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January / February 2006

Save Time and Money on
Workers' Comp Cases - Part III:

Aggressive Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling

In our last few editions, we discussed how Early Intervention Programs, Onsite Therapy, and Medical Case Management services can help your organization save thousands of dollars in Workers' Compensation costs while minimizing employee time away from work. Another powerful tool at your disposal, with a similar purpose, is Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling.

Vocational rehabilitation counselors help claim managers decide whether an injured worker can return to their old job and, if not, whether they are able to work. Counselors also help eligible workers develop rehabilitation plans aimed at helping them return to the workforce.

First, the vocational rehabilitation counselor works with the injured employee, their doctor and their employer to see if the worker's old job can be temporarily or permanently changed to meet the workers abilities. If not, they investigate other job options with the current employer in an attempt to keep the injured worker employed by the same employer, but working within their new abilities.

If it is not possible to keep the injured worker with their current employer, the vocational counselor will assess the workers skills for a new job/new employer. Worker's skills are determined through vocational evaluation, which appraises the workers skills and interests; aptitude testing; transferable skills analysis; and labor market surveys. All these tools help assist the vocational rehabilitation counselor and the worker in determining what is suitable work for the injured worker.

If a vocational counselor finds that the worker does not have transferable job skills necessary to find work in the worker's area job market, the worker may be eligible for short-term, assistance training for a new line of work. The vocational counselor will assist the worker in determining what training is feasible, based upon their current abilities. The counselor will assist the worker in enrolling in the selected training. The counselor will monitor the worker's training progress until completion. The counselor will then assist the worker in obtaining employment, through the process detailed below.

If a vocational counselor finds that the worker does have the transferable job skills to find alternative work, the counselor will help in writing a marketable resume, seeking out employment sources and obtaining and maintaining employment. Once alternative employment is secured, the counselors will work with the new employer as well, to help the employee keep the job if his or her condition changes or he or she requires modifications at the job site, to obtain a successful placement.

Job Analysis Tip #2 : Sitting and Back Injury

If you think work-related back injuries are only for those who lift a lot, think again. Workers who sit for the bulk of their day are also at high risk for developing a back injury.

The problem with sitting is that most of us do it poorly. We slump, we stay seated for too long, and we swap our "6-pack abs" for flabby "beer bellies".

Our spines are designed to have three natural curves: a curve in at the neck, out at the rib cage, and a curve in again at the low back. The curve "in" at the low back is called your lumbar lordosis and is the most important curve to maintain if we want to prevent a back injury.

Whenever we lose this curve - such as by bending forward or sitting poorly - we do little bit of damage to the structures of the spine. This damage builds up, day after day, year after year. Then one day, we bend over to tie our shoes and "pop" - there goes our back. At that point we may experience pain, weakness, numbness, or even incontinence and impotence.

So, if your job requires a lot of sitting, here are a few things you can do to minimize your chances of developing a back injury.

The Chair or Seat

First, look at your chair. It doesn't have to be the fanciest, most expensive chair on the market, but it should offer you good support. When you sit back in the chair, there should be support for the curve "in" at your low back. If the chair doesn't have a built-in lumbar support, you can purchase a lumbar roll that can be used for the same purpose.

The backrest of the seat should be able to recline to 100°-130° so as to support your back in different positions. You don't want to be locked into one position all day.

Posture

When most of us sit for any length of time, we tend to slump. This habit flattens out the curve of the low back - particularly if we don't sit all the way back in our chair.

Proper sitting posture is: ears over shoulders, shoulders over hips. Whenever we deviate from this position for any length of time, we can be damaging not only our backs, but our necks and arms as well.

Variety

Our bodies love variety - even perfect posture can be irritating to our bodies if it's maintained for an extended period of time. Break up your sitting time as much as possible throughout the day, such as by alternating between sitting and standing/walking job activities, is very beneficial. It will result in improved blood flow and less fatigue at the end of the day.

Another suggestion is to place a timer on your desk that goes off every 30 minutes. Then stand up, put your hands on your hips and gently arch backwards for 5 seconds. This simple exercise can go a long way in reversing some of the damage we do to our backs on a daily basis.

Fitness

Our abdominal muscles help to support our low back in proper position with virtually all activities, including sitting. When these muscles are weak, there are greater stresses placed on the low back. Basic abdominal crunches and core strengthening exercises will go a long way in providing your back with the support and protection it needs.

By taking these simple measures, we can ensure that our back will be in proper working order for years to come.

Think Safe! Protect Your Eyes While Working

To mark February as Workplace Eye Safety Month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and eye doctors across the nation want to alert Americans to the possibility of eye injuries in the workplace.

Despite existing safety legislation and educational programs, each working day in the United States , more than 2,000 employees sustain job-related eye injuries, making workplace injury a leading cause of ocular trauma, visual loss and blindness. Of these injuries, 10 to 20 percent will be disabling because of temporary or permanent vision loss.

Ninety percent of these injuries can be prevented with appropriate protective eyewear. Many of those injured workers reported that they didn't think they needed to wear eye protection or were wearing eyewear inappropriate for the job. Safety eyewear must have "ANSI Z87.1" (which means it is impact resistant) marked on the frame or lens.

The Academy agrees that wearing proper eye protection is a matter of vital importance to worker health and safety because some industries such as construction and automotive repair can be hazardous to eye health.

As most people use computers in the workplace, complaints of eye fatigue, difficulty focusing and discomfort have also become common. We've moved into the computer age, but our offices haven't. Lighting, furniture and desk configurations that worked fine for typewriters add to fatigue and discomfort when working with computers.

Computer screens don't damage vision, but you might still experience eye strain. Fortunately, rearranging your computer workstation, taking more frequent rest breaks or getting proper glasses or contact lenses can often relieve these symptoms.

In addition, heating and air conditioning systems of office buildings can increase problems with dry eyes during the winter. Dry eye occurs when the eye doesn't produce enough tears to keep the eye comfortable. Usual symptoms include stinging or burning eyes, scratchiness, a feeling that there's something in the eye, excessive tearing or difficulty wearing contact lenses. Over-the-counter eye drops usually do the trick, but if the problems persist, see your eye care professional for an evaluation.

To learn about protective eyewear for your occupation and/or to pinpoint the cause of your eye related discomfort, see your eye care professional.

This article taken from The American Academy of Ophthalmology at www.aao.org .

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