On my continued quest to discover The Five Traps that Create Lab Accidents and How to Eliminate Them, we move on to number two: Muscle Pulls, Sprains and Strains.
According to 2008 statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics these are the top five causes of laboratory accidents:
1. Falls (26,230) – See post from August 25, 2010.
2. Muscle pulls, sprains, strains (24,540)
3. Overexertion (22,850)
4. Struck by an object (10,950)
5. Caught in or compressed by an object (7,280)
Who hasn’t pulled a muscle or strained themselves at one time or another? Seems like it’s always caused by an unforeseen lift, pull, push or movement that results in a painful injury that lasts way too long. I see people do it all the time. They don’t plan ahead. They lift a box to move it without preparing the landing site. They want to “be cool” and do something for which they really aren’t in the right physical condition. They just don’t think! Your body is only human. Oh yeah, I’m guilty of doing it. I’ve done it. Yup. So what exactly is IT?
Strained muscles fibers are swollen and inflamed.
A muscle pull is a tear in the muscle fibers. You will know it’s happened because it’s painful, it limits your motion and you are stiff. It can happen to your legs, arms, back, hands, fingers, neck or abdomen. In the laboratory one of the most frequent injuries is from manual pipetting. The injuries are typically caused by repetition, awkward posture, and the excessive use of thumb force. They are preventable if you are aware of your posture and hand position. It’s kind of like lifting boxes with a straight back using the knees instead of your back. If you use your hand and thumb correctly you will protect yourself from pipetting injury.
And of course, there are always the “they aren’t your fault” injuries: car accidents, whiplash, ergonomic factors, repetitive movements, heavy backpacks and other sources of strain. How are we supposed to prevent all of these? Drink more alcohol? No, No, No!
The Human Body Is Not a Rubber Band
To help prevent a pulled muscle do these three things.
1. Ask yourself honestly if you are in shape to execute the task or activity. Reality is the key word here. Only YOU know the answer. If you don’t know – find out. Don’t kid yourself.
2. Prepare your body for the movement. Stretch and warm up if necessary. It doesn’t take that long and other’s will follow your lead.
3. Execute at a pace that allows you to evaluate the effect of the movement and stop if it’s beyond your capability. Live defensively, drive carefully and take responsibility.
Then pat yourself on the unstrained back.
Susan Tripp is the President and CEO of TrippNT
Tags: back strain, exercise, lab management, lab safety, lifting injuries, sprain, whiplash, work injuries, workplace injuries
