In any job, whether it be in an office, in a warehouse, or out in the field, employees should be able to consult specific guidelines that help them know what is safe and what is not with regards to the lifting of materials and equipment. Overexertion injuries frequently occur when the object a worker is lifting is either too heavy for them, or requires an awkward or unnatural lifting position¹. To prevent these types of situations from occurring regularly, employees should be trained in the correct method for lifting. This usually means keeping the object in the worker’s power zone, which is located between their shoulders and knees, avoiding stooping in order to pick cargo or materials up off of the floor, and not reaching over their head to place an object on a shelf. If it is not possible to move the materials in question without violating these guidelines, then the worker should not attempt to do so, and should seek an alternative solution to the issue at hand. This can mean using lifting equipment or using a team of workers to help lift. It can also be useful to establish a firm rule that any cargo above a certain weight should not be moved by an individual worker without the use of lifting equipment.

Reducing the amount of lifting that needs to be done across the board can also lower musculoskeletal injuries by decreasing worker exposure to manual lifting. Streamlining of inventory and production processes can ensure that items are not repeatedly moved by hand as a result of an inefficient workflow¹. Workflow design should maximize throughput, and the most rapid method of moving materials is in a straight line from one part of the process to the next. Any interim steps that can be eliminated, and any re-handling of materials that does not move them along to the next step in the process should also be removed¹. An excellent example of minimizing cargo handling can be found during the unloading process. Instead of unloading cargo to a staging area, and then moving it again to where production begins, cargo can be unloaded directly into the production area. This removes the interim moving step, and lowers the chances that a worker will injure themselves unnecessarily.

[1] Brodie D, 2005.  Reducing the Risk of Manual Materials Handling.  Retrieved June 25, 2008 from http://www.occupationalhazards.com/zone/328/OHErgonomics/Article/37634/Reducing_the_Risk_of_Manual_Materials_Handling.aspx

[2] Kincaid W, 2005.  Realistic, Cost-Effective Ergonomics for Real People.  Retrieved June 25, 2008 from http://www.occupationalhazards.com/zone/328/OHErgonomics/Article/37744/Realistic_CostEffective_Ergonomics_for_Real_People.aspx

Whether from heaving, twisting, bending or bad lifting postures, it’s well known that caring for the sick or elderly can lead to back pain. This often results in time off work or dropping out of caring professions altogether. Now Danish research published in the online open access journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders suggests that the fear of getting back pain from care work is predictive of actually developing it.

Among healthcare workers, studies have found LBP rates during a 12-month period of 45-63 percent compared with 40-50 percent in the general population. Rather than avoiding physical activity, medical guidelines based on LBP research recommend staying active and continuing normal daily life, including going to work.

Jette Nygaard Jensen and colleagues from the National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark set out to investigate the association between physical work load and lower back pain (LBP), and whether fear-avoidance beliefs had a predictive effect on developing LBP. Fear-avoidance beliefs involve avoiding physical activities that are expected to cause pain, although ironically these beliefs are often associated with developing chronic pain.

2,677 female healthcare workers were given questionnaires that measured both fear-avoidance beliefs about work and fear-avoidance beliefs about physical activity. The researchers found that the picture differed among those who had already suffered from LBP versus those who had not.

For those who had a previous history of LBP, both workload and fear-avoidance beliefs played a part in new episodes of LBP. In general, a greater workload was associated with more LBP, and workload had a greater role to play than fear-avoidance beliefs.

For those without an LBP history, workload was not a significant factor in developing LBP during the study, but fear-avoidance beliefs were. For both groups, fear-avoidance beliefs could be used to predict LBP – this included fears that both work and physical activity would lead to pain. Specifically, both types of fear-avoidance belief were prospectively associated with a higher number of days with LBP (30 days or more).

“From a treatment perspective, focusing on changing fear-avoidance beliefs among those with more or less chronic LBP may be beneficial,” says Jensen. “Health care professionals may benefit from additional education or information about how to cope with acute or chronic LBP. Particularly information about the potentially harmful effect of avoidance-behaviour could be useful.”

