Back Injuries: The Real Cost and How to Prevent Them Words: Zach EverettPhotos: MCAA, TerryJ, peucetaThe mention of back injuries makes mason contractors cringe, and for good reason. Masons lift heavy objects every day, all day long. When a person sustains a back injury, it is serious. It affects every part of their life, from their ability to perform work at their best to their ability to play with their children at home. Sometimes, back injuries can last for the rest of a person’s life, depending, of course, on the severity. Soft tissue damage, such as a strain, can heal relatively quickly, but disc and nerve damage may take years to heal and may never fully recover.These injuries significantly impact the mason contractor. Great employees are put out of commission by a back injury. This is detrimental for two reasons: first, a friend is in pain, and second, they are not producing. An injured employee may be on light duty or off work entirely. Either way, production is lost, and often, the employee must be replaced. Add to the pain, suffering, and lost production the medical cost of the injury. Medical expenses for back injuries are unbelievable. Even with conservative treatment, costs quickly soar into the thousands, and if surgery is needed, we're talking hundreds of thousands. Then there are the lost wages that must be paid. Is there any wonder why we cringe at the mere mention of a back injury? We work in a trade that specializes in continually manually lifting heavy masonry. This certainly makes back injuries a front-and-center concern, doesn't it?However, there are things we can do to minimize these hazards. Let's look at the hazards through the lens of position or role within the company.Mortar MixingLifting bags of mortar too often proves to be a culprit in back injuries. This can be minimized or prevented in several ways. Using bulk containers instead of bagged goods is becoming more common. The bulk mortar container empties directly into the mixer, and the employee never lifts a single bag. Some suppliers of bagged goods may offer smaller bags, for instance, a 45-pound bag instead of a 90-pound bag, which would cut the stress on the back in half. If bags must be lifted, make sure the stock is right next to the mixer so the employee doesn't have to carry them far. This not only reduces strain over distance but also exponentially decreases the potential for stumbling and falling/straining something. Never deadlift a bag from the ground. Have the forklift operator assist in keeping the top of the pallet of bags between the knuckles (when hanging at the side) and the chest of the employee by putting empty pallets under the bags as they are removed. There are also mixer designs that can help prevent back injury. These "low-level" mixers allow the employee to place the bags at about waist height rather than having to lift them up to a standard height mixer.Mason TenderShoveling is a back-straining activity that can affect the mason tender. Shoveling while bent over puts incredible strain on the lower back. More weight and leverage are applied to the lower back, so keeping the back straight is key, as is not overloading the shovel. Stocking brick, block, or stone is also a hazard. Whenever possible, use equipment to save employees' backs. Warehouse forklifts and electric pallet jacks are examples, and even on scaffolds, material carts and dollies can be utilized. Lifting scaffold components, boards, tool bags, and even large tools like handheld saws or heavy chipping hammers can also cause back injuries. In all these cases, use proper ergonomic technique: square up to the load, keep your back straight, and bend and lift with your knees. If it's too heavy, use two workers, rather than just one.MasonsOne of the biggest factors in mason back injuries that I have seen is handling oversized stone. Whether cast stone, cut, chopped, etc., when it’s too big, it’s too big. Some of our employees think they are Arnold Schwarzenegger and end up with major back problems due to trying to lift a stone that was too heavy or shaped too awkwardly to lift safely. You can use winches, chain falls, and other stone-setting equipment that works very well in those situations. I have seen one job where two men could have lifted each stone, but we tried using a crane instead. The stone was set on the scaffold with the forklift as normal, which made the travel time for the crane virtually zero. The crane set each piece from the scaffold deck just a few feet away from the wall, and production was great. Invest in equipment that works for you and your masons.General TipsHere are some tips for lifting that everyone should incorporate. Keep your back straight when you lift. Bend your knees and don’t twist with a load. That may sound silly to masons, but if we pivot on one foot, turning the whole body instead of twisting the back, we may save ourselves a slipped disc. Hold the load close to the body. That keeps the center of gravity close, thereby not putting strain on your lower back as a counterweight to support the object. Stretch before work as well. Loosening up muscles is very important before jumping right into hard work, especially lifting. Ask any professional athlete, and they will tell you the same. We started doing pre-shift “Stretch & Flex” on our crews several years ago, and we saw a dramatic decrease in musculoskeletal strains/sprains. It has proven well worth the 5-minute investment.Good intentions are not truly good unless the intent becomes a reality. So it is with the subject at hand. Someone with authority must establish and enforce a back injury prevention plan. It’s not easy. Believe me, I know, but it can be done. Let it start with you, and you do what it takes to keep our folks’ backs productive and not painfully broken down.About: Safety Library
