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Sprains and Strains in the Workplace
According to studies by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, sprains and strains are
common and costly in the business
industry today.
Sprains and strains are preventable in all
types of workplaces. It is just a matter of
pinpointing the problem and developing
an ergonomic solution.
What is the Difference Between
Sprains and Strains?
A sprain is an injury to a ligament (tissue
that connects two or more bones at a
joint). In a sprain, one or more ligaments
is stretched or torn.
A strain is an injury to a muscle or a
tendon (tissue that connects muscle to
bone). In a strain, a muscle or tendon is
stretched or torn.
The Causes of Sprains and Strains
Sprains and strains can happen suddenly
or develop over the course of days, weeks
or months. When a worker is exposed
to causative risk factors, they are more
likely to develop a sprain / strain.
Ergonomic (Workplace) Risk Factors:
• Excessive Force: Many work tasks
require high force loads on the human
body. Muscle effort increases in
response to high force requirements,
increasing associated fatigue which
can lead to MSD.
• Excessive Repetition: Many work tasks
and cycles are repetitive in nature, and
are frequently controlled by hourly
or daily production targets and work
processes. High task repetition, when
combined with other risks factors such
high force and/or awkward postures,
can contribute to the formation of
MSD. A job is considered highly
repetitive if the cycle time is 30
seconds or less.
• Awkward Posture: Awkward postures
place excessive force on joints and
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AMERIND Risk ALARM | Q2
Sprains, Strains by Body Part
Source: Bureua of Labor Statistics (2011)
overload the muscles and tendons
around the effected joint. Joints of
the body are most efficient when
they operate closest to the mid-range
motion of the joint. Risk of MSD
is increased when joints are worked
outside of this mid-range repetitively or for sustained periods of time
without adequate recovery time.
• Other environmental factors: Slip,
trip and fall hazards increase risk of a
sudden / acute soft tissue injury.
A Proactive, Prevention-focused
Approach to Sprains and Strains in
the Workplace
Prevention is, of course, better than
treatment. Sprains and strains are a
painful (and unnecessary) experience
that we want to prevent from happening.
To do that, you need a comprehensive
prevention process to systematically
identify and remove the risk factors
present in your workplace and workforce
through the use of controls.
There are two primary types of controls;
ergonomic (workplace) controls to
reduce/remove ergonomic risk factors
and individual controls to reduce/
remove individual risk factors.
Ergonomic (Workplace) Controls
• Engineering
Controls
eliminate
or reduce awkward postures with
ergonomic modifications that seek
t