Caring For The Workers
One of the biggest advancements in modern healthcare is a shift in focus to preventative healthcare.
What better place to have an effective impact than that in which we spend the majority of our working week: The Workplace.
More and more research is showing that many facets of our working environments can have an impact on our health as well as that of our co- workers and that by addressing these factors financial as well as productivity gains can be made for employers, while employees benefit mentally, physically and emotionally.
From the correct setup of a workstation, so as to reduce postural stress on our bodies, through to modifying repetitive tasks, so that physical stressors can be mitigtated; we enjoy problem solving by working closely with organizations always observing the constraints of time, flexibility and budget.
Cost Effective Solutions
We have found that in most instances where problems exist in the workplace careful assessment from a healthcare perspective can be of great help, non- specific funding to solve a problem is not necessarily the best solution.
TENSION BACK PAIN...
DECREASED PRODUCTIVITY
What We Look At
At Hornsby Spine Centre we have years of international experience in both industrial and commercial settings listening to and working with organizations to find practical, workable solutions tailored to fit their individual needs and budgets.
Our experience has shown that besides achieving effective outcomes, functioning within the needs and limitaions or constraints of any organization whilst undertaking the requested work is very important so as not to impact on the normal business functions of the specific organization.
Repetitive Tasks
Whether we like it or not, repetitive tasks remain one of the realities of conducting any business that is not completely automated. It is fair to note that by their very nature these tasks may represent the very cornerstone of quality control systems required in the business process.
Repetitive tasks may not only be limited to commercial or corporate applications, such as in answering telephones, accessing stationary or carrying items. Repetitive tasks are also commonly found in industrial or manufacturing applications involving loading or unloading, tightening, folding, pushing, pulling and many other activities necessary to complete the tasks at hand.
Human nature unfortunately means that we have a tendancy to seek the most comfortable, least physically demanding means to lift goods or complete repetitive tasks most often to the detriment of our long term health. By modifying these tasks so as to make them more efficient, or to minimize the human error component can have an overall effect on reducing the risks associated with long term exposure to repetitive tasks.
Lifting Techniques
It would be difficult to imagine getting through any work day, in fact any day without being required to lift something to either move it or carry it from one place to another. Undoubtedly the weight of the objects being moved is of significant consequence to the risk associated with the lifting, but lifting technique is of even greater importance.
Poor lifting technique remains one of the greatest causes of traumatic disc injuries with bending and twisting while lifting being amongst the highest risk factors due to the stressors placed on the intervertebral discs. Fatigue, body position, speed and physical constraints can all contribute to the adoption of poor lifting technique and thereby increase injury risk.
Nutrition
Correct nutrition is vital for fuelling the body and brain and providing the energy needed to complete each day, week or month at work irrespective of the level of activity required. With the Internet comes a plethora of ideas and opinions about different diets, nutritional and supplementation programs leading to much confusion and a perceived enigma as to what is right and what is wrong.
There are some fundamental principles surrounding the correct nutrition for the human body and how this changes according to the different demands of physical or mental exertion. By understanding some of these principles and how our bodies need or use different parts of the food pyramid, we can make better choices when it comes to selecting a diet that works for us.
Exercise
The correct level of regular exercise has been shown to be effective in not only controlling weight and combatting health conditions and diseases, but also in improving areas such as mood, energy and sleep. Exercise has become an integral part of our modern society ranging from gyms and group fitness classes through to team and individual sports. Understanding exactly how exercise benefits our health and wellbeing as well as the effect the different forms of exercise have on our bodies is important for choosing the correct exercising plan and activity.
Ergonomics
This is an applied science concerned with how we interact with our environment and the objects we use in our environment to complete the necessary tasks with the intent of improving efficiency and safety.
Ergonomics basically focusses on the interface between our bodies and the surrounding environment taking into account the functional needs and finding an optimal fit
considering all the different aspects.
What We Offer
Identifying possible problems and then finding practical, efficient, cost effective solutions that increase productivity is at the core of our skills at Hornsby Spine Centre. Doing so without adversely affecting the daily operations of organizations is always part of the problem solving we enjoy.
We like to work with organizations to help them gain a better understanding of their immediate and long term needs by identifying possible problem areas and then finding tailored solutions in the format of their choosing.
Workplace Assessments
These involve in- place assessments done during working times and can range from whole office assessments of ergonomics, office health and wellbeing through to individual or group functional assessments of work tasks, lifting techniques or material handling.
Workplace Reporting
Usually after audits or assessments have been conducted we provide reports and feedback either in a one on one, group setting or a combination of both depending on each organization's requirements.
Workshops
Workshops usually involve longer sessions tailored around the required information needed. Where applicable we like to include practical sessions involving the members of the group so that they can gain hands on experience with the topics being covered.
Learning Sessions
These are shorter sessions usually of one or two hour durations designed to give relevant information to relevant groups of workers regarding any of the aspects we look at.
Good workplace health is reliant on understanding and identifying risk areas.
The key to finding practical solutions to any possible problems present lies in correctly understanding the functional requirements.