b"WPMA Associate News2023 WPMAEXPO Presidential Sponsor The SHI sm & Educational Session Presenter The SHIELDELD smMANAGEMENTfor Business OwnersDo You Have Your Employee's BacksLITERALLY?Although the human body can withstandItems and Tools.Are there items availablea lot, few things can put an employee onfor employees to take advantage of when their back faster than a spinal cord, disc,working, such as supportive belts, weight scale ligament, or back muscle injury. gages, posture reminders, adjustable carts and forklifts, or conveyer belts? Providing these As your most valuable asset, your employeesalternatives to help minimize how far employees health and well-being should be at the top of yourmust move while lifting, can help to create a more list when it comes to successful workplace safety.supportive environment, literally and physically, Back pain accounts for a major portion of all re- for your employees.Risk corded absences from work, and is the third lead-ing cause of physical limitation and disability 1.Helpful back safety and lifting tips can By helping your employees understand the valueinclude, but are not limited to:of safe lifting techniques, you can help break old Maintaining good physical shapehabits, leading to new, safer ways to lift heavy or unwieldy items. Evaluate your risk management Thinking critically before actingsafety program and consider the following:Bending the knees and using a firm gripSafety Meetings.Does your workplace hold Testing the weight of an object beforefrequent safety meetings? Do employees feelattempting to lift itcomfortable asking for assistance when faced with large lifting tasks? Conducting safety meet-Pulling the load before lifting, and holdingings on proper lifting techniques and promot- the load close to the bodying long-term back health can help educate and Keeping the feet close to the load, but far This article is for gen- re-familiarize employees with the value of back eral information and riskhealth and safety in the workplace. enough apart for stabilityprevention only and should Job Hazard Analysis.Is your workplacenot be considered legal or Lifting by primarily straightening the legs other expert advice. The rec- and slightly unbending the backommendations herein maylaid out in a way that can make lifting easier?help reduce, but are notDo employees have to manually and repeatedly Enlisting the help of a lifting partner orguaranteed to eliminate,move items around? Conducting a job hazardusing mechanical aid, if availableany or all risk of loss. Theanalysis to identify lifting dangers before theyinformation herein mayRemember: a good safety program involves be subject to, and is notoccur can help prevent unnecessary labor andmanagement and employees working together to a substitute for, any lawssevere or disabling injuries.or regulations that mayactively help reduce accidents and injuries. Your apply. Some of the servicesemployeesand their backswill appreciate it referenced herein may bein the long run.provided by third parties wholly independent of Fed- 1. Federated Back Safety Training Data 2019-2020erated. Federated provides access to these services with the understanding that neither Federated nor its employees provide legal or other expert advice. All products and services not available in all states. Qualified counsel should be sought with questions spe-cific to your circumstances and applicable laws. 2022Federated Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved Published Date:SJuly 18, 2022WPMA News / Fall 202243"