by Rebecca Walker — August 9, 2010—The Alliance between the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released a Toolbox Safety Talk entitled Sprains and Strains Prevention, the fifth document produced by the Alliance.
“Working in an industry where employees can be required to lift or carry large objects, whether it is pieces of debris or items of equipment, workers need to know what are the best ways to handle objects without inflicting injury upon themselves or others,” says CSDA Past President Tom Stowell, who created the document. “Injuries caused by improper lifting techniques not only have an impact on a persons work, but their lives as a whole,” Stowell added. “That is why this Toolbox Safety Talk is so important.”
Sprains and strains account for about one third of injuries in the construction industry and, depending on the severity of the injury, can be simply an overstretch of a muscle or ligament that can result in a partial or complete tear. An injury like this can often hinder, and sometimes end, a worker’s career. This Toolbox Safety Talk provides details of safe working practices to reduce the likelihood of sprains and strains, and identifies common mistakes when moving objects in the workplace.
The Alliance Toolbox Safety Talk on the prevention of sprains and strains follows the release of four Best Practice documents on the subjects of Highway Work Zone Safety, Reducing Silica Exposure, Defensive Driving and Electrical Safety. Three of these Best Practices are also available in Spanish on the CSDA Website.
Since 2006, the CSDA and OSHA Alliance has produced documents designed to increase the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and continues to develop ways of communicating this information throughout the industry using print and electronic media, including the websites of both organizations. The Alliance speaks, exhibits and appears at conferences, events, stakeholder meetings and roundtable discussions to highlight safety and health issues for the concrete cutting industry.
To view this Toolbox Safety Talk, or any of the other Alliance Best Practice documents, see the CSDA Web site.
