Does your company have stretching program for your employees? Or, do you think about implementing a stretching program? If so, why?
One question that I’m asked fairly frequently is, “Do you recommend stretching programs or similar programs (Pilates, yoga, etc.)? My response to that question is with another question: “Why do you ask? ” I want to know the intent or reason behind the question. My answer? Yes and no. It may sound like I’m a politician trying to have it both ways; however, it truly does depend on the reason and intent for the stretching program.
Let me try to explain. In my experience, most companies that have implemented stretching programs have done so as a response to work-related injuries. Those involved in risk management and safety see stretching programs as a good and fairly quick and easy solution to fix their injury problems. They believe that in some way their employees don’t have the right physical capabilities (flexibility, strength or balance) to do the job without injuring themselves. Reducing work-related injuries isn’t the only reason for stretching program. There are companies who have implemented stretching programs solely to improve employee wellness and engagement but those are few and far between.
If the purpose and goal for the stretching program are injury related then I highly caution the employer in pursuing this as the first or even second option in addressing injuries. There are certain caveats that companies and those in risk management, safety and human resources should be aware of before investing in stretching programs. I do mean investing—stretching programs, if done correctly and effectively, are not cheap. It involves investment of time, effort and money. Because of this the return on investment may not far from what is stereotypically assumed it would be.
Real Story
Last fall (2010) there was an article in the Star Tribune about an auto parts dismantling company who started weekly Pilates classes for their workers who were required to participate. The owners of the company, Ace Auto Parts, stated they hoped the exercises would “help strengthen backs and shoulders and improve balance in ways that will ultimately reduce their workers’ compensation bills.” The story went on to say that their workers experience injuries because they were always working with their arms overhead pulling apart the insides of cars which are suspended above them. They had experienced “a few back injuries and work restrictions and time off work.” The cost of their annual workers’ compensation insurance premium was $100,000/year and the cost of hiring the Pilates instructor was $95/session.
This story made me think of two questions, 1) Is an exercise class the best way to lower workers’ compensation costs, and 2) What is the cost/benefit of having such a program? To answer the first question one has to determine what is root cause for the injuries. The owners’ problem of having injured workers and high workers’ compensation insurance premiums is quite common to many businesses, both small and large. However, their solution—requiring their employees to perform Pilates exercises in hopes of improving their strength, flexibility and balance is not all that common, nor is it supported by research. I am not challenging the benefits of exercise as that is proven to be beneficial for many health reasons. I am questioning their chosen solution for reducing their work-related injuries.
When companies hire Kelby Ergo Design to help them decrease their workers’ compensation costs and prevent injuries the first we do is to identify the root cause(s) for the injuries. In this case, the causes appear to be due to the repetition, force and posture of the workers while they perform their task of dismantling the cars. The position and posture of working over their heads nearly all day puts significant strain on the muscles and joints of neck, back and shoulders. Add to that the amount of force the workers’ muscles have to produce to pull out the parts and what you have is a perfect scenario for injury. Even if a person was very strong and flexible the wear and tear on the body’s muscles and joints caused from the workers’ overhead tasks will add up over time will add up and lead to injury.
So the question is what is the best solution or the best order of solutions to this problem? How do we minimize the awkward postures and repetition and reduce the force? The best solution is always the one that eliminates the problem altogether and does not rely on employee behavior, compliance or fitness. This is typically done through engineering and ergonomic solutions for how the job is done. In this case the job that needs to be done is to remove the parts from the car. The goal of ergonomics is to fit the task to the person so the question that should be asked is there a way to change the position of the worker in relation to the car? Is there a way to minimize or eliminate working overhead? This question and all of the possible solutions is, in my opinion, the first thing that should have been given serious attention and investigation. All possible engineering solutions that are technologically and financially feasible that will target and eliminate/minimize the source of the problem should be considered first and foremost. These are long term solutions that do not rely upon the worker. The next options to consider are administrative solutions. Examples of administrative solutions include job rotation and/or job enlargement that limit exposure to high risk activities. The last option to consider is the human solution, relying on the worker to change and fit into the task. The capacity and capability of human body and mind has limitations. When that limit is exceeded injuries and/or errors will occur.
For companies that want to promote positive attitude, loyalty and wellness, incorporation of warm up activities and exercises at the start of a work shift as part of a safety or wellness program may be a great option. These programs prepare the employee mentally and physically for the work day. The key is in choosing the appropriate exercises that “stretch” over-worked muscles while dynamically strengthening the “opposite” muscles that are likely to be elongated and weak. If the exercise program focuses primarily on increasing flexibility the result most likely will be a greater risk of injury because now the worker will have a greater range of motion without the strength to support and protect the joints in that new range of motion.
