When an employee is injured on the job, injury management responsibilities can fall on the business owner or supervisor. This can add to an already extensive set of issues to deal with. To effectively address employee injuries, it is important to understand how different injuries can affect workers. Oblique strains are one kind of injury that can occur in the workplace. Also known as a side muscle strain, this injury can be caused by activities involving sudden movements or repeated twisting. Knowing how to respond to this kind of injury is crucial to maintain a safe environment in the workplace.
Responding to oblique strain in the workplace
- Follow medical advice — Following an oblique strain, a worker will likely be unable to work. This injury can be debilitating. If an employee attempts to work too early during the rehabilitation period, they can injure themselves further. To prevent this, encourage your employees to follow medical advice. This can result in a labor shortage for the time being, but it can encourage the best results for your employee and company. With on-demand telehealth for your workers, your company can help an injured employee along in their recovery.
- Integrate injury prevention strategies — Injuries can be isolated incidents. At the same time, it is important to ensure that there are no needless risks present in the workplace. Integrating injury prevention programs at the workplace can help prioritize worker safety. These programs can generate savings for your company as they reduce health care costs by preventing worker injuries.
- Promote workplace ergonomics — Oblique strains can be caused by poor workstation design. Workers who make repetitive strenuous movements at their station can have a higher risk for various muscle strains. Applying workplace ergonomics to equipment and stations can have a massive positive impact. Ergonomics can mitigate damage to your most valuable assets: your workers.
Manage and prevent oblique strain in your employees with Work-Fit
Keeping workplace injuries to a minimum is ideal for a responsible manager or business owner. At Work-Fit, our team of certified athletic trainers can help put this vision into action. We understand the value of good employees, which is why we treat them like professional athletes. Our human resource strategies can help improve morale and profits at your company.
Contact our team today for more information about our services or to learn how we can help address muscle strains in your workers.