Safety Tips

This section provides safety tips for common workplace injuries. Please check periodically for new tips!

Help Prevent Back Injuries | Develop Your Strategies First

It´s no secret that back injuries are among the costliest workers´ compensation claims. Many back injuries are the result of poor handling and lifting of loads.

If your workers experience back injuries, you should develop a program with an initial focus on reducing the frequency by which they occur.

RHS Solutions, a risk management consulting company, recommends the following steps in evaluating and implementing a back injury prevention program.

1. Benchmark your performance. Assess your performance against your competitors to determine how to get the most out of your time and resources.
2. Evaluate your work area. Assess the work environment for lifting hazards and compile the information to make better-informed recommendations to improve performance.
3. Identify objectives, measurement methods and control strategy. Your strategies may include:
   • Redesign the job to eliminate the problem
   • Put two workers on jobs that require handling heavy work loads
   • Slow down production (not usually the best way to get management´s buy-in)
   • Use equipment to assist workers in accomplishing the job
4. Measure and track your performance. Identify what activities help you meet your objectives and change your strategy accordingly.
5. Consider all the alternatives. Education and awareness is a practical and successful way of reducing back injuries. Performance will improve once your workers know you recognize and care about the hazards they are exposed to.