Back Injury Prevention

Investigate all accidents and make changes to prevent recurrence. Assign a case management worker to oversee medical treatment and retnrn-to-work efforts. Never move or lift from side to side. Keep items close to the body when reaching, carrying, or lifting. Plan the lift and size up the load to better reduce spine movement. Keep the patient load as close to the body as possible. Ten pounds 

Education on the back and proper body mechanics Recurring training on patient transfer techniques Exercise routines for those involved in lifting Formation and required use of lifting teams Ergonomic evaluations to detect problem areas Effective housekeeping procedures Lift and patient assist equipment 

Use lateral transfers or sliding techniques to move patients and residents between two horizontal surfaces such as bed to gumey. Helpful equipment and devices include slide boards, transfer mats, slippery sheets, draw sheets, and incontinence pads. 

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Incident Reporting and Investigation Accident Prevention Signs and Tags Hand Safety Back Injury Prevention Behavioral Safety Bloodborne Pathogens Confined Space Lockout/T agout Drug and Alcohol HazCom... 

A safety professional interested in back injury prevention must be familiar with these NIOSH publications. 

D. BACK INJURY PREVENTION. While most back disorders result from cumulative trauma or gradual insult to the back over time, some injuries are caused by a sudden excessive load or fall. These disorders are by far the largest single category of all lost-time injuries, and have enormous financial implications. 

Historically, back injury prevention has focused primarily on problems of materials handling. Common preventive measures were ... 

Scientific research, industrial studies, and compensation statistics have demonstrated that these approaches have been ineffective in reducing and controlling the problem. It is now recognized that effective back injury prevention requires ongoing effort with long term commitment to ... 

Back injury prevention guide for health care providers. Cal/OSHA Consultation Programs, Accessed January 2006. 

To address a unique issue or a specific problem, the use of special emphasis programs is an appropriate motivational tool. These programs define a problem or issue, use symbolism (drawings or slogans) to elicit or trigger an appropriate response, indicate a true interest in the special area of emphasis, and use a structured approach to address the special issue. It is used to cause focused attention on a specific area. An example would be a special emphasis program on back injury prevention. 

Both OSHA and The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have said that there is insufficient evidence to recommend the use of back belts as a back injury prevention measure. In fact, If workers falsely believe they are protected when wearing belts, they may attempt to lift more than they would without a belt, posing a risk of injury to the worker. If employers want to employ the use of back belts, they should consult a medical professional or an ergonimist for additional information. 

Back Injury Prevention Guide for Health Care Providers, Cal/OSHA Consultation Programs, accessed online January 2006, http //www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh publications/backinj.pdf. 

Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) (1988), Special Report, Back Injuries Costs, Causes, Cases and Prevention, Bureau of National Affairs, Washington, DC. 

As a case in point, back injuries are a debilitating and costly segment of workers compensation claims. Preventing back injuries requires... 

Providing training and education for all members of an organization on the causes and means of preventing back injuries as well as proper individual body mechanics. 

Training your drivers and other employees on proper lifting techniques is essential in preventing work-related back injuries. The best technique to train is actual hands-on demonstrations and practice, and depending on the availability of time, the ideal training session should include the kinds of lifting that would be required of your drivers on the job. By giving your drivers a feel for real life situations, they are more likely to recall the techniques and apply them. 

Communicate the plan of action to the patient and other workers to ensure that the transfer takes place using smooth and unexpected moves. Remove any obstacles and focus on maintaining sure footing. Patients should wear slippers that provide good traction. Maintain eye contact, communicate with the patient, and stay alert for trouble signs. Record any problems on the patient s chart so that other shifts will know how to cope with difficult transfers. Also note the need for any special equipment. Implement measures to reduce or prevent back injuries such as... 

FIGURE 23.2 Safe lifting techniques can help prevent back injuries. 

In this stage, risks are eliminated. An example of this is a manual handling hazard in which lifting heavy boxes may result in back strain. The risk may be avoided through the use of a mechanical aid (fork-lift truck), therefore eliminating the risk of back injury with the task. Another example is where a fire hazard exists in a particular area of a plant. Switching to non-combustible materials can eliminate this hazard, and so prevent it being realized. 

The lower back figure indicates more emphasis is needed on prevention of lower back injuries. However, note that one high cost injury of a particular type on its own may not be reason for a change in strategy. (With acknowledgement to M. Gavin.)... 

Because back injuries and manual handling accidents have the potential to cause severe and prolonged disabihty, a prevention strategy must be adopted. 

Some specific control strategies to prevent back injury are given below. 

When manual handhng of loads is unavoidable, ergonomic job design and careful selection of workers are prime requirements for the prevention of back injury. 

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