You are "Industrial Athletes"

    That’s right, you are Industrial Athletes! Every job at Moraine Assembly requires some degree of physical exertion, and we do the same exertion 400 times each day. And, just like professional athletes, we can develop the same types of injuries that they experience. Strained muscles, pinched nerves, pulled muscles, torn ligaments, stretched tendons, and muscle cramps are some of the broad categories of injuries that affect both sports athletes and Industrial Athletes. Also like professional athletes, we can do things to condition ourselves to prevent these injuries.

    We will be returning soon from an extended downtime. Because of the inactivity during this time, most of us have lost some of our muscle strength and flexibility, like baseball player do over the winter. Just like them, we now need a little “spring training”. Remember when you first hired in, how sore and aching you were the first couple of weeks? Well, it will be a little worse this time because most of you are now a little older. But, by doing the right things before you return can help minimize the pain and help prevent serious injuries.

    Focus on stretching and conditioning your hands, arms, shoulders, and backs. It doesn’t require a lot of heavy workouts, just some simple moves to activate the muscles. The plant has consulted with a conditioning expert to identify some very easy stretching techniques that can be done while watching TV or each day before the start of your shift. Also, did you know that drinking an adequate amount of water can help prevent muscle strains and that applying ice to aching muscles is the best healing aide?

    If you miss this, stop by Labor Relations and they will give you the information. But, even if you don’t have this information, create some motions on your own that are similar to your work activities to begin conditioning your muscles.
Preventing on-the-job injuries requires the right tools, equipment, and machinery. But, most of all, it requires an able bodied employee to meet the physical demands of the jobs; in other words, it requires an Industrial Athlete! We are depending on you to be physically fit on the first day back and participate without getting injured. We are all winners when we get the job done right without employee injuries. Your health and safety is of utmost importance to all of us.