Volume 1, Issue 2-On the Job

Volume 1 Issue 2 (Spring 1997)

Inside this issue:

Local Injuries in the Trades
The Scoop on Back Belts
Shop and Compare. Consider This.
Straight from the Workers' Mouth
The Importance of A Good Stretch
The News on Back Injuries (english, en espanol)

Local Injuries in the Trades: An Update.

What Are We Doing?

Since 1990, we have been interviewing construction workers on the telephone about their work-related injuries. We want to understand how workers get injured and which injuries are the most common.

Why?

Between 1986 and 1990, the construction industry had the highest injury rate of all major US industries. We want to learn more about these injuries so that, with your help, we can suggest ways to prevent workers from getting hurt on the job.

What Have We Found Out?

From the workers that we have interviewed so far, we know that lacerations are the number one injury. Sprains and strains (especially lower back) are number two. Serious bruises are number three and eye injuries are number four. Of the injured workers that we interviewed, the "top" three occupations were carpenters, construction laborers, and electricians. We are also getting some idea of how workers get injured, how long it takes them to heal, and how it affects their day-to-day life.

What Can Be Done About It?

Most importantly, we want to know what YOU think can be done to make your trade safe. When it comes to your job, YOU are the expert. Because lifting and carrying were a common cause of workers getting hurt, this issue of On The Job is going to focus on what can be done to prevent back injuries. We are going to talk about how you can protect yourself - general tips for proper lifting and carrying, the importance of stretching exercises, and backbelts. We also have some stories from workers who have hurt their back on the job. If you have any suggestions, stories, questions, or gripes, we want to hear from you!

Mailing address:
Katherine Hunting, MPH, PhD
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health
School of Public Health and Health Sciences
The George Washington University
2300 K Street, NW
Warwick Building Suite 201
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 994-1734
eohklh@gwumc.edu

The scoop on back belts.

Researchers can not seem to agree on whether or not back belts reduce the risk of back injury. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reviewed 21 published studies on back belts and came to the following conclusions:

NIOSH believes that back belts do not reduce the hazards of repeated lifting, pushing, pulling, twisting or bending.

NIOSH does not consider back belts to be personal protective equipment.

NIOSH does not recommend the use of back belts to prevent injuries among workers with injuries.

Shop and compare. Consider this.

IN CONSTRUCTION, about half of the back injuries are a result of lifting excessive weight or lifting incorrectly, while about a quarter are a result of slips, trips, and falls. Proper storage, regular cleanup, and slip-resistant surface coatings can reduce the number of slips, trips, and falls, but what about lifting? Lifting heavy weights requires, good lifting technique (warm muscles, bent knees) as well as appropriate and convenient lifting equipment.

Some people argue that lifting equipment costs too much money. Let's compare:

LET'S say that a worker strains his back on the job and gets sent to the emergency department. He has two x-rays and sees a doctor for a total cost of $350. He picks up his $30 pain killer prescription and is forced to take a couple of days off work to recover (another $240). Then he is sent to 6 physiotherapy sessions ($300) and has to take 3 hours off work for each visit ($270). The total cost so far, without complications, is $1190. In New York state, the average cost of a case of low back pain in 1989 was estimated to be $6500. These cost estimates don't account for the upset and stress that the injury likely causes the worker and their family; the pain and discomfort, the fear of getting laid off, the chance of not being able to work in their trade...

IN CONTRAST,

...a dolly with casters costs $250
...a duct jack to raise AC units costs $1500
...a push around forklift stacker to unload trucks costs $1500 - $3000
...a scissor lift table (with hydraulics) costs $2000
...a winch hoist with an electric motor, chain, and hook costs $500 - $3000
...and all of these tools can be rented

Straight from the worker's mouth.

ONE of the questions that we ask construction workers is "how could this injury have been prevented"? We thought that you would want to read some of their responses. We heard from workers in all types of construction trades including carpenters, exhibit carpenters, electricians, elevator mechanics, laborers, sheet metal workers, iron workers, tuck pointers, concrete finishers, plasterers, pipefitters, and drywall finishers. Here's what they had to say:

"I should have got help, but I knew that getting help would take a week..."
"No idea..."
"They should make better lifts to absorb the bumps..."
"The wheelbarrow should have been stored in its proper place..."
"Nothing..."
"If I was less-pressured to finish the job, it wouldn't have happened..."
"I just needed the proper tools..."
"There should have been warning signs..."

BASED on the information that you gave us, the causes of your back injuries ranged from auto accidents, falls, malfunctioning equipment, improper positioning of equipment when in use, improper tools used for a task, and rushing to complete a task in order to meet a deadline. The majority of the back injuries were a result of lifting or carrying heavy objects with the wrong body posture.

