Don't Overlook Fatigue! Protect Your Team From Workplace Accidents

Evidence shows that employers significantly underestimate the number of workers suffering

from fatigue and/or pain at the workplace. Not only does this increase the risk of incidents

occurring, but it also reduces productivity substantially. According to the NSC, a typical

employer with 1,000 employees can expect to lose $1 million annually due to fatigue. Fatigue

and pain are, to an extent, inevitable experiences in the workplace; however, it is the duty of

an employer to ensure that they are minimized both in the interests of their workers’ health

as well as the company’s success.

Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to avoid workers experiencing some form of pain

through the work they do. Many jobs involve repetitive awkward movements, standing or

being stationary for long periods of time, heavy lifting and more, all of which contribute

towards workers experiencing pain. Using assistive tools, technology, and strategies that are

catered towards the form of pain being faced will effectively manage discomfort and

maximize productivity. The use of proactive job rotation; a process in which workers move

between tasks at regular intervals (Motabar & Nimbarte, 2021), and ergonomic assessments

of work conditions can reduce the strain workers face from repetitive movements. The most

common forms of pain in the workplace are in the back and lower extremities (Department

of Labor, 2020). Workers in various industries suffer from MSDs through the accumulated

muscle fatigue from standing at work.

Foot pain and fatigue are often the starting point for other pain trailing up the body (Duncan,

2015), leading to pain in the legs, hips, and lower back. Extended periods of standing places

excessive unevenly distributed pressure on the feet, causing muscle fatigue. This in turn,

leads to overcompensation from the upper legs and hips for the strain, which causes lower

back pain from the imbalanced movements and posture. To combat these issues, there are

a few solutions that can be adopted within the workplace. Regular breaks for employees,

especially those performing repetitive tasks, are crucial. Taking short breaks every hour to

stretch can significantly reduce tension and improve overall comfort (Hall, 2022).

Additionally, making use of sit-stand stations for jobs that allow it can prevent the buildup of

fatigue from remaining static (Fewster & Callaghan, 2020). Another highly effective solution is the use of anti-fatigue matting. Many studies have shown that the use of anti-fatigue

matting stimulates blood flow to workers’ legs, alleviating muscle fatigue and reducing foot

and lower-back pain (Winberg et al., 2022). Employers can significantly improve the comfort

of their employees, increase productivity, and create a healthier work environment by

incorporating anti-fatigue matting.

References

• Duncan, L. (2015). Movement Compensation: The Body’s Response to Pain. Duncan Sports Therapy and Wellness. https://www.duncansportspt.com/2015/03/movementcompensation/

• Fewster, K. M., & Callaghan, J. P. (2020). Sit-Stand Workstations – Are They Equal to the Hype? | Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CREMSD). University of Waterloo. https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-of-research-expertise-forthe-prevention-of-musculoskeletal-disorders/resources/position-papers/sit-standworkstations-are-they-equal-hype

• Hall, S. L. (2022, September). Boost Productivity, Safety with Jobsite Stretch-and-Flex | Built. The Bluebeam Blog. https://blog.bluebeam.com/construction-stretch-and-flexprograms/

• Motabar, H., & Nimbarte, A. D. (2021). The effect of task rotation on activation and fatigue response of rotator cuff muscles during overhead work. Applied Ergonomics, 97.

• National Safety Council. (n.d.). What is Fatigue Costing Your Company?https://www.nsc.org/workplace/safety-topics/fatigue/what-is-fatigue-costing-yourcompany

• U.S. Department of Labor. (2020). Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses –2019. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• Winberg, T. B., Glinka, M. N., Gallagher, K. M., Weaver, T. B., Laing, A. C., & Callaghan, J. P. (2022). Anti-fatigue mats can reduce low back discomfort in transient pain developers. Applied Ergonomics, 100