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Are your workers experiencing lower back pain? Contact Us and mention you read this article to receive a complimentary lower back pain education poster for your facility!

In a study published in the November, 2009 edition of Journal of Applied Psychology, researchers Christopher Barnes, Ph.D and David Wagner, Ph.D of Michigan State University found that 3.6 more injuries, an increase of 68 percent in lost workdays, occurred on Mondays following the time switch following daylight savings time compared to other days. The sudden increase in work injuries can be attributed to sleep loss – sleeping an average of 40 minutes less on the Sunday night they switched time. This study reports statistics within the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) from 1983 to 2006, as well as data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey. Click here to read the study.

Helpful Tips to Reduce the Risk of Injury After Daylight Savings:

Losing sleep as a result of time change can put you and your employees at risk for injury, however mentally preparing yourself and taking proper precautions for losing an hour of sleep can help prevent injuries from happening.  Consider these helpful tips to be prepared for Daylight Savings Time:

• Adjust your sleep schedule a few days prior to Sunday so “springing forward” will not feel so sudden to your body schedule
• Try to go to sleep at least 20 minutes early each night
• Modify your eating schedule earlier each night prior to Daylight Savings Time
• Be careful when driving or operating machinery while you are adjusting to the new time change
• Be alert of others (especially drivers) the days following time change
• Avoid activities that require focused concentration the day after the time change
• Avoid heavy labor activities on the day after the time change
• Avoid napping, particularly before bedtime
• As always, eat nutritious foods, drink plenty of water and be physically active both prior-to and after Daylight Savings Time

Like this article? Consider Reading Other InjuryFree Articles:

Eight Hours of Sleep Reduces Your Risk of Injury

The Effects of Shift Work

One of the most important things to keep in mind when planning a work space that will be used by many different people is adjustability. Chairs, workstations and equipment should be adjustable so that people of all sizes can use them comfortably.

Leg room is also an important consideration. People need enough space to be comfortable, with the option of using footrests as needed. Lab techs are often very efficient users of space for storage under counters and on high shelves, but this approach might not be the most ergonomic.

Workstation Concerns

• Adjustability is important, especially for workstations that are shared by many people:

1. Place keyboards on adjustable trays attached to the workstation.
2. Lower microtome and cryostat workstations so arms can be close to the body.
3. Flow cytometer workstations should also be adjustable. However, you can place the flow cytometer on a block to raise it to the desired height.

• Purchase ergonomically designed chairs that can be adjusted easily for different heights, thigh and back lengths.

• Use foot rests. Discourage the use of rings at the base of stools.

• Place padding on the edges of workstations if arms and wrists are likely to be leaning against them for extended periods.

• Design the lab so that workstations are out of the way of traffic and opening doors.

• Use a document holder to hold papers next to the computer screen, instead of forcing people to look up and down while working. The monitor and documents should be at a person’s natural eye level. Consider adjustability when ordering equipment!

• Encourage workers to take a 15 minute break between periods of typing and other repetitive hand tasks, such as pipetting, to reduce strain. It is also important to break up long periods of sitting or standing with other tasks, to keep your body moving.

• Infectious disease labs should not have a primary computer workstation, for safety reasons.

Ergonomic Biosafety Cabinets

• Remove drawers, boxes, mini-fridges, coolers and other items underneath the biosafety cabinet to provide more leg room.

• Use a turntable to store equipment close to the workers, to prevent repeated reaching or twisting motions.

• Attach padded arm rests or foam to the front edge of the cabinet to ease the pressure of resting the arm on that surface for long periods. Make sure that whatever you attach can be decontaminated if it makes contact with contents.

• New biosafety cabinets may be designed with ergonomic concerns in mind and feature adjustable height settings, anti-glare barriers and grill designs that allow workers to sit closer to the cabinet.

Tips for Lifting and Storing Items

• Store heavy items at or blow shoulder height if possible.

