In a recent article, Forbes suggested that workplace safety is not getting the attention that it should. And we tend to agree. They provide 5 actions that industrial companies can take to address safety at work:

1. Uncover safety concerns - provide anonymous ways for employees to report issues.
2. Increase communication - continually update workers from the interview stage to well beyond training.
3. Safety training - conduct a reset on equipment training, safety procedures, and create a culture of reporting problems. The author even suggests an occupational clinician to review practices and approaches.
4. Stress management - address stress and fatigue from long hours and repetitive work.
5. Innovation - taking advantage of new tech to help improve safety, identify risks, and automate duties.

Check out the article for more details, when you get a chance.

The piece highlights problems we're seeing at nearly every industrial business — the fact that safety is never-ending concern that doesn't seem to be improving. 

Workers still get injured despite safety meetings and warning signs and stretch & flex programs. They are still sent out for costly, time-consuming medical consultations for musculoskeletal pain. Hours, days and weeks are lost to these injuries. Production suffers. Stress and fatigue increase the chances of injury and even death. And turnover is higher than ever before, while it gets harder and harder to find new employees. 

The Forbes article effectively points out concerns with workplace safety but doesn't go quite far enough. Innovations in safety goes well beyond wearables, incident reporting, and automation. 

Companies need to take advantage of the availability of work athletic trainers — the same healthcare experts that treat athletes in schools and pro sports. 

Workplace ATs know all about musculoskeletal injuries. Not only how to treat them but how to prevent them. And every industrial company that has employees moving heavy objects or doing stressful, repetitive work needs a workplace athletic trainer on staff - for every shift and location. 

However, this is an expensive proposition. And that's where technology comes into play. The quality and use of telehealth has exploded due to the pandemic. There are now innovative ways for companies to access work ATs without paying exorbitant amounts to have their healthcare services at every hour and facility. 

Businesses are bringing on platforms, such as Virtual Injury Prevention from Healthy Roster, to provide 24/7 access to athletic trainers to both prevent and triage workplace injuries. They can utilize a walk-up kiosk with an iPad, a personal mobile app, or a hotline for a video connection with an expert in personalized mobility programs, first aid, MSD triage, nutrition, footwear advice, and so much more. All at a cost less than hiring one work AT for one shift. 

That is the right type of innovation— one that actually helps prevent and filter injuries—and provides a new and effective approach to workplace safety.  

Talk to Healthy Roster today to learn more!