The Industrial Athlete: Rethinking How We Protect Workers’ Bodies | Risk Matrix Episode 138
Risk Matrix #138: The Industrial Athlete: Rethinking How We Protect Workers’ Bodies
Workers perform physically demanding, repetitive tasks every day. So why are we doing so little to prepare them for it?
In this episode Dr. Martin and James welcome Matt Stewart, GSP, RSO, President of Mariner-Gulf Consulting & Services, to introduce the concept of the industrial athlete and make the case that treating workers like athletes is a safety management strategy, not a wellness campaign.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Workers perform physically demanding, repetitive tasks daily under the same physiological demands as athletes, but receive almost none of the same preparation or recovery support. That gap is where injuries happen.
- The traditional shake it off culture doesn’t prevent musculoskeletal injuries, it delays them. Teaching workers to recognize symptoms early and giving them a process to report and act on what they notice can stop an injury before it becomes a recordable event.
- You don’t need a full-time physical therapist to implement an industrial athlete approach. Personal trainers, exercise physiologists, and university kinesiology programs can be brought in on a rotating basis to give workers the tools they need to take care of their bodies on the job.
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