Daycare worker
As part of her job, a day care worker at a church lifts children in and out of cribs and to change diapers. The day care worker had been employed by the church for two years. While tending to a child who was on the floor kicking and screaming, the worker attempted to lift her. The worker twisted her back while the child resisted. That evening, the worker experienced considerable pain in her lower back. After seeking treatment, the worker's doctor determined through an MRI scan that she had a ruptured disc. Treatments and physical therapy proceeded without positive results. After consultation with additional physicians, it was determined that surgery was necessary. The worker underwent a successful surgical procedure; however, she continues to experience considerable pain and has not yet returned to work
Church maintenance worker
A building maintenance worker was moving a piano to set up for an upcoming church event. He felt a sudden pain in his lower back and asked to see a physician. The physician recommended conservative treatment; however, the worker continued to experience a great deal of debilitating back pain. Further medical assessments determined that the worker experienced a herniated disk that prevented him from continuing this type of work. The worker was assessed for vocational rehabilitation away from custodial and maintenance work. Ultimately, the worker required extensive surgery and has been out of work for some time. The cost of the claim exceeds $80,000.
Senior pastor
A senior pastor was helping to move office furniture when he felt a sharp pain in his lower back. As it turned out, the pastor had degenerative disk disease, which was aggravated by the physical activity. The pastor was given a series of epidural injections to reduce the swelling and alleviate the pain.
Unfortunately, these methods were ineffective. The pastor then underwent extensive surgery to fuse the vertebra in his spine. Following the surgery, the pastor was progressing well until he slipped and fell, re-injuring the site of his previous back injury. The pastor again underwent surgery to repair the area, but now lives with considerable pain.
Lessons learned:
In all of these cases, the injured people suffered from considerable pain. Lifting within your abilities is a critical part of staying injury free. People who do not lift routinely in their jobs are more likely to injure themselves than those who lift for a living, but this is still no guarantee against injury.
Remember to avoid:
- Bending at the waist
- Twisting at the waist
- Overhead reaches
- Lifting more than you are able (typically 50 lbs. or greater without assistance)
Related Articles:
Safe lifting methods
Organizing storage areas
Manual Material Handling
The information in this publication was compiled by Zurich Services Corporation from sources believed to be reliable. We do not guarantee the accuracy of this information or any results and further assume no liability in connection with this publication, including any information, methods or safety suggestions contained herein. Moreover, Zurich Services Corporation reminds you that this publication cannot be assumed to contain every acceptable safety and compliance procedure or that additional procedures might not be appropriate under the circumstances. The subject matter of this publication is not tied to any specific insurance product nor will adopting these procedures insure coverage under any insurance policy. ©2008 Zurich Services Corporation