Preventing injuries in heavy industrial settings and other typically high-risk fields is a common goal among safety professionals, but the need for strong safety programming transcends individual industries. So, what happens when a single client with a workforce divided among energy development office, and remote field settings has pressing risks that must be addressed across all three areas?
One client in the renewable energy industry posed that challenge to DORN. After just a few months of partnering with our network of injury prevention specialists, they saw improvements across the board. Let’s explore how DORN made it happen.
The Company
Our client in this case was a leading global renewable energy company. The company boasts a diverse portfolio in the renewables field, manufacturing equipment for both wind and solar applications while also installing and maintaining the equipment at 60 sites. Their workforce—which numbers nearly 2,000 employees in North America—also includes office workers in corporate settings and many who work remotely. With employees functioning across manufacturing, field installation and maintenance, and the office, the company presents a unique challenge with an array of risk types.

The Problem
In our initial assessment of the client’s challenges, our specialists observed employees performing tasks across all three environments.
Field workers, such as wind turbine and solar panel technicians, faced risks associated with activities like climbing turbines multiple times per day and conducting installation and maintenance tasks in awkward positions with limited space for free movement. Solar technicians were observed working on their feet for prolonged periods, sometimes walking substantial distances within sites while also lifting, pushing, pulling, and hauling heavy materials and equipment. Field workers also faced risks associated with environmental factors, including temperature extremes and wind hazards.
Workers at the company’s manufacturing sites encountered familiar challenges associated with industrial settings. Tasks included assembling equipment, operating machinery, lifting materials, and performing other high-exertion activities that placed a strain on soft tissues, particularly in the shoulders, neck, and back.
Office-based workers also experienced back, neck, and shoulder pain, along with discomfort in the hands and wrists due to repetitive stress injuries.
In addition to high injury rates and costs associated with workers’ compensation and lost productivity, the client reported substantial challenges in engagement rates with its existing exercise and injury prevention programs. Before the arrival of DORN specialists, the company offered a traditional stretch-and-flex program for workers in its manufacturing and field settings, which was the same across all worker types.
The Solution
DORN’s approach to injury prevention reimagined is based on the NIOSH Total Worker Health™ framework, incorporating a holistic set of tactics that aim to address worker risk across age groups, functions, and work environments. Because DORN’s extensive provider network stretches across most of North America, our specialists were able to respond within 24 hours of being contacted by the client and implemented interventions within a week. Here’s what we devised for the renewable energy client.

- Field risk assessments: Specialists visited installation sites at wind and solar farms to examine potential sources of injury risk and environmental hazards. These assessments were analyzed and compiled into a comprehensive roadmap of interventions targeting the most significant sources of risk.
- Ergonomic assessments: Ergonomic risk remains a challenge for all types of workers. In this case, DORN ergonomists observed and analyzed workstation configuration and equipment design for office workers, developing recommendations for change to reduce ergonomic risk, chronic pain, and fatigue. In one session, DORN conducted 47 office assessments in two days.
- Virtual live self-care programming: After analyzing all work sites and creating detailed risk profiles for all types of workers at the organization, DORN specialists developed a custom four-session virtual self-care program designed to provide workers with tools and exercises that target their specific types of pain and discomfort.
- Virtual live office ergonomic assessments: DORN experts responding within 48 hours, conduct live office assessments for remote office workers. These assessments allow employees to self-correct at their workstations or identify equipment needed to elevate total health for themselves.
- Desktop ergonomic software: HealthyWorking is a desktop application that provides automated reminders and training for employees who primarily work at computers. Targeting the risks associated with prolonged periods of sitting and work performed with small, repeated movements of the hands and wrists, the software helps alleviate pain while addressing the long-term causes of ergonomic injury. The software also performs assessments to gauge risk levels for individual employees, triggering direct intervention when risk levels pass a predetermined threshold.
- On-demand Self-Care Plus: DORN’s always-available self-care application provides an extensive database of exercises, self-massage techniques, and other activities and information designed to help workers treat their discomfort and manage their fatigue. Helping to ensure adequate nutrition and rest, the application is available on-demand so that workers can access the information at their leisure, even at home or on the road.
- Custom training programs: To address the low engagement and efficacy rates of the client’s existing exercise and stretch-and-flex programs, DORN specialists developed training sessions tailored to the specific kinds of risk faced by the company’s workers across all three environments. These customized training programs have been delivered to all office and field personnel via live sessions, train the trainer, and easy-to-read, user-friendly manuals.
The Results
Following the implementation of DORN’s holistic, customized service package, the client reported immediate improvements across all key variables.
- Number of employee participants: 500
- Pain level reduction: 75%
- Participants reporting improved morale: 95%
- Projected cost savings (1 year): Approx. $1 million
The client also reported substantial increases in engagement with the new exercise and training programs, which was a primary goal indicated before services were implemented. Crucially, the client also reported that employees in all three settings—manufacturing, field, and office—had begun to participate and see benefits from DORN’s programming, including lower pain levels, improved energy levels, and higher engagement with their work daily.

Conclusion: Injury Prevention Reimagined Delivers Immediate Results
Organizations are increasingly becoming more diversified in terms of their work environments, age spread, and worker types; companies like the renewable energy supplier in this case study are becoming the norm, demanding a new approach to ergonomics and injury prevention. DORN’s innovative framework targets risk at all levels, from individual workers to departments and facilities across international borders. For employers, DORN’s holistic approach provides a data-driven solution set generated by experienced specialists available within 24 hours, offering the potential for immediate cost savings that extend years into the future.
Contact DORN today to learn how we can help your organization reach its safety goals.