Back Injury Prevention
By: Chris
Hall, Safety Specialist
Back injuries represent a large number of worker
compensation claims in today’s workplace. Unfortunately, a back injury is
something that has a strong possibility of reoccurring frequently causing severe
pain and missed time for the employee. Educating your workers on several key
topics will help them to understand how they may prevent back injuries.
A strong back is a healthy back.
Conditioning through regular exercise and stretching is
analogous to regular maintenance on your car; if it is never done, the vehicle
is likely to breakdown often and usually for the same thing. A strong back is
better able to withstand the wear and tear that physical work can have on the
body. Daily stretching and a regular exercise routine that works the muscles
around the spine and abdomen will help to prevent back injuries. Employees
should consult with their physician prior to beginning any exercise regimen
because previous conditions or improper technique could lead to other serious
injuries.
If it is too much, get help.
All too often, back injuries are caused by workers lifting, or
attempting to lift an object they knew was too heavy. Asking for help from
another employee or using a mechanical device to lift heavy or bulky objects is
not only smart, but it is more efficient. Two workers or a device working to
move an object from here-to-there can do it with more ease than one person who
is struggling alone. This idea should also be applied to large or bulky items.
A large object can cause the person carrying it to work harder to maintain their
balance. This causes unnecessary twisting, bending and strain on the back. Even
if the load does not weigh very much, its size may be enough to cause an injury.
Mechanics, Mechanics, Mechanics.
No discussion about back injury can be complete without
mentioning the importance of body mechanics. Good body mechanics allow an
employee to bend, lift or stretch in the most efficient way to reduce the strain
on their muscles and joints. When lifting an object, the following use of body
mechanics should be observed:
Although back injury prevention is always a topic of concern for
employers, it is a difficult injury to prevent without the cooperation of the
employees. An understanding of the factors that prevent back injuries can help
employees save their back not only for today’s job, but for the rest of their
life. They are the ones who will have to live with it.