• Ask for assistance with moving or replacing heavy equipment, such as rotors on centrifuges.

• Use carts to transport heavy items.

• Use a stepladder to store items on higher shelves.

• Avoid twisting while lifting.

• Store frequently used items on rotating shelves that can be easily reached.

See the CDC Web page for more information about laboratory ergonomics

How to Report

While management should welcome employee input, not everyone feels comfortable speaking directly to their supervisor about their concerns¹. Check with HR to find out if there is a particular way in which worksite hazards should be reported at a specific worksite. Employees may find any or all of the following reporting methods available to them:

• One-on-one communication with supervisor
• Communication with staff representative
• Voice mail
• Suggestion box

Even employees who do not feel comfortable registering a direct complaint with their supervisor should take note of how and when they first reported a dangerous situation. If the situation is not resolved in a timely way, it is important to follow up. Taking care of dangerous situations early can prevent damage or injury to people or property.

What to Look for

Hazards will vary according to worksite. Workers must be aware of their surroundings and of the safety standards for their professions. The suggestions provided here are only a small sample of the situations of which workers must be aware.

1. Ergonomic Standards

Repetitive stress injuries are common to all professions. They result from repeated awkward motions. Ergonomic standards are developed to help prevent RSIs from occurring. Such standards address workstation design, lighting and equipment. Although budgets are tight everywhere, workers can and should research the ergonomic standards for their jobs and request materials that can help protect their health, such as document holders to keep documents at eye level with a computer workstation or anti-fatigue mats to reduce fatigue in workers who stand for long periods.

2. Fall Prevention

Tripping and falling are common sources of worksite injury and are a leading cause of death at work². Workers should be aware of situations that increase the risk of tripping or falling, such as unsecured wires, debris, poorly lit stairwells and broken or missing safety rails.

3. Fire Prevention

National estimates put the loss of work time and property due to worksite fires at close to $2.5 billion annually³. Workers can help prevent fires by keeping an eye out for risks such as overloaded circuits, exposed wires, incorrect handling of flammable waste and unsafe use of open flame. It is important to keep all exits open in case of fire and check smoke detectors and fire alarms regularly.

4. Hazardous Chemicals

Hazardous chemicals are used every day in a variety of ways and range from paints and solvents to corrosive cleaning substances. Workers should familiarize themselves with their workplace policies and the necessary protective gear. It is important to make sure containers are properly labeled, work areas are properly ventilated and cleaned and materials are correctly disposed of⁴. Hazardous chemicals can not simply be thrown into the dumpster! Management must be notified immediately if there is a spill.

5. Indoor Air Quality

It is important to report strange odors immediately⁵. In some instances, you or your colleagues may notice that you experience signs of allergies such as headaches and itchy eyes during the day which clear up when you leave work. Report these concerns to management for investigation and visit your doctor for treatment. If you are concerned about indoor air quality, find out whether the building management or your employers conduct an annual air quality review.

6. Water

Water leaks and spills are related to several types of physical risks, including the risk of slipping and falling. Report all spills and leaks to building management for cleanup. In addition to immediate physical risk, water that sits for too long can encourage mold and mildew.

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1 Worksite Analysis. Safety and Health Management eTools. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

2 Fall Prevention and Protection.

3 Preventing worksite fires is everybody’s business.

4 Handling hazardous chemicals in your worksite.

5 Indoor Air Qualtiy at Work.

SAN ANTONIO (Feb. 12, 2010) — Hey guys, remember the muscle shirts we wore in our teens and 20s? After the age of 40 that meager part of our wardrobes usually is obsolete. Yes, at the big 4-0 we begin to lose muscle, and by age 80 up to a third of it may be gone. It’s an inevitable process of aging called sarcopenia.

Why does sarcopenia happen and can it be stopped? A study conducted in mice with accelerated muscle loss at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio provides this insight: Less protection from antioxidants and more damage from oxidative stress results in impairment to cells’ energy centers, which slowly leads to death of muscle cells.

