objects.
Why It Matters…
–Back injuries are among the most frequent workplace injuries and cost employers billions of dollars every year.
–More than 400,000 American workers suffer temporarily or permanently disabling back injuries every year.
–U.S. workers lose an average of 7 workdays per year because of back injuries.
–Once an employee injures his or her back, that person is more susceptible to future back injuries.