As we had mentioned in our December 2015 newsletter, MMT have partnered with a Western Australian physiotherapist to help our customers have an even more comfortable ride during the day. This will get them home to their family in the same good condition that they left.
To recap our December article, there are three major anatomical/physiological factors which need to be considered in sitting posture:
- the posture of the spine, in particular the configuration of and pressure within the spinal discs;
- the type and amount of muscle work required to maintain work postures (static and active) and individual fatigue levels;
- compression of the tissues (most particularly the blood vessels and nerves) at the back of the thigh and behind the knee.
Addressing these issues is Biosymm, one of WA’s premier workplace health services providers who specialise in identifying and manage risks in the workplace to minimise injury and time away from work. The team at Biosymm have seen their fair share of sore backs, necks and shoulders in the Mining and Construction game.
Mining News
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What are some of the most common issues you see out there that are causing back pain in drivers and operators?
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BIOSYMM
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Operators are our most treated group on site. They make up to 50% of our case load and account for greatest number of work related physiotherapy treatments required onsite. The main issues are postural related neck, wrist and lower back pathologies.
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Mining News
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How much of this problem is within control of the operator themselves?
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BIOSYMM
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The operator is in control of their seat setup, posture and to an extent how regularly they can take micro breaks and stretches. If educated correctly in the use of their seat and the brace position, a number of injuries we have seen could have been avoided or at least reduced in their severity.
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Mining News
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How long should a person go without moving or at least doing some form of movement - even if still seated?
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BIOSYMM
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I’m not aware of any hard and fast rule - basically it comes down to the fact that we are not made to sit still for long periods of time. It can negatively impact a number of system’s within our body including the musculoskeletal system. The more you move and get out of a seated or sustained posture the greater the benefit. Once per 1-2 runs if you are in a haul truck is a good goal to set.
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Mining News
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We have seen in some work coming out of the UK that absence from work because of back pain is six times higher for drivers who are at the wheel for more than four hours a day - so this certainly has some ramifications of employers within the transport, construction and mining industries - in terms of productivity.
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Mining News
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Now we understand that there may be other factors at play which can lead to or at least exacerbate back pain in an operator or driver - poor design of machinery or trucks controls making them difficult to operate; reduced visibility, so the operator twists and stretches to get a better look out the window; and other personal factors - fitness and general health.
With that in mind, what is the number one piece of advice that you could give our customer to at least help them on the road to maintaining healthy back, neck and shoulders - either at work or at home.
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BIOSYMM
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The nature of your job will not change - an operator will always have to sit for long periods of time as it is essential to their job. What they can do to offset some of the risk effects is to regularly change position and take breaks to get out of their seat. Even if it is for 20 secs it will go a long way to improving circulation and reducing injuries. For haul truck drivers, learning to use the seat suspension and brace when being loaded is the most important. I see some nasty injuries that could be avoided if they were in a better posture or seat position when a jolt/jar occurs during loading.
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If you would like to speak to any of the team at Biosymm to find out more, don’t hesitate to give us a call and we’ll put you in touch with them.