A team directed by Holly Van Remmen, Ph.D., associate professor with the university’s Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies and the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, found that without a certain antioxidant enzyme to balance the formation of harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS), cellular energy centers called mitochondria fail to work properly. The mitochondria even add to the spate of ROS molecules and release factors leading to cell death.

“The impaired function of mitochondria also has a detrimental effect on the way motor neurons ‘talk’ to the muscle to achieve muscle contraction,” Dr. Van Remmen said. “This interaction occurs at a specialized synapse where the nerve and muscle come in close contact.” This key structure is called the neuromuscular junction, she said.

Smaller and weaker muscles

Youngmok C. Jang, Ph.D., a leading author in the study, investigated mice that were genetically engineered to lack an antioxidant enzyme called copper-zinc superoxide dismutase. He compared mitochondria from these mice and normal mice and found reduced function of the energy centers in the enzyme-deficient mice. This contributed to more cell death and muscle atrophy in the rodents. “As a result, their muscles were a lot smaller and weaker,” Dr. Van Remmen said.

Insights gleaned about muscle loss can help scientists better understand other neuromuscular diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). “Age-related muscle atrophy is a complex process and involves multiple systems,” Dr. Van Remmen said. “There are, however, common mechanisms occurring in sarcopenia and other neuromuscular diseases. By understanding the mechanisms underlying age-related muscle atrophy and alterations at the neuromuscular junction, we should be able to gain insight that will help us to discover new therapeutic interventions.”

If a muscle-preserving therapy is one day developed, future generations of young men will be able to keep their muscle shirts a bit longer.

Note: A grant from the National Institute on Aging supported this project, along with a Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research to Dr. Van Remmen from the American Federation for Aging Research. Co-authors from the UT Health Science Center are Youngmok Jang, Ph.D.; Michael Lustgarten, Ph.D.; Yuhong Liu; Florian Muller, Ph.D.; Arunabh Bhattacharya, Ph.D.; Hanyu Liang, Ph.D.; Adam Salmon, Ph.D.; and Arlan Richardson, Ph.D. Other co-authors are Susan Brooks, Ph.D., and Lisa Larkin, Ph.D., of The University of Michigan and Christopher Hayworth, Ph.D., of The University of Texas at Austin. Drs. Van Remmen and Richardson have joint appointments with the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. This paper was published online by The FASEB Journal on Dec. 29, 2009.

About the UT Health Science Center San Antonio

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 2 percent of all U.S. institutions receiving federal funding. Research and other sponsored program activity totaled a record $259 million in fiscal year 2009. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced 27,000 graduates. The $753 million operating budget supports six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

The constant motion of a conveyor belt can in fact be one of the leading causes of injury. A conveyor is designed to carry a specific load, which in some cases is quite heavy. As a result, the electric motors which power these devices can be powerful, giving the conveyor enough strength to crush or maim human bones and limbs. The greatest danger lies in the areas where two conveyors meet, or where a conveyor ends, especially if the belt is on an exposed loop, or the chain used to move the belt is itself exposed.  These areas must be covered with guards or shields that prevent employees from placing their hands anywhere that might result in injury. If a conveyor appears to be defective, or stops operating properly, workers should be trained to contact plant maintenance personnel, and not to attempt to dislodge any object which may be jamming the conveyor, or investigate why the conveyor has stopped. The risk that the machinery may re-start again and catch the worker’s hands is far too great.

Finally, employees should be aware that long hair or long, hanging clothing such as shirt sleeves or neckties can become caught in conveyors, dragging the worker towards other machinery or the underside of the chain or belt.  In addition to keeping long hair back and away from the employee’s workstation, and keeping hanging clothing tucked in, all conveyors should be fitted with emergency stop buttons positioned at regular intervals along the assembly line.

