PREVENT BACK BONE INJURY

www.safetygoodwe.com

Topic:- PManual Material Handling 

PREVENT BACK BONE INJURY 

Back injuries are among the most common workplace injuries and also among the most common musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).One in every 5, workers suffers a back injury on the job. Make sure employees/Sub contractors know about the strategies for preventing back injury and pain.

Back injuries are the most common cause of days away from work and some back injuries can result in chronic pain and permanent partial disability.So many safety topics are critical for preventing worker injuries. But across the board in all industries, perhaps the most critical is back safety training. 

• To help and  prevent back injuries, employees must be educated for safe lifting practices through Tool Box meeting programs that encourage physical fitness and a healthy body weight may also help to reduce back injuries.
• To prevent shoulder injuries the employees must be educated for Light stretching, the use of lifting and gripping gears and frequent short rest breaks can help to minimize the risk of shoulder injuries

These incidents are well known causes of back strain, but you might not have considered other "underlying" factors that lead to back injury. Several conditions influence your "back health."

The cause of most back problems is poor posture, loss of flexibility, stressful living/working habits and above all, a general decline in physical fitness.

Common Causes of Injury

There are many causes of back injuries. Often, an injury occurs due to a combination of causes that weaken an employee's back over a period of years until something is seriously damaged.

• Improper lifting. Improper lifting technique is a major cause of back injuries, especially job-related injuries. Lifting a load improperly can cause a serious and immediate injury if your back is already over strained or out of shape.
• Awkward motions. Activities such as reaching, bending, and twisting are often cited as causes of back injury. Injury can be caused over time by wear and tear on the back or as a result of one sudden movement.
• Physical condition. If an employee's body and back are in poor condition, that worker is more likely to develop back problems and pain. This often happens when people who normally don’t use their back try to do something that requires a lot of lifting or other stress. This can easily result in a strain or sprain.
• Excess weight. Being overweight or having a potbelly can put continuous stress on your back that will gradually weaken it and contribute to injury.
• Poor posture. People often complain of back pain because they slept in an awkward position, or because they sat or stood in an awkward posture for too long. Slouching, slumping, hunching, and other habitually poor postures put stress on the back and over time can lead to pain and injury.
• Medical conditions. An underlying medical condition can make the back more susceptible to injury. For example:

• Degenerative conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis
• Viral infections
• Irritation to joints and discs.

Safe Lifting

Probably the most common cause of back injuries on the job, of course, is improper lifting. So teaching employees the safe lifting technique can go a long way toward preventing injuries.

Here's a simple five-step technique that can help reduce the risk of back injury.

Step 1. Stand close to the object with a wide stance. Feet should be shoulder-width apart, with toes pointing outward.

Step 2. Bend at the knees and hips, and try to maintain your body’s natural curve.

Step 3. Pull the load close to you and grip it firmly.

Step 4. Tighten your stomach, to act as a back support, and lift your head, which will help you lift with your legs rather than your back.

Step 5. When you’re ready to lift, use your legs and keep your back straight.

Preventing Back Injuries Can Make Diference 

Surprised? You shouldn't be. When you "let yourself go," (and most of us do with age) the first thing to go can be back strength. Along with correct lifting techniques, we should also work on our overall physical condition.

Nutrition--is an important key to staying physically fit! As we grow older, our metabolism slows down. To counteract this natural event, we have to eat the right types of food-and not too much of it-or the pounds come on quickly! Now, what does nutrition have to do with a healthy back? For one thing, a healthy back is correctly balanced on your spine.

With a "sway" back, that balance is lost-and those darned potbellies cause sway backs. Carrying around excess weight puts tremendous strain on back tissues, so lifting even a small extra load may cause an injury.

Exercise--plays an important role as well. A form of exercise as simple as walking 30 minutes a day can raise your heart rate and burn enough calories to help keep you lean. Flexibility is another condition that changes as we grow older, if we don't work to retain it. It's true, as they say-"Use it or Lose it!" Without flexibility, we lose our body's full range of motion.Exercise helps keep the back limber and strong

Then, when a sudden, physical demand takes a muscle or joint further than it's used to, the risk of injury is high. You can do stretching exercises every morning to keep yourself flexible and ready for the physical demands of work. After all, don't athletes warm up before a game to prevent injury?

Proper lifting-- The key to safe lifting and preventing back injuries is to lift with the legs, not with back. When lifting objects, employees should bend the knees, maintain the natural curve of the back, and let the leg muscles power the lift as they rise. For objects that are too heavy to be lifted safely, employees should use mechanical aids or get help from a co-worker.

Repetitive tasks-- Repetition of the same movements over and over puts a lot of stress on the body. Tasks that involve bending, twisting, reaching, and lifting should be modified to the extent possible to minimize strain on the back. It is recommended that employees alternate tasks that are physically demanding on the back with less stressful ones to give their backs a chance to rest.

Time out: - Frequent short breaks when performing physically demanding or repetitive tasks can also help reduce the risk of back injury. Employees should take mini breaks of a minute or two every half hour or so to stretch and relax tired back muscles.

Fixed positions--not moving enough--can also cause back problems. Staying in a fixed position for too long can lead to muscle spasms. We feel it as stiffness, but by the time discomfort from "static" muscle contractions is experienced, low level tissue damage has begun. Take stretch breaks between long standing or sitting periods to improve circulation and prevent back strain.

Poor body mechanics and bad lifting habits usually "trigger" a back injury-and are more likely to do so if overall physical condition is poor. Remember these techniques to help escape injury:

• Avoid using fast, jerking motions when lifting.
• Avoid bending and twisting at the same time.
• Avoid handling a load too far away! Keep the load close to your body.
• Teamwork! If the load is too heavy, two persons should carry the load.

Posture-- Poor posture is a common cause of back pain. Slouching when standing or sitting is a major culprit. When standing for long periods, employees should stand with feet apart and weight balanced over both feet. When sitting, employees should sit up straight, with both feet flat on the floor. A pillow can be used to support the lower back.

Emotional Stress leads to mental distraction, so that things other than proper body mechanics are on your mind. Stress and back pain seem to go together. Low back pain has been called "a tension headache that slipped." Solving our personal problems isn't always easy to do, but it often takes away back pain and helps prevent repeated injuries.

In Conclusion: Improper lifting isn't the only thing that causes back injuries. People who do not also stay in good physical and mental condition are at high risk for back problems.

"OUCH! Why did I try to lift that much weight on my own?"

Did you ever ponder those words after you hoisted something heavy, or lifted from an awkward position?

It's Up To You--Take Good Care Of Your Body and Save Your Back!