Have you ever been told to “put your back into it” at work? Employers, managers and foremen often say this when they want their employees to put more effort into a physical task. Yet, the advice is unwise and potentially problematic.
There is now much greater awareness of how easy it is to injure your back or another body part during physical work. Yet, not everyone has gotten on board with modern thinking. Some still believe in the old-fashioned way of doing things, where it all comes down to putting in a bit more effort rather than finding a better, safer way of completing the task.
It could cause lifelong injuries
Maybe you are being asked to move a set of boxes from one place to another or to dig a hole. Injuries could easily occur if you do not lift in the optimal position or try to lift something too heavy to safely lift alone or with the number of people assigned. It might be a minor twinge that you brush off in the moment, but that continues to dog you occasionally for years to come. Or it might be something that stops you in the tracks and leaves you unable to work for days, weeks, months or ever again – at least in anything physical.
Employers often ignore more appropriate ways to do things that will reduce the risk of injury. Teams of two could move heavy boxes more efficiently than individuals. An excavator could dig those holes more easily than a man with a shovel and pick.
Workplace injuries can affect your personal life as well as your ability to work. Learning how to claim compensation could be crucial if you get injured while performing your work duties.