Industry: Nonresidential Building Construction - SIC Code: 1542

Success Brief:

The establishment of a job-specific and employee-specific customized stretching and strengthening program resulted in 104,000 labor hours with no reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

The Problem:

Not satisfied with how low the rate of MSDs was among its employees, Hensel Phelps decided to improve its ergonomics program.

The Solution:

The company hired a consultant to implement a pilot injury prevention program at the Company's Victorville, California construction site. The consultant's team interviewed the individual employees to determine what specific job tasks each employee performed, and conducted an on-site analysis of the work being performed by the employees. The consultant then created customized injury-prevention programs for the employees and assisted with the implementation of the stretching and strengthening programs. The end result was that each employee's body was prepared to complete the job tasks the employee faces each day.

The Impact:

After implementation of the injury prevention program, Hensel Phelps logged over 104,000 labor hours on the Victorville construction site without any reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Source:

• Jim Burgess, Hensel Phelps Construction Company, January 2003.