Job or workplace injuries.
All work places with a number of employees, should employ a Safety Officer or an OH&S person, or have a safety program in place that management can supervise. Any concerns by an employee regarding a health and safety issue should immediately be brought to the notice of this safety person. It is imperative that management is also on board with all the safety measures in place. It is also the responsibility of the individual to be aware of any emerging hazards and make them known as soon as possible. In a factory or workplace where repetitive actions are performed, a time and motion study should be performed to modify any over-reaching, side action movements, height limitations, lighting and where required ear-protection and or eye protection. In an office environment every care should be taken in the choice of chair(adjustable height, good back support etc) and computer desk(height and depth)
At-Home Injuries
The first and main person of concern is the lady of the house. One of the first measures to alleviate injury is to store all the heavy cooking utensils on the middle shelf and not the bottom one. (which is usually where most of us store the large pots and pans.) When renovating, or building a kitchen in a new home ensure the largest shelf is the middle one, at about thigh height. Also the most used condiments and additives for cooking to be no higher than shoulder height.
If the man of the house is a do-it-your-selfer, his tools must be in good condition and cleaned properly after each use. If the tools are hanging on a wall in the garage ensure they are easy to access to stop the need for over-reaching. When working outdoors, either in the garden or lawn mowing etc, ensure the correct footwear is used. DO NOT GARDEN IN FLIP-FLOPS(we call them thongs in AUS and Jandels in NZ.) Ear and eye protection should be worn when applicable.
As almost 90% of households have a computer or PC, the desk and chair heights must be carefully considered for each member of the family who use them. Especially the family member who spends extended time on the computer. (that’s not always the teenager in the family)
Age Related Injury
It is not only the older members of society that can incur injury to the neck or back. With regard to the younger members of society, injuries can be suffered through the “no fear” consciousness and it is these injuries that sometimes aren’t felt at the time but tend to show themselves at a later date.
The older(I don’t mean OLD) person who has been very active in their early years may feel that they can just do it! Because they have been doing it, or playing it, for a long time. The biggest danger is the lack of stretching or warming up of the muscles before the activity.