Through wearable technology, employers and employees alike can now benefit from proactive opposed to reactive preventative strategies.

Traditional methods of worksite interventions to prevent injury such as stretch / flex programs are advancing at a rapid pace with the use of wearables. Wearable sensors capture the mechanical stress on the body that accumulates during a work shift. This mechanical stress is not always associated with high force production activities such as heavy material handling. The sensor data allows for earlier interventions prior to when symptoms such as excessive fatigue, muscular tightness or joint pain occur. Additionally, measuring an employee’s response to job demands will not only decrease injury risk with both new hires and aging incumbents but will increase opportunities for modified duty job tasks aiding in return-to-work.

This presentation will help you to:

• Recognize differences in mechanism of cumulative trauma injuries and traumatic injuries
• Understand the benefits of preventative physical interventions and task rotation as it relates to the concept of load tracking and mechanical stress
• Identify modified duty job tasks that may disrupt recovery despite physician restrictions aiding in return-to-work
• Demonstrate mechanical stress does not always decrease with incorporating ergonomic assistive devices