Back Strains and Overexertion Injury Prevention Back Strains and Overexertion Injury Prevention Company Harlan McPhee North McPhee South Powerhawke Ravex Richards Company Using the Form Job Name * Job Name and/or Number Date * Back Strains and Overexertion Injury Prevention Soft tissue injuries are one of the most common injuries in construction. Such injuries can happen suddenly or develop over long periods of time. Either way, they can be devastating to both employers and employees, resulting in lost work time and even permanent disability. Back Strains Eight out of 10 Americans will eventually suffer a back injury or have some type of back pain. Back injuries are often difficult to treat and can result in lengthy rehabilitation. It is important to stay healthy and in good shape so that we can remain pain free and do our jobs better and more safely. To minimize the chance of back injury and to help eliminate unnecessary hazards, the following basic principles are useful to guide the design of everyday lifting tasks: • Use proper lifting techniques when manually lifting material. Spread your feet slightly apart, bend your knees, keep your back arched and the load close. Grip the object with a firm grasp. Use your strong leg muscles instead of the weaker and smaller back muscles to bring you and the load to a standing position. Make the lift under control. Do not make quick jerky moves. • Use two or more people to lift heavy objects • Use mechanical lifting aids • Move material once. Plan jobs so you avoid lifting and lowering the same material several times. • Use the force of gravity when possible. Convert lifting/lowering tasks into pushing/pulling. • Avoid static muscle loading (exertion without movement). • Give support to the body. • Do not complete tasks that require extreme twisting or reaching behind you. • Plan lifts so that they take place between waist and shoulder height. Following these principles can help to reduce job related back injuries and back pain. Overexertion Many workplace injuries are a result of overexertion caused by lifting, pulling, or pushing objects. Overexertion occurs when the amount of work attempted exceeds the limits of the body parts doing the work. People with a preexisting condition, limited mobility, or aging limitations are more prone to overexertion injuries. In some cases individuals will overuse one body part to compensate for the limitation of another body part. It’s important to match the work to the workers capabilities. Overexertion injury is likely to occur in four ways: 1. High force demands - This can happen when lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying, gripping, and using tools 2. Awkward or stationary posture - This can occur when bending, twisting, reaching, and kneeling 3. Repetitive movements or actions - Doing the same motion repeatedly without taking a few small rest breaks can cause this 4. All other overexertion hazards - This includes contact stress, hand-arm vibration, whole-body vibration, hammering with hand, and working in cold temperatures or hot environments. The best way to prevent an overexertion injury is to work through the task in your head to figure out the way to best perform the work with the least amount of energy and then follow through with the plan by taking necessary precautions. In conclusion, identifying and communicating the hazards and controls associated with soft tissue injuries at the daily pre-job brief will go a long way towards preventing needless injuries. Additional Comments Foreman Name * Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Toolbox Talk Attendee Attended By (Required) Picture Upload Drop a file here or click to upload Choose File Maximum upload size: 52.43MB reCAPTCHA If you are human, leave this field blank. Submit Δ
