The other day, I saw a contractor wearing a shirt that quipped about his fondest memories being when his back didn’t hurt. We shared a chuckle, but his follow-up comment hit home: “I wish it wasn’t true.”
This sentiment is far too common. I meet workers in nearly every industry who feel this way, and I always tell them: ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐๐ป’๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐. My goal, and the core of my work with employers, is to ensure everyone goes home feeling as good as they did when they arrived. This isn’t just an EHS clichรฉ for me; having spent years developing FCE testing protocols and witnessing the toll injuries take on livelihoods, it’s a deeply personal mission.
While we can’t eliminate every risk or reduce all physical demands to “light work,” we can absolutely prevent people from being physically beaten down by their jobs every day.
Here’s how we can make a difference:
๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ต๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐: Understand the true physical and postural demands of every role.
๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐-๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ-๐๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ง๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Ensure new hires are a good physical fit for the essential demands of the job.
๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐: Identify and implement reasonable changes to high-demand, high-risk tasks.
๐ก๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ & ๐๐ป๐ท๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐: Treat every incident as an opportunity to prevent future harm.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Equip employees with foundational knowledge and continuous refreshers to empower safer work practices.
There’s no good reason for workers to suffer. We have the tools and expertise to make a real difference.
What steps is your organization taking to ensure your team goes home feeling great at the end of every shift? Share your insights or reach out to discuss how we can help create a healthier, more productive workforce!
NJ Ergonomics Blog 