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Change Their Habits... Change Your Results!
(Summary of Safety Breakfast Meeting held Wednesday, November 4,
1998)
SO MY WORKERS HAVE BAD POSTURE AT THEIR COMPUTER TERMINALS... ISN'T
THAT THEIR PROBLEM AND NOT MINE?
That's the attitude of many employers who grumble about increasing
safety requirements for California's workforce. Then perhaps those
employers should consider this warning from a leading news story in
1997: "Repetitive motion injuries, which technically comprise more
than 100 different types of job-induced injuries resulting from wear and
tear on the body, cost employers $20 billion a year in workers'
compensation claims. The government estimates an additional $80 billion
is lost in related costs, such as absenteeism and reduced
productivity" (USA Today, Jan. 9, 1997).
The facts are that employee safety training, when done effectively,
pays off in better health, increased productivity and higher morale of
employees, noted safety training consultant Dr. Vincent Portera, D.C.,
at the most recent Safety Breakfast Meeting held at California State
University, Fresno. Portera is an injury prevention consultant and
regional sales manager for Future Industrial Technologies, Inc. (FIT) an
international company specializing in training employees to take better
care of themselves on and off the job. FIT specializes in two programs
that help employees to avoid the type of injuries that keep them off the
job and at home on disability or workers' comp payrolls.
BACKSAFE¨ AND SITTINGSAFE¨ - INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAMS
According to Portera, Backsafe¨ and Sittingsafe¨ are injury
prevention programs that reduce workers compensation costs. The company
has coined the terms "micro-break" and "3-minute
workout" to describe stretching exercises employees can do to help
them make it through their work day without wearing their bodies down.
The Backsafe¨ routine includes neck stretches, chin tucks, chest and
shoulder stretch, shoulder rolls, side stretch, and hand and wrist
stretches for the upper body. Lower body stretches include the knee
pull, the hamstring stretch, the wall slide, the quad stretch, the
runner's stretch, and back extensions.
The Sittingsafe¨ routine, which can be done while sitting, includes
neck stretches, neck retraction, the cross-shoulder pull, the reach and
climb, the chest and shoulder stretch, back extension and the seated
twist. Leg and hand routines include the leg life/stomach toner, the
hang and shake, the hand and wrist stretch, and the finger stretch.
These types of exercises should be done as often as every 15 minutes
for employees who sit at a terminal all day, Portera said. While they do
take minutes away from job performance, they reward the employee with
greater energy, more stamina and a better attitude, which together
should result in overall increased productivity.
DELIVERING THE SAFETY MESSAGE
One of the most difficult obstacles in implementing a safety program
often is getting employees to "buy in" to the program, Portera
explained. That's why it is critical to pick the right person to deliver
or oversee the training. The one who presents safety training to fellow
employees should have the following qualifications:
- Full knowledge of subject area
- Credibility with the audience
- Good communication skills
- An interest in the welfare of the group
- Time and personal dedication to do the job properly
- Enthusiasm
Often a company just doesn't have the right person for the task or
cannot afford to assign one person to the position, Portera said. That
is the situation where FIT can provide the needed expertise.
"We have developed our training techniques to ensure that the
worker 'learns' safe working techniques. By 'learning,' we mean that
they acquire basic knowledge of the anatomy, biomechanics (ergonomics
for the office worker) and stretching exercises, and are motivated to
apply proper techniques to their jobs on a daily basis."
FIT designs job specific workshops aimed at training employees how to
perform their jobs biomechanically correct, Portera said. They customize
programs for all job descriptions including construction, law
enforcement, material handling, office workers, etc. FIT's aim is
"to break workers' bad habits and replace them with healthier ones
that they will apply on a daily basis," Portera stated.
For more information about FIT or how to have a safety training workshop
scheduled for your company, call FIT at 1-800-775-2225 or visit FIT's
website at www.backsafe.com.
UPCOMING SAFETY BREAKFAST MEETINGS
"Promoting Safety in the Workplace!" is the topic of
discussion for the next safety breakfast meeting, scheduled for
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 1998. Speakers will be Ray Castrillo, director of
loss control, and Marco Figueroa, loss control consultant. They will
discuss successful methods for establishing safe work habits by
employees.
The meeting will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. in the CATI
Conference Room at the California Agricultural Technology Institute,
2910 E. Barstow Ave., Fresno, California.
Safety Breakfast meetings are hosted monthly (normally each second
Wednesday) by the Center for Agricultural Business. The purpose is to
provide a forum for safety professionals to meet and exchange ideas,
information and concerns. Topics vary according to interests and needs of
the agricultural and agribusiness industries.
More than 20 sponsoring businesses and organizations currently
provide financial support for the safety breakfast meetings. Sponsors
names are listed on publicity fliers and signs at the meetings. For more
information or to discuss becoming a sponsor, call (559) 278-4405.
