ABSTRACT
Back injuries alone cost the American industry 10 to 14 billion dollars in workers’ compensation costs and about 100 million work days annually. Add the costs of hernias, sprains and strains to other body parts and it is evident that these types of injuries are the major accident related financial loss in the workplace (Ergoweb, 1996). Workers’ compensation for these serious accidents resulting in sprains and strains range from an average of $6,899 in livestock production occupations to $3,647 in horticultural service occupations. Add to these figures the pain, suffering, and disruption to families and business and it becomes apparent that prevention of these problems must be addressed. Statistics indicate that this is a serious problem Take for example the agriculture industry in Florida. There are over of 3,000 serious injuries to agricultural workers annually. (Note: A serious injury is defined as one which results in the worker missing one week or more of employment.) Approximately 75 percent of these injuries resulted from improper lifting, pulling, pushing (overextension) or from slips, trips and falls. Of these injuries, over 40 percent are sprains and strains; almost 50 percent of these injuries involve the back.
