By Laura Dietrich, CPE

As an ergonomist, I am often surprised that I still see people wearing back belts while working in manufacturing, retail, and construction.  It is understandable that employers are looking for any way to prevent back injuries on the job.  This is especially important because this accounts for 20% of workplace injuries and illnesses, costing approximately $20-50 billion per year.  My concern is that if companies are spending money on the wrong solution, there may not be enough left over for the right solution.  I think it is important that if you are considering supplying back belts, or have already done so,  that you are knowledgeable about the evidence supporting the use of these belts.

Let’s start with the cons of back belt use.  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) completed a study published on December 5, 2000 finding no evidence that back belts reduced pain or injury for retail workers performing manual material handling (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/beltinj.html).  In addition, NIOSH states that there is insufficient scientific evidence by the back belt manufacturers to support their claims that the belts reduce pain and injury.  The best predictor of back injury is previous back injury and daily lifting tasks.

A very real concern for ergonomists is that companies are using back belts in place of an effective ergonomics program that reduces exposure to risk factors that lead to back injuries.  Using a back belt to protect your employees is definitely alluring, in that it is a simple resolution that is both low cost and easy to implement.  The big problem is that the risk factors that create the back injury in the first place are still present while the employee is wearing the back belt.  An additional risk is that employees will believe they can lift more weight while wearing the back belt, potentially lifting more than is safe, causing an injury.

What is the solution? If the following three ergonomic considerations are employed, any company will have the strongest defense against the back injury occurring in the first place.  Companies should:

·        Have a comprehensive ergonomics program using the NIOSH 1981 or 1991 lifting calculation to evaluate lifts

·         Implement effective resolutions to potential concerns

·         Have regular safe-lift training for employees

Does Your Company Need One?

By Laura Dietrich, CPE

As an ergonomist, I am frequently asked if I recommend stretching programs to reduce the risk of injury.  This question is difficult to answer with a straight “yes” or “no” response for several reasons.  If the question is being asked so that the company does not have to provide sound ergonomic analysis and intervention of risk factors, then the answer would be: No, I would not recommend a stretching program.  However, if the company is committed to analyzing ergonomic concerns and implementing identified resolutions, then the addition of a stretching program would be beneficial. 

If risk factors are present on a job and go uncorrected, then stretching the muscles and tendons before work will not prevent the wear and tear in those areas that could eventually result in a repetitive strain or sprain injury.  When the body performs manual labor, muscles contract, tendon tension builds, and joint structures compress.  All of these actions result in decreased circulation to the affected areas and contribute to potential injury.  Effective stretching programs can decrease muscle and tendon tension and increase blood flow.  Stretching can also increase the range of motion in the joint which will help prevent stiffness and tendon shortening. 

Stretching ideally should be performed every two hours and last approximately two to five minutes.  This can easily be incorporated into an existing schedule, such as: before start of work, work breaks, and lunchtime.  The stretching should target the specific areas of the body used during the work with the focus to relax muscles of the affected areas.  The stretches should be held approximately ten seconds for optimum relaxation and incorporate gently bending, straightening, and rotating of joints. 

There are no controlled scientific studies that support stretching as a tool to reduce injuries in the workplace.  However, when coupled with an effective engineering based ergonomic program, stretching should assist in keeping the muscles, tendons and joints functioning optimally.  An additional benefit will be a workforce that is more comfortable performing their jobs, has an increased sense of well-being, and is ultimately more productive.

Laura is a Certified Professional Ergonomist with Advanced Safety & Health, she can be contacted at ldietrich@AdvancedSafetyHealth.com or (502) 240-6910.
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Prevent Painful and Expensive Back Injuries

Back injuries are not only painful to the employee, but they are also ‘painful’ for the employer.  More than one million workers suffer from back injuries every year and 25% of all compensation claims involve the back.   In addition, once someone injures their back, there is a 40% chance of the injury recurring. In a recent study, 1/3 of all compensable back injuries could be prevented through better job design.  With these types of statistics, it is critical that companies seriously evaluate the risk of a back injury and make the improvements before an injury occurs.

One of the most important risk factors to consider would be how far the load being lifted is from the employee’s spine.  The farther the load is from the spine, the greater the stress on the back. When evaluating the lift, first consider the horizontal distance from the person’s hands to their spine.  The farther the hands are from the spine, the greater the force on the back and the greater the risk of injury. 

Here are some simple improvements you can make to your workplace to reduce the risk of a back injury due to a long horizontal reach:

·          Evaluate and eliminate any obstructions in the work area that keep the employee from getting as close to the load as possible (i.e. work tables, poorly designed racks, equipment that extends past load, etc.)

·          Ensure that the employee is trained to pull the load as close to the body as possible before beginning the lift

·          Keep the container as small as feasible so that the hands are as close to the body as possible

Remember, small improvements can add up to a safe workplace for backs.  For more information on how you can protect your employees’ backs, contact Laura Dietrich, CPE, at Advanced Safety & Health.

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