WORKERS’ BACK INJURIES ARE PREVENTABLE! BUT WHAT IS THE SECRET?

I was talking to my son a few years ago when he was in college. The university that he was attending was touting that there were 4 Nobel prize winners on their faculty. I was sure impressed. I asked him how special it was to be taught by a supreme expert in his field of study.

His response was a surprise, but it shouldn’t have been in retrospect. He told me it was terrible. “All he did was stand there and lecture, not caring if anyone “got” it or not”. The response triggered this question: Is a teacher at all responsible for whether or not their students understand what is being taught?

There are two ways to respond to this. Sure the teacher is there, spending their time presenting concepts that theoretically are unknown by their students. Ok, give the teacher their paycheck! Or should there be some responsibility for the outcome—student comprehension?

In our educational system this matter can be debated. However, in life after school, teaching/training is only as good as the employee (“student”) can use the information to better perform on the job or in life.

Let’s use back and shoulder injuries as an example. Since time immemorial, people have suffered from these painful and at times, life altering injuries. Moreover, Operations Execs, HR, Risk Management, CFOs have been harmed financially and production-wise by these same injuries. Using the example above, for decades “experts” have been hired to prevent these workers’ comp claims.

Training has been conducted in numerous formats with the same outcome. Employees think they “know” how to lift but virtually NEVER apply it in their lives. The results are always the same. NO CHANGE IN INJURY FREQUENCY OR SEVERITY! The truth is employees have been “taught” but the “teachers” never tested for comprehension, which is critical in changing behaviors.

The secret to preventing sprain/strain injuries involves the art of training along with the sciences of biomechanics and stretching. One without the other is a losing proposition. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how to:

Get employees truly interested in learning how to protect themselves from injuries?
Capture their attention for a full 2-hours of instruction?
Get beyond any mistrust issues with company management, if it exists?
Ensure that employees KNOW and can demonstrate that they can better perform their specific physical job duties?
Get buy-in within 10 minutes of starting an injury prevention class (yes even your employees)?
Get employees to demand that the training be done at least every year from then on?
Get employees to self-decide to stretch and lift properly for their own well-being?

At FIT we know we have the responsibility to ensure employees comprehend what we teach. For the simple reason that if they don’t, we don’t stay in business. And when employees do comprehend, they apply the principles and prevent painful and costly injuries.

Our future and THEIRS depends on it!

Prevent tomorrow’s injuries today!™

It’s time! Contact us today!

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