Reasons to Protect Your Employees’ Back

Author in the Prevent Future Claims category

Injuries to the spinal column or back region are common, and many of these injuries are preventable. Depending on the type of business you have, using a good lifting program and educational safety system, can help protect your employees from injury.

Here are some compelling reasons to protect your employees from back injuries:

  • 80% of Americans will have a back injury that requires medical attention
  • Back injuries are the second most common cause of lost work time, next to the common cold
  • Injured backs are often subject to re-injury
  • In addition to missed work, there may be major costs accrued by your company
  • Back injuries alone cost the American industry $10- 14 billion in workers compensation costs and about 100- million lost workdays annually

 Source: Design to Success

Take the time to analyze your company or business and see if your safety program protects you and your employees. Proof:Positive can help you save money and create a safe environment with safety educated employees.

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Health and Wellness Rooms Help Reduce Work Comp Costs

Author in the Reduce Current Costs category

Educating your employee about their injury is a good idea. What benefits do you get when your employee understands safety awareness and proper lifting? Is there a program that can help your injured employees understand their injury, help rehabilitate and return to full duty?

Health and Wellness Rooms are your answer! You can benefit greatly when using the Early Return to Work Program. Our post-accident prevention program can help minimize workers’ compensation costs and reduce overall losses for your company or business. The program works closely with the injured employee’s doctor to develop a plan to return the worker back to full duty. Our Health and Wellness Room can help with those that need a temporary shift in responsibilities through our light-duty program.

In this program we will educate the injured employee. We don’t just rely on the doctor to help the injured worker return to work. They are encouraged – within their restrictions – to walk, stretch and complete the therapy given to them by their doctor to aid in their recovery. They will have the opportunity to read and learn about their injury and ways of prevention. In a classroom environment they will have an open forum to ask and learn about their injuries. All of this will be done with the goal of returning the injured worker back to work quickly, safely, with more awareness of their injury, and with the knowledge of how to prevent future accidents from occuring. This way the injured employee continues to work while earning wages throughout recovery.

Learning can be very infectious and these employees can bring back a positive attitude and knowledge that can be shared with other employees. Let us help you:

Your company can undoubtedly save money with a program like this that has a proven method.

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Keep Your Back Injury Free and Stay on the Job

Author in the Prevent Future Claims category

Many occupations require routine lifting.  But, lifting the wrong way can lead to serious back injuries (and time off from work). However, there are some important tips to remember and use when you are lifting, regardless of the object’s size or weight. Keep your back pain-free by following these simple steps:

  • Plan your lift prior to lifting
  • You should stretch prior to any lifting to warm up your muscles
  • Use dollies or other lift assist devices to help you when available
  • Only lift or carry what you can safely handle
  • Always lift with your legs and not your back
  • Never lift with a twisting motion
  • Always carry the load close to your body
  • Lower the load slowly and bend the knees
  • Use a co-worker if available to share the load

Our backs are a vital part of our body and health.  You should always remember to take care of your back on and off the job.   Do not take unnecessary risks when it comes to lifting.  As an employer make sure each employee is properly trained and protected from injury. It is good practice to have a safety program in place and proper training to avoid costly workers compensation claims.

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Back Safety – On or Off the Job!

Author in the Prevent Future Claims category

It is estimated that 8 out of 10 Americans will have a back problem at some time in their lives. And no wonder – we have a knack for neglecting our backs! You might be a weekend athlete who might strain an underused muscle, someone with bad posture, and someone who lifts incorrectly or who is overweight, under stress, or out of shape and are setting the stage for a back injury.

Then there is the average American worker who sometimes is required to do manual labor at their jobsite. It is a good practice for employers to help educate these employees on proper lifting and safety awareness. Most people are active outside of work. An injury off the job or on the job is still an injury, and impacts productivity. So it is important to try and educate your employees on not only work back safety but back safety all the time. As an employer, showing concern for your employees on or off the job can only benefit you. Help yourselves avoid workers compensation claims, retraining, overtime paid to cover shifts missed due to injury, and help boost employee morale.

Safety should be taught to avoid accidents not in response to one. Proof:Positive can help your company evaluate your safety programs and help design a program to fit your company needs. Your employees can not only learn about injury rehabilitation but also learn on how to care for themselves outside of work as well.

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Opportunity Knocks After Workplace Injuries

Author in the Prevent Future Claims category

The opportunity for you to obtain some knowledge after a workplace injury depends on you. Why sit waiting while injuried to heal without learning about your injury? Information can be provided by your Doctor and Therapist that might be clinical and hard to understand. Finding a place where you can be educated about your injury during recovery can be difficult, but can pay dividends if you take advantage. Take the opportunity when it knocks to learn about your injury and how to recover, and even prevent future injuries…all while staying off disability.

