If you've seen one construction worksite stretch and flex program ... you've seen one construction worksite stretch and flex program

Details

• Personal Author:
  Goldenhar, Linda M. ; Stafford P
• Description:
  Background: Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) account for approximately one-third of all injuries in the U.S. construction industry. Many companies have implemented stretch and flex (s/f) programs to reduceWMSD despite a lack of evidence showing effectiveness.Methods:Weconducted a mixed-methods study to understand (a)why employers continue devoting resources to s/f programs; (b) howprograms vary; and (c) any actual or perceived benefits. Results: Nineteen safety and health professionals were interviewed and 133 more (13.3% response rate) completed an on-line survey. Fifty-six percent had implemented an s/f program with the primary goal of reducing WMSDs; though most did not reviewdata to determine goal achievement. Program structure varied in terms of duration, frequency, and type of stretches. There was strong agreement about mandating attendance but not participation, due primarily to liability issues. Cost was a factor when deciding to implement a program but not for sustaining one. The majority had not implemented other ergonomic prevention activities, but many had started conducting daily safety huddles for task and safety planning. Those reporting a reduction in WMSDs agreed that it was not due to the s/f program alone and that other benefits included increased worker camaraderie, communication, and collaboration. Conclusion: Although there is little to no scientific evidence showing that they work as intended, construction companies continue to implement s/f programs with the goal of reducingWMSDs. Bringingwork crews together for s/f activities has prompted employers to also begin conducting daily safety huddles. Although employersmay not be able to link reducedWMDS to an s/f program, the ancillary benefits may warrant the time and resources. Practical applications: S/f programs should be only one component of amore comprehensive ergonomics prevention program. Conducting daily safety huddles at the same time also may enhance worker communication, camaraderie, collaboration and improve safety outcomes. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Health Promotion Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety Staff Development Workplace
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders Construction Construction-industry Construction-workers Construction Safety And Health Daily Safety Huddles Health-programs Mixed-methods Research Musculoskeletal-system Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Occupational-health-programs Occupational-health-services Physical-exercise Physical-fitness Work-environment Worker-health Workplace Stretching Programs

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• ISSN:
  0022-4375
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  73-79
• Volume:
  55
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20047197
• Citation:
  J Safety Res 2015 Dec; 55:73-79
• Contact Point Address:
  Linda M. Goldenhar, CPWR, The Center for Construction Research and Training, 8484 Georgia Ave. Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
• Email:
  lgoldenhar@cpwr.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Safety Research
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:55e0a4179867b4ad233f2f80964f689daf1b0fd88400f1de1e7c4d817bdaefbd095c036e781da4c07ac0b633eaca4028a9253702caa89cf3e8e80b1e7a420ec4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/202357/cdc_202357_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 338.15 KB ]