21 April 2015
BC SAFE Silviculture Program
Participatory Action Research (PAR)
MSI Workplace Improvement Team
DRAFT
Recommended Promising Practices for Reducing the Risk of Repetitive Strain Injuries
What follows here is a brief catalogue of actions we are calling promising practices to deal with
reducing the chances of workers developing repetitive strain symptoms in silviculture work. This list
draws from strategies individual workers and employers from around the province have developed
and are using to deal with losses from overwork and repetition on the job.
Our short term goal is to share these tactics assuming that because they come from reliable
performers on the front lines they are likely positive and beneficial. Our long-term goal is to develop
methods to measure beyond the anecdotal to provide more solid evidence these practices work or
don’t. We also need some better data on just what conditions lead to problems. With that in mind
we are looking for volunteer crews and companies to assist us in establishing better reporting and
measures of effectiveness. Please get in touch.
Meanwhile, review this list and compare it to your own practices as a worker or a contractor or a
forester. If you are working with most of these already—including perhaps some different ones
we’ve missed—as part of your company’s or your own musculoskeletal injury (MSI) reduction
strategy then you are among the leaders in the province. If you are not, then consider this an
opportunity to improve your performance and reduce possible losses from MSI and repetitive
strain.
General MSI and repetitive strain reduction strategies for employers and supervisors:
Graduated shift schedule at the outset of season: This can apply to both the first workdays and
first shift patterns. Some firms begin the first day(s) with a mix of orientation, safety drills and
production. The first shifts are significantly shorter than usual to allow more frequent days off for
workers to initially adjust, rest and recover. Regular shift lengths are gradually introduced.
Operating shorter shifts in general: Regular frequent time free from high exertion work is critical
for workers to rest and recover. For example some firms are seeing advantages in running
schedules of three days followed by one day of rest or variations on it. Anecdotal evidence shows
fewer injuries with the same production over the long term compared to longer shifts. A four-day
shift then one day off pattern amounts to only one less day of work over a 30-day cycle compared
to a five-day and one off pattern. Having workers rest more frequently allows more recovery time
creating more productive, less injury-prone time when working.
Paying day rate or hourly rate: Extremely difficult or hazardous ground may be worked more
safely if workers are not concentrating on piece rate production. Some jurisdictions do not pay
planters by piece-work. We have not seen any studies suggesting hourly rate workers are less
prone to injuries.
Rotating tasks and light duty: An effective strategy in nursery settings where workers can, for
instance, vary repetitive tasks by working at different stations on the lift line. Although light duty
work may be scarce in planting settings, workers with obvious early signs of repetitive strain or
over exertion should be assigned tasks other than the work that created the symptoms.
Dedicated trainers: According to the BC Silviculture Workforce Initiative surveys worker
respondents show 100% dissatisfaction regarding planting productivity training. This may or may
not have anything to do with the number of firms now reporting they are hiring full-time trainers to
instruct new workers for their first weeks on the job. Dedicated training likely means an increase in
the success rate of trainees in terms of production, retention, and fewer injuries. It presents an
opportunity to build skills and knowledge around techniques, like ambidextrous planting, and
proper habits around fitness, hydration and nutrition.
Ambidextrous planting: Progressive firms now teach trainees to plant ambidextrously. One-sided
workers should be encouraged to retrain themselves to relieve musculoskeletal imbalance and its
consequences in terms of strains, posture, and overexertion.
Preseason training generally gets mixed reviews from employers as a result of a lack of
enthusiasm for workers. Most workers it seems aren’t showing up fit in spite of their employers’
recommendations. Nevertheless wise employers will continue to provide workers with advice on
how to arrive better prepared for work. It will at least signal that reducing the risk of these kinds of
injuries is part of the company’s safety strategy and workplace culture. It may eventually become
the case that if enough employers require pre-season preparation, and then follow through on the
job with supporting strategies like those catalogued here, workers may see pre-season prep as in
their own interest and a condition of employment.
Better orientation of prospective hires: To ensure that applicants have a clear idea of what kind
of work they are applying for some companies are making efforts to portray the work more
realistically on their websites and with their recruiting strategies. This reduces the chances of hiring
people expecting an extended bush party (which is how some companies seem to promote
themselves).
Bringing in fitness and physiotherapists for worker orientation: Companies now bring in
experts at the beginning of the season to educate crews on fitness and health. In some cases
therapists can assess workers for fitness and give advice on how to stay, or get, fit on the job.
Better record keeping on MSIs: Companies are now noting and recording all MSI and repetitive
strain incidents including close calls. With these data they can infer any larger patterns and
conditions that may contribute to the injuries and benchmark the effectiveness of their reduction
strategies. Ideally these insights will be shared with the larger community to improve practices
overall.
Eliminating false planning imperatives for production: Planting must work to biological
imperatives. But often it may be the case that production goals and timelines set by forestry
managers go more to addressing administrative convenience and the allocation of their own
internal resources and time. Setting higher production rates than truly necessary biologically may
have the effect of shortening the work period for workers leading them to press themselves to meet
their own production expectation. This can lead to increased risk of injuries. It is likely that projects,
and the whole season for that matter, could run a little longer so as to reduce the performance
pressure on workers with little expense to seedlings.
Eliminating unnecessary screefing: Screefing is hard on workers and should only be required
where it is a proven fact that the extra effort improves performance and survival of seedlings. There
is sound evidence that screefing, as is often done in parts of the province, may actually set back
the performance on the seedlings, while at the same time harming workers and increasing the
chance of MSIs. More strategic thought needs to be applied to screefing in terms of both seedling
and worker performance and health.