The Proof:Positive Health and Wellness Room present the opportunities to obtain information about your injury. A Health and Wellness Room provides a place to study your injury and learn more than what your Doctor might say about your injury. You can also learn how to prevent further injury, save yourself from future pain and suffering, get back to being productive, and stay that way. Another benefit of a Health and Wellness Room is that you can remain on your regular payroll and not have to go out on disablitiy.

Of course you would have to eligible for the Health and Wellness Room, and eligibility is determined by your Doctor and what work restrictions s/he writes for you. Most restrictions can be accomodated in a Health and Wellness Room, however, and recovery from work injuries is increased dramatically when an injured employee attends a Health and Wellness Room.

So, carpe diem, and help speed your recovery and your return to work. Take the opportunity to learn and heal at the same time. Increase your knowledge and awareness about work place injuries, and stay on payroll. Opportunities don’t always come along with horns blowing and flags flying – you have to answer the knock of opportunity after your injury. Ask your employer about the Health and Wellness Room option. Above all, you are the one who will benefit from time spent in the Health and Wellness Room.

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Mental Attitude Can Have a Positive Affect on Physical Health

Author in the Prevent Future Claims, Reduce Current Costs category

Studies show that your mental health can influence your physical health. And certain personality traits – such as optimism or pessimism – can influence how well you live and even how long you live. It is important to create a positive atmosphere for your employees. It also very important to create that same environment for your injured employees. Having a positive mental outlook can also help promote healing. It is easy to forget about the physiological and psychological affects that an injury has on an employee.

Researchers evaluated results from a personality test taken by participants more than 30 years ago and compared them to the sudsequent mortality rates. They found that people who scored high on optimism had a 50 percent lower risk of premature death than those who scored more pessimistic. Besides a lowered risk of early death, researchers found other health benefits related to positive attitude. In the study, optimist reported:

  • Fewer problems with work or other daily activities because of physical or emotional health
  • Less pain and fewer limitations due to pain
  • Less interference from physical or emotional problems when engaging in social activities
  • Increased energy
  • Feeling more peaceful, happier and calmer

Source: FemHealth.com

More…

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A Well Designed Return to Work Program

Author in the Reduce Current Costs category

A well-known proverb says, “Tell me and I will forget, show me and I will remember, involve me and I will understand.” This quote explains what good training can do for any safety program.  You may already have a safety program at your job but what about education for your injured employees. Once injured there is a great opportunity to help your employees learn about their injuries and how to prevent further accidents from occurring.

Proof:Positive Consulting can help your injured employees return to work fast, safely and effectively. At Proof:Positive, our objective is to make worksites safer, more efficient, and more profitable. We accomplish this by providing comprehensive light-duty and safety programs that cut operational costs and speed return to work for employees on temporary disability. Aside from accident prevention, an Early Return to Work (ERTW) program is a manager’s best tool to control Worker’s Compensation costs and reduce losses. ERTW programs have been proven to work in state agencies, the public sector and private firms across the nation. The key word is “Early.” Your response at the time you learn of the illness or injury has a profound impact on the outcome of most cases. ERTW actions should start as soon as possible. However, because specific illnesses or injuries may require varying amounts of time for healing, the time limits on Early Return to Work should also be flexible and based on the medical judgement of the treating physician. More…

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Lifting and Carrying: Your Guide to a Healthy Back

Author in the Prevent Future Claims category

Know the Facts

Back injuries affect millions of Americans, and can require medical attention.  Back injuries are a leading cause of job-related injuries.  They disable more than 400,000 people each year. It costs Americans nearly $75 billion annually for medical treatment, lost wages, and insurance claims. Back injuries can significantly limit a person’s physical activity. It is also the second leading cause of missed work days and lost wages.

Using good body mechanics to lift

  • Wear supportive shoes with traction
  • Bend and gently stretch to get ready
  • Test the load to see if you can handle it safely – if not get help from a co-worker or use mechanical aids
  • Keep a wide stance and solid footing
  • To improve balance, keep your heels down and turn feet slightly out
  • Tighten your stomach muscles
  • Do not hold your breath – exhale with the greatest exertion
  • Get a good grasp on the load
  • Keep the load close to your body to reduce strain
  • Keep your head up and trunk tall to maintain your natural curves
  • Lift steadily with your legs, not your back
  • Point feet in the direction of the move, don’t twist
  • Set the load down by squatting down and keeping the spine aligned More…
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