Date of Award

2005

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

LaVonne Fox

Keywords

Occupational Health; Workplace; Wounds and Injuries -- prevention & control

Abstract

Ergonomic assessments and proper body mechanics are the common practice for educating post injury employees. However, injury prevention protocols are often not a routine practice although they are believed to be essential in decreasing the number of injuries on the job, and lowering related costs to the employer.

Research literature consistently identifies the negative fiscal, psychological, emotional and physical impact of occupational injuries on both society and the individual worker. Occupational injuries account for billions of dollars every year in medical and workers compensation costs not taking into account the billions in indirect costs. The issue is that despite the growing research on occupational injuries and the prevention methods, many industries still do not develop and implement prevention and intervention programs to eliminate or minimize the negative impact of these injuries.

A literature review was conducted to identify the current ‘costs’ to the worker and industries as well as the best practice methods for prevention and intervention of these costs. Key concepts were identified and defined throughout the literature review in the scholarly project.

The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop a protocol that is based on the primary types of workplace injuries with corresponding prevention and intervention steps identified. One aim was to demonstrate the correlation that injury prevention can have on productivity. If the frequency and number of injuries decreases, productivity is expected to increase.

Occupational Therapy holds the essential skills necessary for developing, and implementing an injury prevention program. With a strong background that combines both the biomechanical and behavioral components of human occupation with performance, Occupational Therapists are essential in designing, implementing and evaluating interventions to address the human and environmental factors that contribute to occupational injury.

Share

COinS