Common Causes of
Sprains and Strains
and Some Solutions
By the end of this training,
you will be able to…
Identify causes of sprains and strains on
the job
Come up with solutions to prevent them
Locate resources and contacts for more
help
Sprains and strains affect the:
Muscles
Tendons
Ligaments
Joints
Blood vessels
Nerves
What to watch for
Awkward postures Repetitive Motion Lifting
Forceful Gripping,
Hand-arm Vibration Pinching
Lifting
To reduce lifting injuries
Reduce the weight Provide handholds
Increase the weight Use mobile storage
Use mechanical assistance Rotate to non-lifting tasks
Slide instead of lift Bring loads as close to the body as
Team lift possible before lifting them
Remove obstacles to reduce
Avoid unnecessary lifting
reaching
Eliminate lifting
Place objects at a good working
height
To reduce lifting injuries
-Heavy lifting
To reduce lifting injuries
-Awkward lifting
To reduce lifting injuries
-Frequent lifting
Awkward Postures
To reduce awkward posture injuries
Raise, lower or tilt the work for easier access
Use a stool for lower level work
Alternate between bending, kneeling, sitting, and squatting
Use an elevated work platform or rolling stairs for higher level work
Use tools with longer handles
Limit overhead storage to infrequently used items
To reduce awkward posture injuries
-Bending the back
To reduce awkward posture injuries
-Bending the neck
To reduce awkward posture injuries
-Bending the wrists
To reduce awkward posture injuries
-Reaching overhead
To reduce awkward posture injuries
-Kneeling (and Squatting)
Forceful Pinching and Gripping
To reduce gripping injuries
Use lighter tools
Suspend the tool with tool counter-
balancers
Use longer lever arms on tools
Use hand trucks, carts or conveyors
instead of carrying loads
Use lift equipment
Use power tools instead of hand tools
To reduce pinching injuries
Use clamps to hold objects
Slide objects instead of pinching them
Use lift devices
Use a different type of grip
is up to 5 times
a Power Grip stronger than
a Pinch Grip
Repetitive Motion
To reduce repetitive motion injuries
Eliminate unnecessary motions
Automate the task
Enlarge the job
Use power tools instead of
hand tools
ratchet power tool
Hand-Arm Vibration
To reduce hand-arm vibration injuries
Isolate the vibration from the user
Use low vibration tools
Use anti-vibration gloves
Handle emits less vibration
The Ergonomics Ideas Bank
Search for more solutions!
Appendix - Links
Ergonomics Ideas Bank
Ergonomics Presentations
Low vibration tools
Contact an L&I Ergonomist
Help from L&I at no cost to you
We offer free, confidential consultations to help you
prevent sprains and strains in your workplace.
To learn more:
Email: Ergonomics@[Link]
Call: (360) 902-5450
Click: Get help with ergonomics