The importance of a good stretch.

Awkward postures and heavy loads put extra strain on your muscles. For example, if you are an electrician you probably work with your arms above your head; as a mason, you may have to lift heavy bricks all day; as a drywaller, you may be carrying bulky sheets of sheetrock.

Compare your body to a car. If you start a cold engine and try to push its limits right away, you'll get poor performance and will run the risk of damage to the vehicle. During cold weather, your car needs even more time to warm up. Starting slowly pays off - not only with your car but with your body.

Warming up with some simple movements before you start work can:

increase blood flow to the muscles making them stronger and easier to move
lubricate the joints by warming up the fluid that surrounds them help to maintain a healthy back
prevent injuries such as muscle strain

A warm-up routine can be a series of movements such as arm circles and gentle twists. You want to move all of your joints and major muscles that you use during your day.

Stretching tips:

make sure that your stretch exercises are slow and comfortable
do not bounce or jerk when you stretch
do not do any exercise that causes you discomfort or pain to increase your flexibility, hold stretches longer and stretch further
breathe naturally, don't hold your breath

FACT SHEET

BACK INJURIES

ON THE JOB

This information is also available in en Espanol

If you lift, lower, carry, push, pull, or bend then you are at risk of hurting your back. There are two basic ways to protect yourself. May we humbly suggest that you download this and POST it at your work site...

PLAN before you work

Before you start work, take a few minutes to STRETCH your cold muscles.
Have materials delivered as CLOSE as possible to where they will be used.
Try to STORE materials OFF the ground and BELOW waist-level.
When you can, use a TABLE or WORK BENCH to raise the work to WAIST height.
Make sure that WALKWAYS are CLEAR and DRY.
When you are TIRED you get injured more. Plan REST breaks.

GET HELP and MOVE CAREFULLY while you're working

Use carts, dollies, forklifts, and hoists to move materials - NOT your back.
If materials weigh more than 50 pounds, GET HELP from another worker.
Use carrying tools with HANDLES to get a good grip on wallboard or other loads.
When carrying materials, keep the load as CLOSE to your BODY as you can.
AVOID TWISTING when lifting and lowering; turn your whole body instead.
Lift and lower in a SMOOTH, STEADY way. Try to avoid jerky movements.
If you have to lift materials off the ground, try to lift from a SQUATTING position. That way, your legs are doing the work instead of your back.
Also, when lifting materials off the ground, try to keep your back STRAIGHT. It might help to lean against a wall.

BOLETIN

LESIONES EN LA ESPALDA

EN EL TRABAJO

(Todo la informacion es disponible en ingles.)

Si usted levanta, baja, hala o empuja objectos pesados y al hacerlo dobla la espalda, usted se arriesga a lastimarse la espalda. Hay dos maneras basicas por la cual usted puede prevenir lastimarse.

PLANEE antes de hacer el trabajo

Antes de empezar a trabajar, tome varios minutos para ESTIRAR sus musculos.

Pida que los materiales con los cuales va a trabajar se los traigan lo mas CERCA posible al lugar donde va a trabajar.
No GUARDE los materiales en un lugar bajo como en el piso, pongalos en un lugar al mismo nivel de la cintura.
Cuando pueda, use una MESA DE TRABAJO o un MOSTRADOR para hacer el trabajo al mismo nivel de la CINTURA.
Asegurese que los PASADISOS esten libres de objectos y secos.
Cuando usted esta CANSADO se puede lesionar con mas facilidad. Asegurese de tomar ratos para DESCANSAR mientras trabaja.

PIDA AYUDA y MUEVASE con CUIDADO mientras trabaja

Use una carretilla, una plataforma con ruedas, vehiculos mecanicos o pequeños camiones (forklift), cabria o pescante de cables para mover materiales pesados. NO TRADE de levantar estos materiales pesados usted pues se puede lesionar la espalda. Si los materiales pesan mas de 50 libras, PIDA ayuda a un compañero. Use herramientas con mangos asi podra agarrarlas mejor. Cuando cargue materiales pesados, mantenga los materiales lo mas CERCA posible a su CUERPO. EVITE TORCER la cintura de lado a lado cuando levante o baje algo pesado; en vez de torcer la cintura trade de volver todo el cuerpo. Levante o baje materiales pesados de una manera SUAVE y FIRME. Trade de evitar movimientos abruptos. Si tiene que levantar materiales pesados, trate de levantarlos en CUCLILLAS (osea con sus piernas y sin doblar la espalda). De esta forma sus piernas estan haciendo el trabajoen vez de su espalda. Si tiene que levantar materiales pesados, trate de mantener la espalda en una posicion RECTA. Podria ser d e gran ayuda si se apoya contra la pared.