Addressing overweight boxes and seedlings: Any extra weight, particularly water, that workers
have to pack when handling seedlings increases the risk of MSIs. In particular contractual
agreements need to consider stock-handling remedies for when seed lots arrive on site saturated
and well beyond what might be considered a “normal” weight. Efforts should be made to moderate
the number of overweight boxes that leave the nursery gate. Contractors need to bid, especially on
summer hot lifts, with piece rates reflecting the extra work involved in heavier seedlings fully
charged with water.
Front line tactics for workers:
Stretching before, during and after work can have an all purpose effect on health and reducing
injuries. The wrists and forearms are particularly vulnerable to repetitive strain. So flex and stretch
your hands, wrists and forearms on the ride to work. Remember that warmth is critical to any prework exercises. Don’t stretch cold.
http://selkirk.ca/sites/default/files/Faculty%20Research/Selkirk%20College%20Research%20Wrist
%20Pamphlet.pdf
Wearing forearm warmers can provide tendons and muscles with a better chance against the
cold. They can help with circulation and flexibility so that the moving parts in your wrists and arms
don’t suffer tears and irritation leading to inflammation.
Athletic compression fabrics worn as a sleeve may also prevent problems by supporting
circulation and underlying tissue in the wrists and forearms. Wearing this stuff after you have
symptoms will not help.
Eat, drink and be healthy in general by regularly replacing fluids and calories lost to exertion
throughout the workday. Leaving your muscles and neurons without nourishment or water will
increase your chances of injuries of all sorts. Maintaining right nutrition and hydration affects
everything from movement to judgment.
http://selkirk.ca/sites/default/files/Faculty%20Research/selkirk-college-faculty-research-deliaroberts-fit-for-planting.pdf
Plant ambidextrously and gain the advantage of a more symmetrical distribution of wear and
motion on your limbs and frame in general. The majority of over exertion and repetitive strain
injuries have their root in the musculoskeletal imbalances created by working one-sidedly.
Change it up by recognizing the first symptoms of inflammation and adjusting your equipment or
technique before things get worse. Report your symptoms to your First Aid attendant. Don’t try to
work through what could be the first stages of tendonitis. It will only get worse. The beginning of the
season is when the risk is the greatest. But you can crap out mid-season too.
Arrive fit and prepared for hard work. Take some time to follow the pre-season training advice
you should be getting from your employer. Educate yourself on repetitive strain injuries and
develop a plan to avoid them. Do the exercises so you won’t blindside yourself with how hard the
work actually is. Continue the exercises and stretching at work to stay fit. Think of yourself as an
industrial athlete.
The big picture: limits of remuneration; maladaption and other elephants in the room briefly
analyzed.
The practical guidelines listed so far operate within a larger set of principles that may seem to be
theoretical or abstract. Nevertheless these considerations very much influence what managers,
owners or workers do, or are capable of doing, to reduce or increase the risks of MSIs. They look
like this.
In summary there are five general areas that better performing contractors and licensees are
working in to reduce MSIs:
1. Pre-season training and worker-based activities. This includes education of workers and
development of training programs to better prepare workers for their job, and assist them in
understanding the nature of MSIs and basic management principles
2. Injury management systems (including Stay At Work (IMSAW), and Return To Work
(IMRTW)). Included in this is proper adaptation of administrative systems, compliance with
WSBC regulations, training of in-house staff to implement program, and SAFE Companies
audit protocols for IMRTW.
3. 3A) Professional intervention/involvement in training workers and coaching good
techniques and providing on-site assistance in managing MSIs. 3B) Proper training of
workers in use of ergonomic techniques. This includes use of proper information resources
as part of the actual training process, and use of information resources in retraining and
evaluating workers by supervisors.
4. Client collaboration in managing challenging contract specifications that present MSI
hazards to workers. This includes discussion of treatments for land, and adjustment of
specifications in high-risk circumstances.
5. Engineering controls and equipment modifications. This includes manufactured and worker
adapted changes to equipment, including bags, shovels, gloves, and other items.
Looking at the situation through this summary there are a number of industry dynamics that stand
to prohibit or promote improvement in reducing MSIs including:
1. Incentives and motivations to adapt specific initiatives, and to participate in specific
programs/relationships. This includes incentives for workers to adapt, for companies to
change practice, and for licensees to support change. Who, for instance, is offering
incentives for planters to begin to develop ambidextrous planting techniques?
2. Worker culture and maladaptation. Front line response to new initiatives must be
considered and analyzed. For example, do higher prices facilitate better or worse work
habits? Do shorter seasons intensify work habits and MSI risks? What level of pay is
appropriate/optimal for IMRTW alternative work programs? Are workers modifying
equipment improperly?
3. Company culture and maladaptation. Do contractors see MSI strategies as a way to
protect worker health, or solely as a method of increasing productivity? Are company
administrative systems flexible enough to integrate significant changes to practice? Will
gains in productivity through working more safely be lost to lower piece rate payment?
Implementing and Assessing Change. These are broader high-level considerations that guide
the ability of the industry to identify the “most bang for the buck”, and to encourage change
among industry members.
1. Proper data collection is lacking. There is a lack of a clear standardized definition of
MSIs. These vary from company to company, and individual to individual. There are
varying definitions of MSIs in different administrative systems (and personal terms of
reference) in terms of what level of symptom or injury results in which level of
intervention. Clarity in this domain is desirable for enabling a wider and more
consistent improvement in practice. Ideally, specific adaptations within the 5 areas of
activity can be operationalized as variables that can in turn be analyzed in terms of
their influence (ideally statistical influence as measured via linear regression) on MSI
incidence rates.
2. Outreach modalities are needed for gathering and sharing information and techniques.