As part of our recognition of National Safety Month, members of the WorkCare team are attending Safety 2023, the American Society of Safety Professionals’ annual conference and expo this week in San Antonio, Texas.

WorkCare is exhibiting (Booth #1552) and Peter Greaney, M.D., our executive chairman and chief medical officer, and Justin Freeman, Industrial Athlete Program operations manager, will speak today, June 6, 2023, on ergonomic and industrial athlete interventions to protect outdoor workers (Session 6033). They will describe a holistic injury prevention and management model for workers who spend most of their time doing outdoor jobs requiring physical exertion. Reaching widely dispersed employees, working in extreme environmental conditions, and in densely populated, remote or agricultural areas can be challenging. The delivery model features:

• Ergonomic assessments and work practice adjustments
• Body mechanics coaching
• Education on wellness and self-care
• 24/7 telehealth with first aid guidance for minor injuries
• Consultations with occupational physicians

The model facilitates in-person and virtual engagement with industrial injury prevention specialists who provide instructions to help reduce risk for muscle aches, sprains and strains, and telephonic contact with occupational health nurses and physicians in the onset of a non-emergency injury. In most cases, employees working in the field can safely self-administer first aid with care guidance from a medical professional.

Emergency Preparedness

In addition to conference participation, WorkCare supports the National Safety Council (NSC) in its efforts to increase safety awareness during National Safety Month. The NSC has chosen a theme for each week of the month: emergency preparedness; slips, trip and falls; heat-related illness; and hazard recognition.

In connection with National Safety Month, the first week of June is also recognized by the NSC, American Red Cross and American Heart Association as CPR and AED Awareness Week. CPR and AED preparedness means calling 911 in a medical emergency and knowing how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation and using an automated external defibrillator to save a life before first responders arrive.

Many people don’t realize that it’s possible to perform CPR on someone suffering a cardiac arrest without having to administer breaths by pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a song that has 100 to 120 beats per minute. (The American Heart Association still recommends compressions and breaths for infants, children, drowning victims, and adults suspected of drug overdose or who have collapsed due to breathing problems.) Here is a 90-second hands-only CPR instructional video.

For outdoor workers, preparedness may involve routinely stocking supplies such as water, a flashlight, blanket and first aid kit in vehicles and providing field training, equipment and communication devices to protect employees when they are exposed to hazardous conditions such as during a wildfire, storm, at high elevation or in extreme temperatures. For many companies and public service agencies, emergency preparedness involves comprehensive exposure risk assessments and planning for events such as natural disasters, contagious disease outbreaks, acts of violence, cyber and terrorist attacks, and mass-casualty incidents.

Occupational medicine is a preventive medical specialty and preparedness is a logical extension of practice. The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine’s Emergency Preparedness and Management Center is a resource for occupational health and safety professionals that provides links to relevant local, regional and federal governmental sources and resources including:

• Critical emergency preparedness steps for occupational physicians
• Procedures for coping: Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) system
• Questions asked by disaster survivors and emergency response team members
• Responding to stress after trauma

WorkCare assists clients by training and staffing onsite first responder teams, advising on first aid kit contents, AED equipment and use, providing 24/7 telehealth triage, and consulting on steps employers can take to ensure the health and safety of employees in the event of an emergency or disaster. Contact us to learn more.