It’s Halloween season, but in the EHS world, we’re not concerned about ghosts or goblins. In truth, there’s nothing spookier than a workplace with high injury rates. Between ergonomic concerns, MSDs, employee mental health issues, and pain, workplace hazards can be downright ghoulish if they’re not addressed.
That’s why, recently, a Fortune 500 company that manufactures chemicals and other liquid materials called on DORN Companies to help them chase off the specter of injury risks and the associated high costs. Our team of Specialists swooped in with a plan to transform the tricky business of workplace safety into a treat, cutting back on pain levels, improving morale, and dramatically decreasing injury rates within a year of implementing DORN’s programs.
Haunted by Hazards: Evaluating the Problem
This client contacted DORN after experiencing high injury rates at one of its sites. The problems included 22 injuries in 2022 alone, and workers also reported chronic work-related pain with the neck, shoulders, and upper back as the primary areas of concern.
In September of 2022, DORN Specialists arrived on-site to assess the challenges and provide a roadmap to measurable improvements. Our team identified that posture and workstation design were likely culprits for both employees’ pain and the client’s high injury rates. With the main hazards identified, our team set to work.
Scaring Off Injury Risks with Proactive Solutions
DORN’s integrated service model incorporates an array of solutions, aiming to provide holistic programs that tackle the problem from all angles. Our strategy typically includes early symptom intervention, injury prevention, wellness, and return-to-work solutions.
At the client’s manufacturing site, the DORN team implemented a service package based on three primary tactics:
- Overall site risk and workstation ergonomic assessments
- Manual pain relief therapy
- Biomechanics training
- Holistic wellness support
Throughout the duration of the program, our Specialists worked with 116 participants, 63% of the workforce at that site. Our certified Providers began manual pain relief sessions with employees experiencing chronic pain, targeting the source of pain with deep-tissue manipulation that provides immediate and lasting relief.
Next, our team tackled site-specific hazards and MSD risks by conducting on-the-floor training with individual workers. The ergonomic evaluation helped our Specialists teach employees about proper posture and safe movement techniques while also addressing environmental risk factors by improving workstation design and providing additional tools to augment existing equipment and eliminate MSD risks.
The Treat: Reduced Pain Levels, Improved Morale
A year after first implementing the program, overall pain levels had decreased by 84%. Some 40% of participants reported that they would have visited a workers’ comp health care provider without DORN’s intervention. Managers at the client site also reported improvements in employee engagement with existing safety and wellness programs, higher morale, and a boost in productivity.
In total, our team’s analysis concludes that the interventions spurred upwards of $950,000 in potential risk avoidance and $408,000 in direct cost savings from reduced injuries. Managers were eager to point out success stories.
“In 2022, we had 21 incidents. This year, we’re at four. That’s a big deal. DORN helped us achieve an 80% reduction in injury rates in just 12 months.”
– Client Safety Manager
Click here to read the full case study.
Is your organization feeling spooked by injury rates and high costs? The DORN team is ready to help you meet your safety goals, cut costs, and improve overall wellness. Contact us today to set up a free consultation.
