WORKPLACE INJURY PREVENTION - A FIT FOR WORK PODCAST

In the latest episode of the Workplace Injury Prevention Podcast, we are joined by Josh Morris, CEO of DQS, to discuss the connection between talent placement and workplace safety and how the two can work together to ensure a healthier, more productive, and more fulfilling environment for employees.

In the latest episode of the Workplace Injury Prevention Podcast, we are joined by Jacob Wilkins, Fit For Work Ergonomics Specialist, to discuss wearable technology in the workplace, the role it can serve within your safety program, and how it should be paired with onsite, human-to-human interaction in order to maximize its impact.

School is back, and at Grandview C4 School District in Kansas City, MO, it's back and better than ever thanks to an investment in an Ergonomics Subscription project with Fit For Work. Janet Melton, the district's Senior Wellbeing Coordinator, joins the podcast to discuss the project from the first step to the ongoing implementation and everything in between.

Together, Fit For Work and VelocityEHS offer an unparalleled opportunity for businesses to quickly scale implementation, training, onsite assessments, and adoption of ergonomics and health solutions into their business. Rick Barker, leader of Principal Solutions Strategy at VelocityEHS, joins the podcast to discuss how this partnership is generating a transformational approach to ergonomics and injury prevention.

An aging workforce is the reality for many industries and businesses in today's world. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, PhD, MPH, CHES, and Associate Professor at the Texas A&M School of Public Health, joins the podcast to share his research and insight into understanding and empowering this demographic, as well as to discuss the benefits older workers can bring to their company and their fellow team members.

The proper testing protocol is key to preventing injuries and to mitigating costs associated with injuries when they do happen. Chase Feeler, PT DPT, who is the Director of Functional Testing at WorkSTEPS, joined the podcast to discuss Fit For Duty testing and how it can enhance the hiring process, mitigate injuries and their associated costs and, most importantly, put team members in position to be safe and productive.

Dr. Jerroed Roberson, PT, DPT and Fit For Work Employment Testing Provider, joins the Injury Prevention Podcast to talk about the process and benefits of employment testing and how it will lead to a healthier, more productive workforce. Meaningful work that impacts lives is Fit For Work's motto and Dr. Roberson explains how he and his colleagues bring that to life every day for clients and their employees.

Wendy Chelette, Fit For Work Director of Employment Testing, joins the podcast to define and discuss the various forms and stages of employment testing as well as to offer insight into the changing landscape of the workplace and of the work itself.

Being a Safety and Facilities Manager puts one right at the heart of the relationship between efficient production and wall-to-wall safety, and Tyler, a Fit For Work partner, joins the podcast to discuss that and much more.

OSHA has issued new enforcement guidance with a focus on instance by instance citations and high gravity violations. Fit For Work Director of Safety Division Forrest Richardson, CSP, ARME, joins host Mike Wobschall to break it all down and provide insight and tips to ensure businesses remain in compliance and continue to promote safety. 

Dr. Ben Hoffman, MD, MPH and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for WorkSTEPS, joins host Mike Wobschall to discuss the growing role of the Chief Medical Officer in companies throughout America and how this is helping to make safety and health a priority in the workplace.

What's a cobot? The latest edition of the Workplace Injury Prevention Podcast discusses that and much more from the world of Ergonomics as FFW Director of Ergonomics Lauren Brizendine, MPH, CPE joins host Mike Wobschall.

Dr. Ros Daywalker joins the new host, Mike Wobschall, to discuss the exciting and evolving topic of "Total Worker Health". This is more than just a phrase. It's a new field of research in which Dr. Daywalker is a leading expert. This is the first of many topics on the subject, and specifically is part 1 of 2-part interview covering the matter.

Dr. Ros Daywalker joins the new host, Mike Wobschall, to discuss the exciting and evolving topic of "Total Worker Health". This is more than just a phrase. It's a new field of research in which Dr. Daywalker is a leading expert. This is the first of many topics on the subject, and specifically is part 1 of 2-part interview covering the matter.

Ambjor and Curtis will be moving on from podcast host duties so they do an introduction and let you get to know the new host, Fit For Work Director of Marketing, Mike Wobschall. He shares his experience along with some themes you can expect to be covered as this podcast continues. Mike will become the full-time host by the end of 2022.

Eric Gislason, Executive Director of National Association of Safety Professionals and Dr. James Rethaber, Vice President of Technical Operations at Fit for Work, share their expertise regarding the role ergonomics plays in workplace injuries and how to identify those risk factors to keep your employees safe and healthy. They also highlight a 2 days conference that is occurring October 5th - 6th, 2022 in Orlando Florida that will be covering this exact topic. 

