Despite the challenging circumstances of this year, DORN has accomplished a great deal in 2020, with the pandemic forcing innovation and inspiring new solutions such as virtual biomechanics training, video-based ergonomic assessments and virtual self-care massage training. Alongside our new safety services, DORN sought new ways to connect with safety professionals and share our expertise with the workplace safety industry. The result is the DORN Injury Prevention Academy Podcast, which launched earlier this year and recently published its 14th episode. Through this new podcast, we’ve engaged with an array of talented and experienced experts from across the world of workplace safety, hosting enlightening conversations with professionals from giants of industry such as Tesla, Dover, and more.
As the year draws to a close, we’re grateful to have had the opportunity to offer these resources and discussions to our readers and listeners. These are the four most-watched episodes from the DORN Injury Prevention Academy Podcast.
Episode 3: Return-to-Work, Virtual Solutions, & Safety Beyond PPE
Guest: Kevin Lombardo, DORN Companies President & CEO
In July, podcast host Melissa Peters sat down with our President and CEO, Kevin Lombardo, to catch up on his latest insights on the evolution of workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode was recorded after the publication of DORN’s free eBook, “Thinking Ahead: How to Effectively Prepare for a Safe Relaunch Post-COVID-19,” which tackled the primary obstacles businesses will face when preparing their facilities and workforces for operating in the COVID era. Kevin covers the main pillars of preparedness described in the eBook, a 5-point strategy that addresses workforce planning, physical environment, active monitoring, illness prevention and sustainability, and injury prevention. We also covered how virtual solutions can be used to supplement on-site safety programs during social distancing.
Episode 5: The Importance of Proper Body Mechanics
Guest: Dr. Tony Hall, President & Founder at Instinctive Movement Systems (IMS)
Body mechanics training is a foundational element of any workplace safety program. How workers move and use energy to complete tasks exerts a powerful effect on their bodies in both the short- and long-term, and poor body mechanics are known to increase the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and repetitive strain injuries (RSIs). Worse, poor mechanics and work techniques for key motions like pushing, pulling, and lifting can lead to acute injuries such as back strains, which can cost businesses over $40,000 per incident in workers’ compensation and indirect costs. In this episode, Dr. Tony Hall joined the show to talk about how safety leaders can emphasize body mechanics in their safety programs and use training to reduce pain levels and injury rates.
Episode 6: Remote Work Safety & Work-from-Home Ergonomics
Guest: Bill Pace, President for North America at Cardinus Risk Management
This year saw a dramatic shift in the workforce as the COVID-19 pandemic forced huge numbers of employees to do their jobs from home. Even before the pandemic hit, researchers estimated that more than 25% of American workers would be working from home on a regular basis by 2021. That number rose to nearly 66%, two-thirds of the American workforce, thanks to the pandemic. That’s why Bill Pace from Cardinus Risk Management focuses much of his attention on ergonomics for home-based workers. These workers face greater risk of injuries due to the lack of ergonomically sound workstations in most homes, as well as the absence of other safety support services, technique reinforcement, and on-site pain-relief therapies. In this episode, Bill talks with Melissa about how safety professionals can help their employees safely adapt to working at home and provide ergonomic resources even when workers can’t come on site.
Episode 1: Ergonomics and Return-to-Work
Guest: Kate DeMoss, DORN Companies Clinical Lead & Western Region Training/Ergonomic Specialist
The series premiere of the DORN Injury Prevention Academy Podcast featured Kate DeMoss, one of our most experienced ergonomists and the clinical lead responsible for directing on-site safety programs at client worksites across the country. In this episode, we tackled the importance of stressing ergonomic assessments in today’s workplace, and outlined how safety managers can extend ergonomic protections and practices to their employees working from home. Most importantly, Kate discusses the key factors in bringing workers back on site after an extended absence, running through some injury prevention tactics that businesses can use to prepare workers’ bodies for regular work and stave off costly injuries that can result from changing work environments and long periods off the job.
We’re grateful to all the guests who joined us on the podcast this year, and we’re hard at work preparing a new slate of episodes with even more experts from across the workplace safety industry. In 2021, we’ll be bringing on safety leaders from Fortune 500 companies to learn how they’ve handled the COVID crisis at their businesses and explore their injury prevention strategies for the coming year.
If you’re interested in being featured as a guest on the DORN Injury Prevention Academy Podcast, email us with your background information and your ideas for the show: info@dorncompanies.com
