Work takes up more than half of our wake time. We get up in the morning, have breakfast and, typically, go to work. Preventing workplace injury, is not just about accidents. Issues such as back injuries and muscle strains are more easily overlooked and usually go untreated. Identifying and addressing warning signs can help you prevent workplace injury and illness.
Ask yourself:
- Do I ever feel tired or fatigued when performing jobs or tasks (parts of jobs) at work? If yes, what tasks in particular?
- When performing tasks at work, do I ever feel pain or discomfort? If yes, what tasks in particular?
- Do I have to adopt any work postures/positions that are awkward and/or make tasks more difficult? If yes, what tasks?
- Do I feel stressed or tense at work because I think that my job demands are unrealistic? Or that my supervisor does not support me?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, try to probe a bit more and identify which aspect of the job is causing difficulty. You might try listing the tasks that you would change if you could. It is useful to talk to your supervisor about what you, and your workmates can do to improve things.
There are times when you are more at risk of injury to your muscles, back and neck, such as when:
- You are returning to work after holidays or serious illness—your muscles and joints are not as conditioned.
- You are constantly trying to meet deadlines - Spending too much time in front of the computer without proper back support.
- There are changes in your work or the ways that you do it.
- The work is just simply too hard for you at a particular time due to illness, injury, tiredness or stress.
Speak to your Physiotherapist or Chiropractor today if you are experiencing any form of back or neck aches or pains which may worsen over time if not treated at the current stage. You may also call our Waterford Wellness professionals to enquire or book at appointment.
Tip of the day: When spending long hours at the computer, try to take 3-5mins away from the desk just to stretch it out before continuing. You may find that it will help with circulation and increase productivity.