Risky business

Have you ever taken a tour of a manufacturing plant? I don’t mean the kind of tour that lets you watch workers fill bottles of soda or canisters of coffee from behind a glass wall.

I mean the kind of tour in which you have to don a hardhat, put on safety glasses, insert earplugs, and stick to the walkways for fear of being run over by a forklift.

It’s awesome to be on a manufacturing floor. It’s like watching a choreographed dance: Amid the clamor, some workers bring in raw materials for others to feed into machines, which spit out finished parts.

On cue, other workers pick up the parts and take them to another section of the plant where still other workers assemble them into a finished product.

Fascinating to watch. Dangerous to do.

The danger is not always apparent. For example:

• In the 400-employee muffler manufacturing plant where I worked, a worker had to insert a metal disk with his right hand every few seconds, using a motion similar to tossing a Frisbee.

• In the assembly area where the mufflers were automatically welded, workers had to reach over their heads every few minutes to take down the semifinished product.

• In the final fabrication area, a welder had to bend down in an awkward stance to affix tailpipes to the mufflers.

Not surprisingly, the plant had a high incidence of back and shoulder injuries and carpel tunnel syndrome. Unfortunately, workers in manufacturing plants everywhere are exposed to similar types of risks.

Did you know that in 2005 (the latest available data), employers reported 270,890 cases of lost-time injuries to the back, spine, and spinal cord?

That same year, employers also reported 503,530 cases of strains, sprains, and tears according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Of these 774,420 reported lost-time injuries, I have to wonder, how many were treated by chiropractors? How many chiropractors were involved in helping the plants prevent ergonomic problems?

I hope you will enjoy this issue, which may inspire you to explore the industrial consulting market as a way to broaden your practice.

Until next time,

Linda Segall, Editor-in-Chief