Ambjor and Curtis talk with Alex Buban, who is an Environmental Risk and Safety Manager, to discuss his experience as a young profesional entering the safety profession. Alex gives advice to those looking into the field, along with the fulfillment that being a safety professional provides. He also covers advice that anyone with any level of experience can apply to make safety a positive experience at your site.

Curtis and Ambjor discuss with Forrest Richardson, CSP, ARME, a case study on what neglecting machine guarding cost both a company and their employees. Forrest gives great advice on how to avoid pitfalls as well as how to simply and systematically make changes to keep employees safe and make sure your worksite is compliant with national regulations.

Ambjor and Curtis interview Dr. James Rethaber, Ph.D., CPE, LSSMBB, to have him answer frequent questions about job rotations, such as: Is it worth the hassle, what are common mistakes to avoid, and how quickly can I see benefits? James shares what he has learned in 15+ years experience and research to help you save time and money when implementing job rotations at your worksite.  

Eric Gislason, Executive Director of National Association of Safety Professionals and Dr. James Rethaber, Vice President of Technical Operations at Fit for Work, share their expertise regarding the role ergonomics plays in workplace injuries and how to identify those risk factors to keep your employees safe and healthy.

Ruth Neuman, PT, MBA/HA, CEAS II, REAS, PMEC, Senior Ergonomist in Workforce Safety at Northwell Health has dedicated her career to improving ergonomics as well making those improvements accessible to all the workforce in simple and effective ways. She gives us tips and tricks by sharing her knowledge on how to increase the success of ergonomic initiatives at your worksite. 

Forrest Richardson, CSP, ARME, is with Ambjor and Curtis to answer the frequently asked question of how to stay motived as a safety professional who is in charge of motivating others to be safe. We discuss clear and simple solutions you can use as a motivator to keep the safety culture high at your Business.

Stephanie Stiles, ATC, has over 8 years experience onsite with seasonal workers in the road construction industry. She answers some frequently asked questions for us today on best practices for returning employees to work after seasonal layoffs, which can be applied to extended leaves and even to new hires that have not worked in a physical job setting.

Considered to be the pioneer of post-offer pre-employment testing, Larry Feeler, PT, CEAS, NRCME, discusses the value of the DOT physical while also doing post-offer pre-employment functional testing. As the CEO and founder of WorkSTEPS, Larry shares experiences and analogies gathered in his over 35 years in the business, painting a picture that when done together these tests can help reduce injuries and work comp claims while increasing productivity.

Considered the father of Post Offer Testing, Larry Feeler, PT, CEAS, NRCME, joins the podcast to give clear and simple answers to common questions about post-offer testing in the workplace. He shares his 30+ years of experience to give you the insight to understand how post offer testing can be a long-term value at your workplace.

Ambjor and Curtis have a great discussion with two experienced Injury Prevention Specialist, Andy Accacian and Rachel Beck. Both have combined for over 10 years of focusing on early intervention and they share how using simple action items focused on prevention will make your workforce healthier and more productive.

 Ambjor and Curtis talk with James Rethaber, Ph.D., CPE, LSSMBB, Vice President of Technical Operations at Fit For Work, about the current state of wearable technology in the industrial setting workplaces. We find out some what the most up to date research is saying about long-term effects of wearables and what using both exoskeletal and data capturing technology can, and cannot, do for your employee.

Start your new year off right and stay on track this year! Forrest Richardson, CSP, ARME, and Safety Division Director of Fit for Work, outlines the top 3 OSHA regulations to pay attention to in 2022.

2021 was a crazy year but your workforce keeps pushing forward. Forrest Richardson, Certified Safety Professional and Director of Safety at Fit For Work, summarizes the top 10 OSHA citations of 2021 so you can learn from others and avoid the same mistake.

OSHA enforcement can be a nerve racking topic. Certified Safety Professional and Director of Safety at FFW, Forrest Richardson, joins us to dispel 3 common misconceptions regarding OSHA enforcement, how this affects your workplace safety and employees.

Dr. Ben Hoffman, the Chief Medical Officer for WorkSTEPS discusses the "seasonal flu" in light of the SARS-COVID world we have all been navigating. We talk about how understanding the real purpose of vaccines can help correct misunderstandings and what are real vs. over simplification solutions for you and your workforce.

Dr. John Groves, DPT and CEO of Fit For Work, discusses an often misunderstood approach to injuries in the workplace. We talk about how every injury is complex, not complicated, and what simple changes you can make in your approach to improve safety at your workplace.

