Creating the Injury Proof Workplace: Practical Solutions with Real Results

When we think about workplace injuries, the first image that often comes to mind is a sudden accident - a slip, a fall, or a heavy lift gone wrong. However, many of the most common workplace injuries develop gradually over time due to repetitive movements, awkward postures, or prolonged strain on the body. These are known as musculoskeletal injuries (MSKs), and they are a primary cause of DART cases across various industries. If you are looking for solutions, read on to learn about actual methods being used in workplaces across the country today!

Defining the Problem of MSK Injuries

Musculoskeletal injuries affect the muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, and nerves, often leading to discomfort, stiffness, swelling, or even loss of mobility. These injuries can result from a single event or develop slowly due to repetitive strain over weeks, months, or even years. Common symptoms include aches, numbness, tingling, and reduced joint motion, which can significantly impact an employee’s ability to perform daily tasks.

In physically demanding jobs such as manufacturing, warehousing, and construction, MSKs are a well-known challenge. But even in office settings, employees are not immune. Long hours of sitting, repetitive typing, and poor workstation setups can contribute to conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back pain, and neck strain. Regardless of the work environment, these injuries not only affect employee well-being but also have a direct impact on productivity, absenteeism, and workers’ compensation costs.

A key challenge with musculoskeletal injuries is that they often don’t present immediate warning signs. Many employees don’t recognize the severity of their discomfort until it escalates into a more serious condition. For example, a worker who performs the same lifting motion hundreds of times a day may feel fine for years—until one day, they experience sharp pain and realize their body can no longer sustain the strain.

The Need for Early Intervention

By identifying discomfort early and using proactive injury prevention strategies, companies can help employees manage their symptoms before they become debilitating injuries. Workplace safety programs that focus on ergonomic adjustments, job-specific conditioning programs, and early symptom reporting can make a significant difference in reducing MSK-related injury risks.

So how can companies effectively identify and address these injuries before they lead to lost workdays and increased costs? In the next section, we’ll explore the methods used to detect musculoskeletal risks, including direct employee feedback, workplace observations, and data-driven analysis. Understanding these strategies can help organizations create safer environments and foster long-term employee health.

Practical Solutions for Workplace Injury Prevention and Wellness

To create a comprehensive approach to injury prevention and workplace wellness, companies have the opportunity to create a variety of targeted strategies. These solutions are designed to address employee discomfort, improve movement quality, and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

Workplace Wellness Solutions in Action: Analysis of a Case Study

One partner working with Briotix Health over a long period had reduced injuries and wanted to continue to improve employee health and wellness across the board. By developing an overall wellness program, with information provided by a routine survey, Briotix Health was able to begin improving employee health and capabilities across the board.

1. Functional Movement Screening (FMS):
   A functional movement screen can be implemented to evaluate employees' ability to move in different positions without restriction. Restricted movement is a key indicator of potential injuries down the line, making this assessment a valuable tool in early intervention.
   
   
2. Wellness Overview Surveys:
   Briotix Health developed a comprehensive wellness survey assessing five key aspects of employee health: sleep, nutrition, fitness, mindfulness, and flexibility. The survey helped establish baseline scores and provided targeted recommendations based on individual needs.
   
   
3. Wellness Coaching and Incentives:
   Employees receive individualized coaching based on their wellness scores, covering both musculoskeletal health and broader health topics. Resources were drawn from in-house content and medical providers. To encourage participation, the company introduced incentives, offering prizes at different stages of the program.

Long-Term Success for Functional Movement and Flexibility Improvement:
After a year of tracking progress, providers found a significant increase in wellness scores and functional movement capabilities. A 14% increase in overall Health and Wellness across 500 employees and a 4% increase in functional movement scores showcased the effectiveness of the program.

Ergonomic Modifications and Task-Specific Solutions

Sometimes all that is needed to prevent injuries effectively is 5-10 minutes at the start of the day. In many workplaces, pre-shift warmups or stretching routines can be highly effective solutions for reducing MSK injuries.

1. Pre-Shift Warmup Routines for Physically Demanding Jobs:
Employees working in physically intensive roles experience discomfort due to prolonged, strenuous activity. To mitigate this, a pre-shift warmup program can be introduced, incorporating rapid warmups tailored to specific job tasks. These routines improve circulation and prepare employees for their workday, significantly decreasing overall discomfort and injury risk.

2. Custom Stretching Programs for Departments and Job Roles:
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, Briotix Health created department-specific stretch routines in one specific case study. These guides were then provided via digital flip decks, printed flyers at workstations, and video guides displayed on TV monitors. Engagement from leadership and stretch leaders was key to making this initiative a sustainable daily practice and showed a marked decrease in injuries.

3. Innovative Ergonomic Solutions for Repetitive Tasks:
Some cases need more specialized solutions. By working with ergonomists and management, solutions can be found for any problem.

• Cake Decorators' Hand and Wrist Strain Solution: Employees decorating cakes experienced increased hand and wrist discomfort due to repetitive gripping and squeezing motions while icing cakes. A simple but highly effective solution was implemented: a redesigned icing bag cap that dispensed three decorative berries with a single squeeze. This modification reduced grip exertion by 67%, improving both efficiency and employee comfort.
  
  
• Improved Curb Key Design for Utility Workers: Gas utility employees experienced high rates of strain-related injuries while using traditional curb keys to shut off gas lines. An ergonomic assessment compared the original tool with several brand-new prototypes, designed by Briotix Health team members, which significantly reduced force exertion, lowered injury risk, and improved posture during use. The improved tool was then standardized across multiple locations.

The Importance of Management Buy-In for Success

Across all these initiatives, one factor consistently contributed to success: management engagement. Programs that received strong leadership support, where supervisors actively encouraged participation, saw the best outcomes. From stretching programs to ergonomic improvements, employee engagement significantly increased when managers participated and reinforced the importance of these initiatives.

By combining functional assessments, wellness programs, ergonomic improvements, and movement-based solutions, you can create safer, healthier workplaces with measurable improvements in employee well-being.

The Impact of Injury Prevention Experts on Workplace Safety and Wellness

At the core of these workplace injury prevention solutions are injury prevention experts; the on-site specialists who drive proactive safety interventions. Their presence ensures real-time assessments and personalized interventions that help keep workers healthy and productive.

Injury prevention experts are trained to identify and act on risk in the workplace, eliminating issues before they can cause injury or discomfort to an employee. With the right team, you can effectively prevent the majority of injuries and incidents from occurring in your place of work.

Beyond addressing immediate concerns, injury prevention specialists, like the Briotix Health Industrial Sports Medicine Professional (ISMP), can also educate employees on ergonomic best practices, early symptom intervention techniques, and injury prevention methods. This extends across various industries, from office settings—where workstation assessments and stretch-and-flex programs reduce discomfort—to industrial environments, where best practice guides help minimize risks such as slips, trips, and falls during vehicle ingress and egress.

Ultimately, having an injury prevention specialist on-site is a game-changer for workplace health and safety. Their hands-on expertise, combined with a strong support team, allows companies to mitigate injury risks, improve employee well-being, and enhance overall productivity. By focusing on prevention rather than just treatment, they play an essential role in fostering a safer and healthier work environment.

Go Deeper Into These Injury Prevention Methods and Results

Briotix Health’s Paul Burille and Bill Griffin recently presented the preceding content in their webinar, “The Injury Proof Workplace: Practical Solutions for Reducing Workplace MSK Injuries”. If you would like to dive deeper into some of the solutions presented or learn even more, you can watch the webinar here:

If you are interested in other webinars from Briotix Health, you can catch upcoming live events and register on our events page.