Preventing Sprain, Strains, OSHA Recordables, and Medical Spend with Rural, Remote, and Distributed Workforces

If you’re involved in safety, work in a physically demanding industry, have a rural, remote, or geographically distributed workforce, and routinely sigh at how local providers manage minor injuries – this one is for you.

You know the same things we do – sprains and strains make up about 40% of injuries and lead to a litany of unnecessary healthcare, administrative, and operational costs, not to mention OSHA Recordables, lost time, etc. Our goal is to help employers change their destiny by shifting their approach to the prevention and management of ever-present minor aches and pains, such as low back pain and sore shoulders and necks. We use many of the same tools; we just use them in a way that most don’t (or won’t).

First, a quick custom story we hear all too frequently:

• We work in a physically demanding line of work (manufacturing, warehousing, construction, utilities, junk removal, mining, etc.)
• Our workforce is located in rural areas, small towns, or spread around the country.
• We have an aging workforce, high turnover among younger demographics, and more OSHA recordables than we should.
• When someone gets injured, they are sent to the hospital, emergency room, or local occupational medicine provider.
• The employee drives an hour to get there, sits in a waiting room for another hour, is seen by a nurse or physician for 15 minutes, is diagnosed with low back pain, is taken out of work for a week or placed on restrictions, is given prescription anti-inflammatories, and is scheduled for 2-3 more follow-up visits.
• The employee is frustrated, feeling like they’re being pulled in multiple directions, and simply wants to get back to work.
• The company suffers – we’ve lost a valued member of the team, we must backfill to make up for lost productivity, we take on the cost of all medical services, and we have incurred an OSHA recordable – another sprain/strain hits the 300 logs.

Sound familiar? Surely there’s another way, right?

Getting alignment from providers isn’t always easy. Rather than waiting for healthcare providers to change their ways, you can start by focusing on preventing the number of requiring trips to the hospital. Below is a high-level overview of 5 steps to get started.

5 Strategies For A Measurably Healthier And More Productive Workforce

1. Have a proper prevention program in place

• New Hire Orientation with quality body mechanics training
• Pre-shift warm-up and micro-break stretching programs
• At least one toolbox talk per week should focus on musculoskeletal health and injury prevention, fatigue management, or smart work habits.
• Have an ergonomics team to identify best practices and make improvements wherever possible. Use this information to update New Hire Orientation consistently.
• Leverage job rotation to manage overall work volume for high-risk or physically demanding jobs

2. Build an early reporting culture

• Encourage employees to report any symptoms as soon as they arise.
• Promote open lines of communication between the workforce, supervisors, and leadership to better understand workforce psychology during peak times of year and get ahead of accumulating fatigue.

3. Understand light, modified, and restricted duty to limit lost time

• Conduct job analysis to capture objective information on the physical demands and essential functions of the job
• Build a simple framework that allows employees with limited working capacity to remain on the job site and contributing
• Know the difference between light, modified, and restricted duty, and work with healthcare providers to learn about your work and what jobs and accommodations are available for injured employees.

4. Implement an Early Intervention Program

• Partner with a provider that understands effective early intervention program design and implementation
• Ensure the provider knows your work and your prevention program and has deep expertise working in the OSHA First Aid scope of practice.
• Leverage the right type of provider – onsite, near site, or telehealth options all exist
• Communicate from leadership all the way down that Prevention, Early Reporting of Symptoms, and Early Intervention programs are all essential safety components. They should be used liberally to guarantee the best outcomes for the employee and the company.

5. Identify and Track Key Performance Indicators

• Common metrics include time to be seen, lost time, overall cost, and OSHA Recordables for otherwise minor injuries.
• Keep your team and healthcare partners accountable toward the overall strategy
• Schedule routine meetings to ensure everyone is aligned and that the program is going according to plan and troubleshoot any gaps to ensure continued improvement.

What Does a Differentiated, Results-Driven Virtual Early Intervention Program Look Like?

First off, its results driven. The first question to ask yourself is: What do we need out of a provider? Will any provider with any approach work? Or are you looking for a certain level of expertise and accountability?

If your provider isn’t discussing outcomes with you, ask yourself: What exactly are they doing for you, and is it what you’re looking for? Are you aligned on the value of this relationship?

Performance first

• Providers should understand pain points and determine if/how they can help.

Transparency and collaboration

• The roadmap should be collaboratively built, working with key stakeholders to identify essential steps and timelines to maximize chances of success
• Pricing should be transparent.
• The strategy should be reviewed and tweaked if performance marks aren’t being hit.

Access Is King

• Early Intervention programs aren’t worth much if they aren’t used early enough.
• By leveraging our 3 arms – onsite, near site, and virtual – employees are guaranteed to speak with an expert within 10 minutes and receive live, tailored OSHA first aid care.

It’s all about the experience and the data

• Employee experience and outcome is a priority and should be for any provider (98% of employees surveyed feel Athletico helps them prevent injury)
• Long drive times and longer waiting room time is not a great experience and lead to poor outcomes (source) (Athletico has on-demand virtual care, 24/7)
• By prioritizing speed, quality, efficiency, and communication, Athletico’s Early Intervention program is unparalleled in it’s ability to deliver significant results for employer of all sizes, in just about any location in the US.

Managing a rural, remote, or distributed workforce in a physically demanding industry is tough. Unfortunately, many healthcare providers are just not up to the job. Are you being thoughtful about your strategy, and is your team of providers all on the same page?

Learn More About Our Early Intervention Program