Let’s Talk Safety! Sprains and Strains

The Way You Move Ergonomics looks at how people interact with tools and equipment to help avoid chronic sprain and strain injuries Chronic sprains and strains are caused by long-term repetitive motion; this is different than acute or instantaneous sprains caused by trips or falls Risk factors for chronic or repetitive injuries: Frequency – how often we repeat the same motion Force – the amount of force a task repeatedly puts on our bodies Posture – how we sit and stand Repeated activities and motions can stress muscles, ligaments and tendons In manufacturing, the neck, back, shoulders, arms, wrists and fingers are most at risk In non-manufacturing, shoulders, arms, wrists and backs are most at risk

It’s More Than A Few Aches And Pains According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the U.S. nearly two-thirds of injuries are the result of chronic strains to wrists, elbows or shoulders In Canada, two million people suffer from chronic or repetitive strain injuries and more than half are work-related¹ In the U.K, 41 percent of all work-related illnesses in 2016 involved chronic strains² According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, chronic strain injuries account for the longest absences from work among workplace illnesses and injuries ¹ UFCW Canada ² Labour Force Survey

Avoid The Pain Manufacturing At GM, every manufacturing job is evaluated during the design phase of a program Tasks are designed to work for the majority of operators, taking a range of body statures into account Follow standardized work procedures to help avoid injury Don’t work faster than you must to help avoid injury Move. Staying in one position for long periods causes stress Take advantage of breaks; give your muscles, joints and tendons time to relax Speak up: If you have pain or a sudden job change that causes you a problem, talk to your team leader. Help is available

Avoid The Pain Non-manufacturing Take GM’s self- assessment test to determine if your work station is ergonomically correct for you Move: Get up and walk around to give your muscles, tendons and joints time to rest Speak up: If you have pain, talk to your team leader. Help is available