Knee injuries are a common occurrence among manual laborers and other workers who spend a lot of time on their feet. The outcome can be debilitating for the victim, leading to lost work time and decreased productivity. Preventing workplace injury is crucial to maintaining a healthy, active workplace.
To prevent injury, workers should learn how to engage in safe workplace practices. Through education, workers can be encouraged to maintain smart habits that boost productivity and defend against on-the-job injuries.
3 ways to prevent knee injuries
- Maintain good posture — Good posture is one simple way that workers can decrease their chances of knee injury. By distributing body weight evenly, knee stress can be reduced. Workers should also avoid crouching or bending too low. Bending at the waist can put a lot of stress on the knees and lead to injury. If someone needs to retrieve something from the floor, they should lift with their legs.
- Wear proper footwear — Some workplaces require employees to wear specific shoe types for safety. Construction workers, for example, may need to wear special boots. Besides protecting the feet themselves, some work shoes provide arch support that can strengthen the whole leg. These can make knee injuries less likely. Additional protective wear like knee pads can further help prevent knee injuries in the workplace.
- Stay active — Workers who are active and healthy are generally less likely to be injured. An active worker is more likely to have a speedy recovery as well, since our bodies are made resilient through exercise. Stretches are some of the most important exercises for workers who do manual labor. Leg stretches especially can increase flexibility in the knee and help prevent injuries.
Work-Fit can help prevent knee injuries in your workforce
Lack of education and fitness can put your workers at risk for knee injury. Our certified athletic trainers at Work-Fit can integrate with your team to keep your employees healthy on the job and safe from knee injury.
Contact us today to learn more about how Work-Fit can assist your employees in avoiding injury by staying active and healthy.
