We hope you’ve enjoyed following DORN’s coverage of National Safety Month, where we’ve explored some essential trending topics from the world of workplace safety and worker wellness. Catch up with the whole month below:
- Week 1: Preventing Ergonomic Injuries
- Week 2: Return-to-Work
- Week 3: How Chronic Pain Affects Worker Safety
This week, we’ll be wrapping up the National Safety Council’s monthlong celebration of workplace safety with ideas on how you can level up your organization’s current worker wellness package and deliver a higher standard of safety for your workforce. With the right tools and partners, you can make the rest of 2021 your safest time ever.
How to Improve your Workplace Safety Programming and Create Better Outcomes
The COVID-19 pandemic forever changed how businesses, enterprises, and organizations function when it comes to employee safety and wellness. After months of varying shutdowns, safety protocols, and mandatory mask mandates and social distancing requirements, many employers were forced to reopen with fewer of the traditional safety supports that usually help employees care for their bodies and minds on the job.
Though the vast majority of workplaces are open for business again, the effects of the past year can’t be understated. Employees now face greater stress levels than ever before, coupled with ongoing changes in the physical workplace and a large percentage of employees staying home or off-site to do their jobs (particularly office- or computer-based workers).
As we’ve heard from our clients and safety partners over the past few months, on-site services are once again becoming critical components of a comprehensive worker wellness program. Here are four reasons why in-person safety solutions may be your most effective tool in combating ergonomic injuries, chronic pain, fatigue, and other risk factors that could diminish your success in 2021 and beyond.
- Ergonomic injuries and musculoskeletal disorder risks remain prevalent
Data from the past several months illustrates the continued risk of ergonomic injuries, especially among large employers and manufacturers. Safety officials at Amazon recently reported an 18% spike in workers’ compensation insurance premiums over the past year, and research indicates that employers are likely to experience a 16% greater risk of ergonomic injuries to their employees. MSDs such as back injuries, neck and shoulder pain, and repetitive strain injuries remain the costliest maladies for employers, keeping workers away from their jobs.
- New hires experience higher MSD and ergonomic injury risks
Many employers are hiring large numbers of new employees to keep up with growing demand. Fresh faces are great for companies hoping to stay on track with their customers, but they also face greater risks of work-related injuries. They’re often still being trained in particular workstations and equipment and may be unaware of some inherent risks until they’ve been properly trained and acclimated to a new job. With so many injuries driven from poor body mechanics, training of new hires in the right conditioning and mobility programs can eliminate a significant risk from day 1. Watch this short video of DORN’s Instinctive Movement programming.
- America’s workforce is getting older
Safety leaders in every industry are aware of the “gray wave” of employees remaining in the workforce even as they enter old age. Already, one in every four American workers is aged 55 or older, implying a host of increased risks that can be mitigated by providing in-person pain relief support, specialized biomechanics training, and progressive scheduling and rostering practices to avoid consecutive shift work.
- Technology makes workplace safety easier and cheaper
A wealth of technological tools and solutions have made it easier than ever for employers to monitor their employees’ health, safety, and wellness. Virtual training and self-care solutions like those offered by DORN through our Self-Care Plus Programming have made it possible to provide ongoing support for employees even when they’re working remotely, while desktop software and fatigue monitoring devices can help employers recognize risks before they turn into costly injuries.
The Answer: Total Worker Wellness
Based on the Total Worker Health approach to workplace safety devised and published by NIOSH (National Institutes for Health and Safety), Total Worker Wellness is a safety framework that accounts for all facets of the workers’ experience while also considering mental and emotional factors such as stress and fatigue that contribute to an employee’s overall wellness. Over the last year and a half, DORN has been hard at work developing new safety solutions to provide an integrative wellness model for employers looking to curb injury rates with innovative on-site pain relief services, technological tools, and advanced industrial athlete training.
Recently, we published a case study highlighting the overwhelmingly positive results one DORN client, a major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, saw after integrating our Total Worker Wellness system. Read the Case Study.
Total Worker Wellness: a LIVE Webinar
We also recently hosted a live webinar with some of the nation’s top corporate safety leaders, including David Brodie (Global Ergonomist Lead at Cargill), Nan Bangs (Executive Director of EHS at Collins Aerospace), and our own Kevin Lombard (DORN Companies DEO & President). If you missed the live session, you can watch the full recording below. Watch the Webinar.
Ready to learn more about DORN’s suite of innovative workplace safety and wellness solutions? Explore our offerings and contact us today to set up a free consultation for your organization.
Enjoy this article? Don't forget to share.
About the Author
Kevin Lombardo
CEO & President at DORN CompaniesKevin is Senior Executive and widely recognized thought leader in workers’ compensation and Total Worker Wellness with a focus on workplace injury prevention and on-site innovative therapy solutions.
