Traditionally, industrial manufacturing worksites were the focus of most ergonomic assessments for obvious reasons due to the potential for serious impact injuries and falls which can be categorized as macro-traumatic injuries. The workplace ergonomic assessment mindset has expanded in the last couple of decades to include other environments such as office settings. This change has occurred because one of the leading causes of injuries reported by office workers are Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTD’s), also known as Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI’s), these injuries can be categorized as micro-traumatic injuries. Micro-traumatic injuries are small repetitive tasks that at first glance don’t look like trauma but over time build tightness and weakness to the point where they cause major pain and disability. 
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New evidence shows that micro-traumatic injuries are the most common workplace injury presenting today and the leading cause of Workers’ Compensation claims and lost productivity. In fact, adults in the workplace reported nearly 364 million lost workdays due to a musculoskeletal condition (MSD’s)—more than any other chronic health condition, including chronic high blood pressure and heart conditions. Repetitive motions, such as twisting, pushing, lifting, and pulling, as well as prolonged sitting and poor posture can all cause or exacerbate musculoskeletal issues. 

WorkStrong can ergonomically measure all workplaces and assess the probability of injury attached to individual tasks. An ergonomic assessment is one of the first steps for employers who want to reduce lost time, productivity and absenteeism related to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD’s).

Work Hardening is the act of strengthening the body and learning the ergonomically correct movements of the body for the intended uses required to complete their job. Each company position would require different body movements and therefore, different work hardening programs. A desk job requires strong core, back and neck muscles to hold an upright, proper posture throughout the day. While a physically demanding job such as a warehouse worker, requires strong stabilizing muscles in order to support the larger muscle groups while lifting, pushing and pulling. Work hardening programs are most often given following the recovery of an injury in order for the employee to return to work.

At WorkStrong, we create work hardening programs prior to injury as a tool for injury prevention. The likelihood of injury is greatly reduced when proper ergonomics are used and strengthening routines built around job requirements are in place.