Michael Escobar, Mid-South Regional Director for Fit For Work has been responsible for setting up several simple and effective "training camps" at multiple locations over the past 15 years. He shares great tips on how to succeed in this one aspect of improving safety, along with how to avoid common mistakes that can derail your efforts. 

Jessica Herrera, one of the Area Directors of Fit For Work with over 10 years experience in the industrial setting, gives her answers to the question: What are some easy ways to improve the safety culture at my workplace? Her three ideas are simple, actionable, and make a difference. 

A panel of Fit For Work safety experts, Jessica Herrera, Michael Escobar, Forrest Richardson, and James Rethaber, have a great discussion with Ambjor and I about the challenges that employers face in hiring and retaining employees, and how different safety methods can improve hiring and employee retention.

Ambjor and I talk about what the OSHA safe and sound week is, and how using the resources available at osha.gov/safeandsoundweek will help you better serve your employees and community at large. Start off safe and sound week by listening and sharing this episode to get the message out.

Dave Thomas, the owner and founder of REPSS (A gas detection company that started in 1981) shares his decades of experience in confined space gas detection. Ambjor and I discuss with him some easy tips about avoiding mistakes that can be applied to any work setting. 

Eric Gislason, Executive Director of the newly accredited National Association of Safety Professionals, talk with us to get an overview on what this organization has to offer safety professionals. He also shares great ideas on making training employees effective at your worksite.

Asha Roy, Program Manager for Safe Patient Handling and Mobility, and Paul Power, Director of Operations for the Workforce Safety Department, work for Northwell Health System, which is the largest health care system in New York State. They discuss how they have implemented an innovative and fun way to do refresher training for patient handling which drastically reduced musculoskeletal injuries. They also share how the principles learned can be implemented into any manual handling setting to reduce sprains and strains.

Forrest Richardson, CSP and Safety Division Director at Fit For Work, talks with Ambjor and I to discuss the three best areas to spend your money to be make changes to be OSHA compliant and avoid fines. Quick and simple ideas that will help make a difference quickly. 

June is National Safety Month, and John Dony, Senior Director of Though Leadership and Director of the Campbell Institute at the National Safety Council talks with us about what the Campbell Institute is and the resources they have available to make a positive improvement in safety at your workplace.

Forrest Richardson, CSP and Safety Division Director at Fit For Work, talks with Ambjor and I in a quick review of the OSHA Top 10 citations and gives some golden nuggets of information about how the pandemic effected OSHA and workplaces. 

Mark Benden, Department Chair and Director of the Ergonomics Center at Texas A&M University, Provides amazing insights on how working at home can be ergonomically friendly and tips on making it easy for you. He also discusses research on how to a workstation set up drives productivity and profits. 

Lauren Bizendine, Director of ergonomics at FFW, spends a few minutes with Ambjor and I to talk about a common questions, what is better for you to do at a desk, sit or stand?

Jarett Peikert, Lead Pain Science Researcher at Fit For Work talks about a few specific examples when employees understood pain science and when there was a communication brake down. He gives great tips on how to make your word choices positive to give the best chance for positive outcomes.

James Rethaber, Ph.D., CPE and Director of Ergonomics at Fit For Work, puts Ambjor's and Curtis' ergonomic knowledge to the test with true or false questions. Have fun playing along and see how your ergonomic knowledge is, and where it can improve.

Mwangi Ndongale and Kyle Krueger, hosts of the Probability Matters podcast, join us to discuss how technology is being used to make workplaces safer, along with tips on how to implement technology while keeping the correct perspective to make it effective. We also discuss how their podcast drives meaningful conversations on tech in the workplace. 

Forrest Richardson, Safety Director for Fit For Work talks with Ambjor and I about what changes are coming from OSHA so you can get ahead of them. He makes learning about these rules simple and easy to understand the core purpose for them, as well as where anyone can learn more about them. 

Forrest Richardson joins Ambjor and Curtis to guide us all through OSHA budget. Forrest helps show how looking at their budget helps companies see what OSHA is prioritizing for the coming year. He throws in some great information on staying compliant through the Covid-19 pandemic as well. 

Dr. Ben Hoffman of WorkSteps brings us up to speed on where we are with the Covid 19 vaccine and what employers and employees can do to keep our workplace safe.

In this shorter and final episode Ambjor and Curtis highlight episodes from 2020 and give some topics that we will be diving into for 2021. It has been a great year and we look forward to another great year in 2020.