Workers on an assembly line who use power tools must also be careful if they work in close proximity to others. If the tools are used for cutting, or if they are impact tools, then the possibility of injury resulting from carelessness or from a tool getting away from a worker unexpectedly is enhanced by the small distance between each workstation. Employees who must use these types of tools for their stage of production should be located far enough from other assembly line workers that the chances of accidental contact with a tool are greatly reduced. These tools should also be tethered, so that if dropped they cannot make their way further down the line. By the same token, they should be trigger operated so that if control of them is lost, they do not continue to run as they move across a conveyor.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is one of the most important safety skills which you can possess. It is important to receive proper CPR training for a number of reasons. One of the most important reasons for receiving proper CPR training is that it can be used to in the case of cardiac arrest before emergency personnel arrive. By understanding how to properly perform CPR, you very well could save someone’s life.

Many people misunderstand CPR and believe that the purpose of this procedure is to restart someone’s heart when it has stopped beating. This is actually not quite accurate. The real purpose behind CPR is to provide a continual flow of oxygenated blood to the major organs, including the heart and the brain. This will delay the death of tissue as well as extend the opportunity of resuscitating the individual without permanent brain damage occurring. Advanced life support and defibrillation are needed to actually restart the heart. Nevertheless, CPR can be an important link in the life saving process.

Proper first-aid training can also be beneficial. While almost everyone could apply a bandage if the situation called for it, there are many situations which could arise in the workplace, at home, while driving down the road or on vacation in which proper first-aid techniques could be beneficial. Emergency first-aid refers to the initial care of an illness or injury. In situations where an injury or illness is severe, proper first-aid can literally mean the difference between life and death. First-aid may involve stemming the flow of blood, applying a splint to a broken bone or treating a severe burn.

Becoming CPR and first-aid certified typically requires attending a one day training session. The session commonly lasts approximately eight hours. While an individual could receive training for just CPR or just first-aid, knowing proper techniques for both truly is important.

While it would be hoped that you would never need to use the techniques, you never know when you might need to apply an emergency splint, rescue someone from choking or use CPR for someone who is experiencing cardiac arrest.

Interested in Learning about CPR but not sure where to go? The American Red Cross is a great place to start! Learn more about the CPR programs and courses offered in your neighborhood by clicking here!

This is particularly true in a machine shop area. Machine guarding is a critical method that can be used to protect workers from the many dangers that can be present. Injuries such as the loss of toes and fingers can result along with injuries to the ears and eyes can occur without the proper use of industrial safety equipment.

The primary purpose of a machine guard is to ensure that the worker’s body does not come into contact with dangerous moving parts. There are three primary areas that are present on all machines. They are the power transmission, the operation point and the operating controls. All of these areas represent danger to the worker due to moving parts.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration, otherwise known as OSHA, dictates that any machine part that can cause injury to a worker must be safeguarded. Employers are responsible for complying with requirements set forth by OSHA in order to ensure that workers are protected from any risks that may be present within the work area.

Machine guards are meant to protect the machine operator as well as any other workers who may be present in that area from potential hazards. Such hazards include flying chips and sparks that may be created by rotating parts. In some instances, custom machine guarding may be necessary for adequate protection, including fencing and custom made barriers or curtains. Plastic guards may also be used in some circumstances for protection. It should be kept in mind that the size of the machine is immaterial to the amount of danger that could be presented. Even a small machine can still result in a hazard. In order to increase protection, professional installation of guards is high recommended.

OSHA regularly conducts audits in industrial areas to ensure that regulations intended for the safety of workers are followed. Machine guarding ensures that all workers within an industrial environment are adequately protected, which can help to reduce lost work time and improve productivity. Taking the proper precautions can help to ensure that your workers are protected and your business is as productive as possible.

For information in OSHA Machine Guarding standards click here

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Focusing on prevention in such manually-intensive work environments, the poultry industry implemented an ergonomics, medical intervention and training  program called “MET” tailored for both employees and their supervisors. The industry also encouraged formal communication amongst professionals in the trade as well as in ergonomics/organizational health groups including OSHA.

To read the white paper “Ergonomics in the Poultry Industry: A Review of 25 Years of the Industry Efforts” click here