Page 12 - MetalForming November 2011

Safety Update
Success Rides on Employees’ Backs— So Take Care of Those Backs!
While it’s easy to take precautionary measures to prevent back injuries, it’s much harder to treat and resolve back problems. Below we list the common causes of back injuries in metalforming plants, courtesy of health and wellness company Concen- tra, Addison, TX, as well as prevention tips.
OSHA’s Mobile App Helps with Heat
OSHA
offers a free
application
for mobile
devices to
help workers
and supervi-
sors monitor
the heat
index at their work sites, to help prevent heat-related illnesses. Based on a user’s location and the calculated heat index, the app, available in English and Span- ish, offers suggestions on precautions they may take—drinking fluids, taking rest breaks, etc. It also offers signs and symptoms of heat stroke, heat exhaus- tion and other heat-related illnesses. Here’s where you can download it— Android platform is ready, BlackBerry and iPhone coming soon: http://go.usa.gov/KFE.
Safety Training
Gets a Boost at Alabama’s Robotics Technology Park
Phase I of the Robotics Technology Park (RTP), in Tanner, AL, which opened in 2010, has commissioned a 52,000- sq.-ft. Robotic Maintenance Training Center. Included is safety training, on apparatus provided by Omron Scientif- ic Technologies, Inc.—safety mats, light curtains, interlock switches and perime- ter guarding. Phase I encompasses three robotic welding cells, eight single- robot workcells, and a robotic assem- bly line comprising seven robots, a conveyor system and an automatic- guided vehicle—all guarded by Omron safety equipment.
Phase II of the RTP encompasses a 30,000-sq.-ft. Advanced Technology Research and Development Center, which will be used by NASA and the U.S. Army Missile Command for R & D. Phase III will welcome an Integration and Entrepre- neurial Center, where companies will
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Six leading causes of back injury: • Traumatic events
• Poor posture
• Poor physical condition
• Improper body mechanics
• Lifting awkward objects
• Assuming awkward positions
Safe lifting techniques and body mechanics:
• Plan your lift mentally before you do it physically.
• Test the object’s weight before lifting it. If you will need to carry the object
any distance, check that you have a clear walking path.
• Ask for assistance from a coworker when appropriate.
• Use the stronger leg muscles by bending the knees, not the back.
• Support the back by maintaining core strength with the abdominal muscles.
• Maintain a neutral lumbar spinal curve.
• Keep the object close to the body.
• Avoid twisting and bending.
• Avoid rapid, jerky movements.
• Maintain good balance by keeping the feet apart approximately shoulder
width.
• Remember to breathe. Other keys to a healthy back:
• Change positions frequently to avoid prolonged and awkward postures.
• Take time to think about your work tasks and determine if there is a better,
safer way of doing them with less risk.
• Warm up and stretch prior to heavy physical exertion.
• Regular exercise is the best way to avoid problems with your back, and is the
key to recovery from simple strains, aches and pains you might experience.
• If you do encounter back pain, maintain normal activity as much as possible,
even when in pain, and avoid bed rest.
Concentra: www.concentra.com
10 MetalForming/November 2011