If you could wear a new clothing item or brace and prevent a work injury, would you? What if you could simply use a stool? A student at Boston University College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences may have just created an intervention that will help prevent a work-related injury from happening in the first place. According to news from March 3, the new equipment would help address shoulder injuries.
A report from Science Daily claims that repetitive motion injuries cause around 23 days away from work each year. That's three times the amount of days off workers need for other types of injuries. It's been reported that shoulder injuries are the most common repetitive motion injuries, as many in Maryland may have discovered by now. It's considered to be the second most frequent injury experienced by those in custodial fields, too, which is something that does need to be addressed.
What you should consider for custodians, though, is the type of tasks they perform. Mopping, sweeping, and even dusting are all tasks that use the same movements, and those are done throughout their shifts. Now, with a simple change, they may be better able to perform their tasks without injury. This is a cost-saving, and shoulder-saving, discovery.
For this intervention to be tested, all custodians at Boston University had to complete functional task analysis of their work activities each day. They also went to presentations about ergonomics in the workplace. Additionally, step stools were introduced to reduce shoulder injuries due to overuse from overhead tasks. By the end of the research period, it was reported that no worker had reported injuries due to repetitive motions or overuse.
Those that have suffered workplace injuries have a right to workers' compensation benefits. If your claim for such benefits has been denied, you may benefit from the advice of a Maryland workers' compensation attorney.