Alternative Settings in Athletic Training:
Industrial / Occupational
Athletic Training
Eric Gunderson MS, LAT
Tradition vs. Modern
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Traditionally, ATC’s have been employed
primarily in the athletic settings of colleges,
universities, secondary schools, and
professional sports
Recently, it has become common place to find
ATC’s employed in:
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Sports medicine clinics
U.S. military
Industrial / Occupational setting
40% of ATC’s work outside of school athletic
setting
How do domains of Athletic Training
relate to the occupational setting?
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Domain I ‐ Prevention of Occupational Athletic Injuries and
Illnesses
Domain II ‐ Recognition, Evaluation, and Assessment of
Occupational Athletic Injuries and Illnesses
Domain III ‐ Immediate care of Occupational Athletic Injuries and
Illnesses
Domain IV –Treatment, Rehabilitation and Reconditioning of
Occupational Athletic Injuries and Illnesses
Domain V ‐Organization and Administration of Occupational
Athletic Training Programs
Domain VI – Professional Development and Responsibility
“Industrial athlete”
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Webster defines “athlete” as a person trained or
skilled in acts or games requiring physical
strength, agility and speed
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He could have been referring to any number of
industrial athletes who need skills, speed,
strength, agility to do their jobs in an efficient
and productive manner
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Every year billions of dollars in productivity are
lost as a result of employee injury and disability
Why Athletic Trainers?
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Athletic trainers work with more than just athletes – they can be
found just about anywhere that people are physically active
An ATC’s expertise allows for prevention, early intervention, and
rehabilitation
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Occupational ATC's are involved in the assessment and treatment of
work-related injuries, injury management, on-site physical rehabilitation,
case management, and return-to-work programs
ATC’s can be integrated into the healthcare team of occupational
health nurses, PA’s, physicians, and physical therapists in these
settings
Employers realize savings in the form of:
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Improved productivity
Reduced lost workdays
Fewer emergency room visits
Why an Airline?
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An ATC views an airline employee as an active individual who
performs repetitive activities or who uses sustained or forceful
motion to complete the required routine tasks
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The employees are doing things on a daily basis that are repetitive,
stressful to the body
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They put themselves in positions that are taxing to the body by
stressing the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves
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The industrial athlete can be considered a million-dollar athlete,
because job-related injuries escalate costs in lost work time and
productivity
Athletic Training at Delta Airlines
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Mission
Help Our Workforce Stay Fit and Healthy
Vision
 To create the healthiest workforce in the airline
industry
 To improve the health and well-being of Delta
employee’s lives through health education and fitness
that will support positive lifestyle change; thereby
resulting in improved employee safety, productivity,
morale, and healthcare cost savings for Delta
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Primary Objective of Program
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Objective:
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Prevent Delta employees from developing cumulative trauma injuries
through intervention at the early onset of discomfort and through body
posture training, and implementing stretching into standardized work
Purpose:
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To identify early symptoms of cumulative injuries
To prevent the onset of more severe symptoms (which may develop
from minor discomfort)
Promote intervention proactively, not reactively
Improve processes, posture, and quality of life
Prevent long term injuries
Combine the knowledge of Employees, PLM/foreman, Safety, Athletic
Trainer
Raise awareness of body mechanics and ergonomics
Provide sustainable, long-term injury prevention
ProgressiveHealth offers the following
performance solutions:
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Acute Injury Management (AIM)
Early Symptom Investigation / Intervention (ESI)
Job Site Analysis (JSA)
Job Description
Optimal Placement Program (OPP)
Health Profiles
New Hire Work Conditioning (NHWC)
Restrictions Management
Therapy and Rehabilitation
Return to Work (RTW)
Individual Fitness
Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
How's Your Process? (HYP)
Integrating Progressive Health into Delta Airlines
Acute Injury Management
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ProgressiveHealth Industrial Specialists respond to
incidents that result in acute injury:
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providing first aid care
triaging
providing follow up treatments
Under the physician threshold, to mitigate the severity
of the injury and ensure a safer and quicker return to
work
ESI – Early Symptom Intervention /
Investigation
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Injury Prevention
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Proactive element in avoiding injury or preventing minor injuries
from becoming major ones
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ATC will investigate reports of soreness, discomfort, or other issues
to intercept these conditions and develop and implement corrective
actions
 ProgressiveHealth Athletic Trainer “walks the floor” to ensure
Delta employees are performing their tasks in a safe, proper
manner to minimize the risk of injury
 Hot spots are noted
 Root causes are identified
 Corrective measures are considered and implemented
HYP - How’s Your Process
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Regular process analysis and modification to prevent minor
discomfort from becoming major injury
The intent of HYP is to:
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Identify (in a compliant fashion) and promote intervention of early
symptoms
Mechanism of injuries/illness
Prevent the onset of more severe symptoms which may develop from
minor discomfort
As part of a regular “daily check,” Athletic Trainer may ask
associates such questions as “Are you having any difficulties
performing your job?”
Countermeasures are developed as appropriate, all with the
intent of preventing situations of minor discomfort from turning
into injuries
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May include such items as posture improvement, process change,
tool change, etc
Injury Management
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On-Site Physical Rehabilitation
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Working under the direction and sometimes prescription of a physician,
athletic trainers are effective health care practitioners who provide
physical rehabilitation services
More cost effectively on-site as ProgressiveHealth clinicians know the
jobs and they know the employee
Employee convenience and time on the job is enhanced as employees
do not have to travel offsite for their rehabilitation care
Knowledge and Access helps to drive per case costs down
Case Management
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Athletic trainers provide case management services by facilitating
ongoing communication between the employer, physician, insurance
company and the employee
Additionally, they frequently support the injured employee’s progress,
monitor medical care, promote efficient reporting and investigation, and
assist in finding modified-duty work for the employee
Importance of Early Reporting: Why
Prevention is Important
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Research shows that in the industrial setting reporting
initial discomfort later than 3 days significantly
decreases chances of a quick and timely recovery
Reasons Employees may not report discomfort:
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It will jeopardize my job / promotion
Do not want to let team/department down
Did not think it was a big deal
Thought it would go away
Do not want to go to Occupational Health
I always hurt; it is part of job
Hard workers with high pain tolerance
Injury Prevention Programs
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Ergonomics
 Athletic trainers work to identify ergonomic risk factors, and then
assist in recommending and implementing both engineering and
administrative controls
Work Readiness/Conditioning
 Athletic trainers use the principles of conditioning to develop
work-specific physical readiness and conditioning programs for
individuals or entire departments
Health & Wellness
 Athletic trainers frequently manage fitness centers, physical
activity, therapeutic exercise, stress management, nutrition,
smoking cessation and other wellness programs
Education
 Athletic trainers draw upon vast educational and clinical
experiences to educate labor forces about all things related to
health, wellness and safe workplace habits
Why Is Ergonomics Important?
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Cumulative Trauma
Disorder
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Life Changing Injuries
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Aging Workforce
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Operational Issues
3 Key Ergonomic Risk Factors
Posture/Motion
MSDs
Repetition &
Duration
Force
Awkward Postures – Whole Body
Awkward Postures – Upper Extremities
Awkward Postures – Hands & Wrists
Force
Repetition
Delta TechOps OJI’s History
Injuries
All
Other
Claims
68%
MSD
Injuries
32%
All
Other
Claims
30%
Lost Work Days
MSD
Lost
Days
70%
Ergonomic Injury Cost
All
Other
Claims
25%
MSD
Costs
75%