Research on the effectiveness of work shift exercise programs on reducing work-related injuries is not clear. This author does not know of any definitive and reproducible studies that prove exercise programs do reduce injuries. Most studies have focused on the effects of stretching programs. In the article, the workers were doing Pilates which combines stretching, strengthening through holding positions and balance. The effect of Pilates on injuries in the workplace is unknown.
The answer to my first question which was, “Is an exercise class the best way to lower workers’ compensation costs?” is “No”. It isn’t the best way to lower work-related injuries and workers’ compensation costs. The preferred order of solutions is engineering followed by administrative and lastly, “human”.
Return on Investment?
Let’s move on to answering the second question which is “What is the return on investment (ROI) for a stretching program?” First let’s briefly define ROI. Simply stated ROI is the “return” (incremental gain) from an action divided by the cost of that action. ROI is typically expressed as a ratio or percentage investment returns and costs. A ROI ratio greater than 0% means the investment returns more than its costs. A high ROI means that investment gains compare quite favorably to investment costs. When projects and programs compete for funds the one with the higher ROI is considered the better business decision.
Simple ROI is can be expressed in the following way:
ROI = Gains (Benefits) - Investment Costs/ Investment Costs
Where gains are specific returns (benefits) due to the investment (increased profits, decreased incurred costs, etc.) and investment costs are those costs due to the project, equipment purchases, etc. In this case the gains would be decreased workers’ compensation costs. The costs would be that of the Pilates instructor/session and the wages paid to each employee during each session. When taking a look at the actual cost, management may have bought a bill of goods that is significantly more expensive than imagined and much less effective for controlling work-related injuries than expected.
Example 1: An exercise program of 5 minutes each day at the beginning of the shift.
· 5 minute program = (3 min stretch + 2 min prep/finish)
· 5 minutes represents approximately 1% of base payroll
o 5 minutes/480 minutes in workday = 1.04% of workday for one session
If employee makes $10/hour and is paid for 2,080 hours plus 30% for benefits, then the cost for this one employee for one daily session is:
Cost = [($10/hour x 2,080 hours) +(0.3)($10/hour x 2,080 hours)] x 1.04%
= $281.22 each year per employee
Add on 30 minutes of orientation at 0.5 hour x $10 = $5.00 per employee
If you have 100 employees, then your annual cost is:
100 employees x ($281.22 + $5.00) = $28,621.60 for a single session each day. If the session is performed twice per day the cost for 100 employees is $56,743.60 [100 x ($281.22 + $281.22 + $5.00)]
Return on investment (ROI) for a daily 5 minute exercise program assuming a 10% probability of success:
ROI = (reduced workers’ comp cost x probability of success)- direct cost/direct cost=($100,000 x 10%)-$28,621.60/$28,621.60= -0.65. A negative ROI is obtained at a 10% probability of success.
The ROI improves significantly if one assumes a more positive percentage of success. Assuming a 50% probability of success the ROI becomes = 0.75 which means it’ll pay for itself in approximately 16 months.
Obviously, the ROI is greatly affected by the total time devoted to an exercise program and the assumed success rate of the program. Does the ROI make good business sense? This question can only be answered by the company. For companies who want to incorporate exercises into their employees work day a better option might be to encourage employees to incorporate the exercises as micro-breaks which are performed spontaneously throughout the day so it becomes a habit and part of how they work. It is recommended that the exercises should be changed occasionally in order to prevent boredom.
Whatever exercise program is chosen it is critical that managers and supervisors are committed to the program. They should not only encourage their employees to perform the exercises, they themselves should participate and do the exercises as well. The cliché’ fits-Managers and supervisors need to “Walk the Walk” and not just talk.
Conclusion
While exercising/stretching alone does not appear to be the most effective method for minimizing work-related injuries, it does take a step in the right direction to increase awareness concerning the benefits of movement and posture. Even the most advanced use of equipment and design possible in new facilities requires human interface and vigilance. Adding a warm-up and exercise as part of an overall safety and leadership program can stimulate blood flow and movement when the job calls for static postures, it can activate overstretched and tired muscles to reduce fatigue and improve postural awareness, and it can go a long way to support company loyalty. And loyalty can be priceless!
If you’d like more information on stretching programs or assistance for determining if one is right for your company, please contact us for a free initial consultation.
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