On the fifth day of Industrial Ergonomics, my favorite safety team gave to me….insights into early symptom intervention, and a chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card!
Remember: For your chance to win the daily prize, share this blog on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok and tag the DORN Companies account so we can record your submission. For extra entries, you can share each day’s blog on multiple social media platforms and tag your friends and colleagues in the safety world. This time, share this post with your wellness or HR partner for another chance to win.
Today’s prize: $15 Amazon gift card!
Early Symptom Intervention: The Secret to Reducing MSDs
Except for sudden accidents, most workplace injuries—especially musculoskeletal disorders such as overexertion and repetitive strain injuries—develop gradually. They often begin with subtle symptoms like minor aches, stiffness, or fatigue. These early signs serve as the body’s warning that an injury could occur, indicating that underlying risk factors may be present. Such factors can include improper movement techniques, poor biomechanics, poorly designed workstations, ill-fitting tools, or other ergonomic hazards affecting how tasks are performed.
And too often, those symptoms are not recognized as signs of injury risk before a real injury happens. But research shows that when employers focus on early symptom intervention and reporting, MSD rates decline by 40 to 70 percent.
So how can safety professionals and supervisors get ahead of injuries at the early symptom stage and prevent the costly incident from occurring at all?
- Foster a strong safety culture: At the organizational level, employers should work to develop a workforce-wide environment that encourages workers to be mindful of symptoms and report them early. This means creating a workplace culture that values transparency in the interest of helping workers feel safe and protected.
- Conduct regular ergonomic reviews and coaching sessions: Reinforce training concepts and find ways to remind employees of proper technique and posture while also checking in regularly about any aches and pains they might be experiencing.
- Implement triage systems: Whether they’re operated by certified athletic trainers or nurses, triage hotlines can help employers get a clear picture of an employee’s symptoms and direct workers to proper treatment or rest before an injury occurs.
- Offer hands-on pain relief therapy: Manual therapies can address discomfort and pain early, targeting the source of the pain with direct soft tissue relief that alleviates symptoms, prevents distractions, and ensures workers can operate at their best.
- Create opportunities to reduce stress: Everyone can be affected by stress, and when stress is allowed to build up, it can result in injuries. Employers can mitigate the injury risk associated with stress by limiting repetitive work, offering ample breaks, and providing access to mental health and wellness resources.
With a proactive, holistic approach to safety that helps employees feel supported in their roles, employers can stay ahead of aches and pains before they turn into costly workers’ comp claims and missed work days.
Thank you for joining us for the 12 Days of Ergonomics! Remember to share this post on social media and tag the DORN account for your chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card!
