In response, smart safety professionals are turning to ergonomics and MSD prevention initiatives to combat these injuries. (After all, prevention is always better than treatment.)

One proven way to get better results from your ergonomics and MSD prevention process is to partner with an on-site, industrial athletic trainer.

By treating your employees like professional athletes and adopting a sports medicine mindset, you can create a prevention culture that gets results.

Back in 1989, industrial athletic training was a new and exciting, yet unproven, concept adopted by a few pioneers in health and safety. Today, however, as more and more industrial companies partner with athletic trainers, the concept is further validated by the data.

The numbers don’t lie.

NATA Study: Athletic Trainers in the Workplace

The concept of athletic training in the industrial setting has been validated time and time again.

The National Athletic Trainer’s Association conducted a national survey of industrial companies that utilize the services of a workplace athletic trainer.

Results of the study showed:

• 100% of the companies reported the athletic trainer provides a favorable return-on-investment (ROI).

Of the above companies that tracked a specific ROI amount:

• 30% indicated the ROI was at least $7/employee per $1 invested
• 83% indicated the ROI was more than $3/employee per $1 invested
• 94% of companies indicated the severity of injuries had decreased by at least 25%
• 68% of the companies indicated that the certified athletic trainer helped to decrease restricted workdays and workers’ compensation claims for musculoskeletal disorders  (MSDs) by more than 25%
• 50% of companies reported that the number of injuries decreased by at least 50%
• 46% of the companies that provided on-site physical rehabilitation indicated that health care costs had decreased by more than 50%

Client Study: Cost Reduction of Ergonomics Plus Clients

Our own results further validate this data.

We’re often asked to demonstrate the business value of our services, so we conducted an internal study of Ergonomics Plus clients to find their average cost savings.

The Results:

This study averaged the MSD cost reductions for the 17 companies that participated in the study and includes the first four years an Ergonomics Plus program was implemented. Only direct medical costs were measured; other associated secondary or “hidden” costs were not included.

The results of this study are outlined below.

Year 1: Costs were 14% less than projected
Year 2: Costs were 47% less than projected
Year 3: Costs were 76% less than projected
Year 4: Costs were 78% less than projected

*based on a 6.5% medical inflation rate (conservative)

Why Industrial Athletic Training Works

As you can see from the two studies above, industrial athletic trainers are getting impressive results.

Why?

Industrial athletic training works for several reasons:

1. A focus on prevention. The biggest difference between the Sports Medicine and Health Care model is that Sports Medicine places the majority of its focus on prevention. Prevention is always better than treatment and athletic trainers are the ideal prevention tool.
2. Injury prevention and human performance expertise. Athletic trainers are specifically trained in injury prevention and human performance. This type of expertise is a huge asset to the OHS process, and is typically missing on most OHS teams.
3. It creates a culture of prevention. Creating a culture of prevention takes time. Ongoing dedication from a professional with the injury prevention and human performance expertise of an athletic trainer shows that the company cares about its people. In turn, this creates a culture of prevention where everyone takes responsibility for their part in the prevention process.

Conclusion

Are you getting the most out of your ergonomics and MSD prevention initiatives? Have you considered partnering with an athletic trainer to get to the next level?

Let us know in the comments section below!