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Get Back to the Job of Living With Occupational Therapy By Christina
Hall
April 21, 2000 -- "A well-planned strategy for early return to work can reduce compensation and disability costs by 30% to 50% a year," says occupational therapist Ellen Oakes, a HealthSouth area ergonomic coordinator based in Denver. "Finding transitional and permanent solutions to injury and disability is important for employers and workers alike. HealthSouth's Structural Return-to-Work Program identifies a number of legitimate transitional jobs that injured workers can perform during rehabilitation." April is National Occupational Therapy Month, devoted to "skills for the job of living", according to the American Occupational Therapy Association. "Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are the most serious occupational health hazard facing our nation because they can end careers prematurely and destroy lives along with livelihoods," Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman wrote in a recent statement. "But they can be prevented." Innovative Analysis HealthSouth has designed an innovative job analysis program that breaks down each job task into essential and nonessential functions. Establishing the critical requirements of worker and employer, HealthSouth ergonomic consultants identify the physical demands of a particular task and provide recommendations to improve work practices, as well as workstation ergonomics. Common workplace injuries include:
Diagnosing the
damage is just the first step, Oakes says. "A detailed job analysis may
suggest modifications in the workplace to decrease worker injury risk and
enhance productivity. HealthSouth ergonomic consultants can also make recommendations
to help employees perform their own tasks efficiently and safely to prevent
further injury."
© 2000
Healtheon/WebMD. All rights reserved.
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