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Injury Prevention White Paper
WORK INJURY PREVENTION CONSULTING
Critical Need; Great Opportunity
The need to reduce injuries, claims and costs in the workplace
is tremendous and growing as the epidemic of work-related musculo-skeletal
disorders (MSD's) and its costs grow. New OSHA rules will push
it further. Industry often has very little working knowledge about
the particulars of this problem and it is often mis-managed. The
work injury problem is contaminated by lack of knowledge and its'
resulting conflicts and damage.
Your Qualifications?
Prevention of musculo-skeletal work injuries (termed: "ergonomics
injuries" by industry and OSHA) today is being managed largely
by "ergonomics engineers" with a strictly engineering
background. The "Ergonomists" of engineering training
often work with a rather thin background of human anatomy, physiology,
kinesiology and disease processes that are the mainstay of medical
professionals who specialize in musculo-skeletal work injury management.
Ergonomists' attention is limited to managing the EXTERNAL
DEMANDS of work, without regard for TISSUE RESPONSES
to work loads that we health care professionals consider. That
places health professionals in the position of being the most
knowledgeable professionals to deal with these types of injuries
beyond "ergonomics". But we, thus far, very rarely find
ourselves in industry using our special knowledge to solve critical
problems well within our capability to solve. Who in society has
had more education on musculo-skeletal structure and function
and disease processes, human kinesiology and movement science,
musculo-skeletal patho-mechanics, and specifically trained how
to teach others to correct their risks for these diseases and
injuries?? No one.
Your Opportunity?
Work injury prevention consulting is a service business that
can greatly strengthen a clinic's business base. This is a business
that does not endure the stresses of third party payor delays, Medicare
caps
and discounts. We recently trained more than 4,000 employees for one
company with our web based version. You can share in that
success.
Injury Prevention Consulting is a service for which you bill a typical
consulting fee of about $2000 per day, billed directly to the
workplace, collected 100 percent within 45 days... so unlike patient
care! And an effective injury prevention program can allow you
to prevent more injuries in one year than you could ever hope
to treat in a decade. The IMPACC Work Injury Prevention Program
thus far averages a 72 percent reduction in musculo-skeletal lost
work days for our client workplaces. The IMPACC program has been
implemented in thousands of workplaces throughout the US, a program
continuously evolved and perfected by a team of highly experienced
medical professionals since 1980. It works! And now, you can obtain
the latest version of the IMPACC Program for your business to
help direct your success!
Work Injury Prevention
The IMPACC Method
Preventing work-related musculo-skeletal disorders in industry
takes a comprehensive approach to be successful over the long
term. As consultants to industry, you must provide your clients
with a proven, validated process and plan that will prevent injuries,
reduce claims and reduce costs. The IMPACC Program does just that.
We have taken the treatment principles of physical medicine and
applied them to the workplace. The injured worker is but a symptom
of the real problem. The real problem is a workplace that creates
policies and procedures based on poor information and invalid
assumptions coupled with workplace politics that do not address
human behavior issues.
What Works?
Here is what works and why. The first step in the process
is to identify the problems that cause increased injuries, claims
and costs and be able to communicate that information to the management
team in a useful format. Our qualitative Work Risk Analysis format
shows you how to analyze workstation and workers using your clinical
knowledge. The format identifies Bio-Mechanics (describing
postures and movement patterns), Physical Risks of Injury
(based on the Bio-Mechanics) and Corrective Actions (to
minimize or abate risks). In your analysis of the workplace and
examination of OSHA 300 logs, you will identify politics, policies
and procedures that may contribute to the problem. The report
produced becomes the basis for their written Ergonomics Plan and
your plan for success with the client. Only when the management
team understands the problems and their implications will they
be able to address the real issues that increase injuries, claims
and costs.
Next, successful Work Injury Prevention programs create commitment
and change attitudes within the management team. The attitude
of the front line supervisor has a significant impact on the cost
of that claim. Our Management Program teaches managers and supervisors
work injury prevention techniques and gives them the tools and
knowledge they need to solve problems on a long term basis. More
importantly, it teaches them about the politics of injury prevention
and how to effect positive change in the workplace.
Employees must be motivated to take responsibility for and
care of the only body they have with which they earn a living.
The IMPACC Program motivates employees to use proper body mechanics,
postures, movement patterns and preventive stretching techniques
that minimize fatigue. There is more to life than work! The employee
program is a program for life, not just for work. Employees can
identify with working smarter, not harder. And we make them part
of the process by assigning them responsibilities. We teach them
that is the the responsibility of the company to provide a safe
work place. It is the employees' responsibility to bring a body
to the job that can successfully make it to retirement. They have
a responsibility to their job, family and themselves!
Finally, an important mechanism for long term success is the
creation and implementation of an Ergonomics Team that continues
to problem-solve and improve the process. Our Ergonomic Team Training
Program creates and teaches a team of employees, managers, supervisors,
engineers and occupational health personnel basic ergonomic problem
solving techniques. The team uses ErgoProfiles, Ergonomic Risks
Checklists and video for analysis and problem solving. As an ongoing
member of the team it is a perfect opportunity to monitor their
progress, train new hires, offer refresher training and prevention
management. A written Ergonomic Plan framework included with the
program can be provided to each client for their customization
and use.
The Benefits
During the development and implementation of this program
in more than 500 workplaces which spanned more than 20 years,
it became readily apparent that successful outcomes were the result
of complete programs (including training materials) within companies
that had management commitment. The return on investment for these
companies was enormous. Not only did they reduce injuries, claims
and costs this year, they did it every year. And the IMPACC Program
was often a catalyst for significant positive change within an
organization.
Our client companies averaged more than 70 % decreases in
claims and lost work days following the IMPACC Program. When you
include the direct and indirect costs of work-related MSD's, the
savings for the clients were spectacular.
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