The LiftTrainer… Measuring its Benefits

Introduction

The LiftTrainer program evolved from dissatisfaction with current risk and safety management programs aimed at improving the lifting habits of manual materials handling workers.

Reasons The LiftTrainer exists:

• Traditional safety programs don't allow employees to internalize concepts and adapt their behavior

• The presentation of techniques are not effective in reducing stress on the spine

• Traditional presentations do not allow for measuring a behavioral change

• Traditional presentations allow employees to "skate" by because they know what is going to be said

• Every employee is different and should be treaded as such

Our approach is to train employees in safe lifting practices by focusing on lifting behaviors and the stress on the spine which result from an individual's behavior. We then apply behavior modification techniques to guide each person towards a lifting style that minimizes the stress on the spine without reducing the employee's work effectiveness. At the core of our program is a product called The LiftTrainer™. This is an educational tool that is based on biofeedback principals. The employees are "wired" with sensors that track the back and upper body motion in a three dimensional space. This motion, combined with the forces generated by the load handled, are used to compute the stress on the spine in real time. The stress is communicated to the employee through a variable pitch tone, where the pitch of the tone is determined by the instantaneous stress level. Employees are individually coached while using The LiftTrainer™ in lifting behaviors that minimize the tone's pitch and consequently the stress on the spine.

The program consists of five components:

1. Introductory meetings to announce the program and give employees an overview of what will be happening.

2. The identification of self-reinforcing teams.

3. Two training sessions for each employee with The LiftTrainer™

4. Remedial training sessions for those who need it.

5. A quarterly refresher session for each employee. These sessions provide a basis for monitoring skill retention and to identify employees in need of additional training.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

1. Introductory Meetings

Short meetings (15 minutes) will be held at the beginning of the work shifts to introduce the training and briefly demonstrate The LiftTrainer™. This reduces considerably the time required to explain the equipment to each individual at the start of a training session, and therefore, allows the training session time to be used more effectively. The self-reinforcing team concept will also be introduced.

2. Identification of self-reinforcing teams.

Teams of 10 to 20 individuals will be randomly selected from the list of employees at the beginning of the training. The purpose of these teams is to have employees help one another with their lifting techniques. Each team will be given different colored hats to designate team membership. The team showing the best retention following the initial training will receive an award to be determined by management and Lavender & Associates.

3. Two training sessions for each employee with The LiftTrainer™

Each employee will participate in two 30 minute training sessions approximately 2 to 4 weeks apart. Sessions are conducted by a "coach" who has been trained by Dr. Lavender of the Rush Presbyterian St. Lukes Medical Center in the use of The LiftTrainer™ and the training protocol.

Each session is initiated by "wiring" the employee with the sensors from The LiftTrainer™. First a range of motion assessment will be performed. Using the sensors from The LiftTrainer™ range of motion assessments are quick and easy. These data will be used to identify deficiencies that the employee may wish to work on with stretching exercises and to make to provide therapists a target recovery level in the event of an injury. In essence, these data would provide documentation of an employee's pre-injury condition.

During the three phase instructional protocol the employee will then be asked to perform several repetitions of a lifting task that is representative of his or her normal job tasks.

In the first phase, the employee will be asked to demonstrate their "typical" lifting technique that they use everyday. This first set of lifts provides baseline performance data whereby we can quantify the spine stress generated by the existing lifting style. Immediately following the baseline task the data will be displayed and explained by the coach so that the employee fully understands what is being measured and evaluated.

In the second phase, or coaching phase, the employee is then introduced to the feedback tone signaling the stress on his or her spine. The employee is then taught to focus on the variable pitch tone, learn where the pitch becomes highest, and learn how to lower the feedback tone's pitch, and consequently, lower the stress on the spine. Following each bout of lifting the coach will graphically display the peak stress on the employee's spine during each lift in the set. This data will be used by the coach to guide the employee toward lifting behaviors that minimize the spine stress. Data showing the duration of each lift is also displayed. This allows the employee to develop lifting behaviors that maintains his or her work effectiveness.

The session then concludes with the evaluation phase in which the employee performs the simulated work task one more time without biofeedback or coaching. The average of the peak spine stresses from each lift in this final set is then compared with the average of the peak spine stresses obtained in the base line set (first phase). This comparison indicates which employees have successfully modified their lifting behavior so as to reduce the stress on their spine within the session.

The second session is conducted to reinforce the lifting behaviors taught in the initial session and allow the employee another opportunity to practice with The LiftTrainer™. Most importantly this session identifies who has retained the behaviors from the initial session and who has not. Those who either do not show retention, or failed to show improvement in the first session will be identified as candidates for remedial training.

It is recommended that the supervisory staff participate in the training sessions with The LiftTrainer™ and participate in each of the teams. This will enable them to reinforce the desired behaviors on a daily basis as well as show management's commitment to the program.

4. Remedial training for those who need it.

It is anticipated that some employees will need additional training. This round of training is focused on those who, by our measurements, need it most. Thus, your training dollars are directed at the employees that are at greatest risk for a back injury. Decisions for remedial training will be based upon performance improvements within the prior two sessions, and the retention between sessions. Based on our pilot testing we anticipate no more than 25 percent of those trained should require remedial training. It is possible that even some employees may require a fourth session. We believe that using this "test-out" protocol ensures that your workforce has learned the concepts and modified their lifting behavior.

5. Quarterly refresher sessions to determine which team showed the highest retention.

Given that success of the training depends on the learning of appropriate lifting behaviors and the retention of those behaviors, additional training sessions will be conducted after 3 months to assess and reinforce long term retention. Average retention will be compared among the self reinforcing teams to determine which team will receive the program award.

Sixty days following the completion of each quarterly refresher session, an interim report will be prepared evaluating the outcome of the program. It is expected that injury data will be made available throughout the period and during this evaluation process. Ninety days after the conclusion of the program, a final report will be submitted.

A secured training area with approximate dimensions of 20 feet by 20 feet.

For more information email support@innsport.com or for Immediate Assistance call 773-244-6470