Presentation by Jamie Cohen, Service Employees International Union
MR. FRAGALA: At this point, I'd like to introduce my co-chair today in the program who is Jamie Cohen. Jamie has been very active in this whole area. She is with the Service Employees International Union and has been working in the trenches with workers and trying to develop ergonomics programs and really contributed a lot to a good piece of work entitled "Caring Till it Hurts." Jamie.
MS. COHEN: Thanks, Guy, and welcome to everyone. I'm very excited to be here today and very excited to be representing my Union, the Service Employees International Union. Over the past few years, we've seen a growing recognition of musculoskeletal injuries in the health care industry. And we've seen that recognition in the acute care industry and long term care industry and in home care. All of these industries are deeply affected by growing musculoskeletal to health care workers in all of those sector. We're very pleased to work with employers who have been implementing affected programs to prevent back injury and other musculoskeletal disorders among health care workers.
There are nursing home employers that our Union has been working with where we've gotten agreements through our collective bargaining agreements to specifically address back injury prevention programs where workers and management work together to do work site analysis and identify what the risky job tasks are, and then to look at hazard control and prevention methods. Our Union has also been involved in acute care settings in hospitals like San Francisco General where they have a very successful program using a transport team that has reduced back injuries and comp rates in that facility.
In addition, OSHA has recognized the problem among health care workers, and in 1995 introduced the Special Emphasis Program in the nursing home industry in seven states where they're providing important outreach and training to nursing home employers. We're very excited about OSHA's leadership in this area and hope to see that program expanded to other states and to also other aspects of the health care industry.
The Service Employees International Union is the largest union of health care workers in the United States. We represent the workers who do the work, workers in nursing homes, home care, in acute care settings and in clinics. Because these workers do the work of lifting and turning patients, often patients who are totally dependent or combative, helping residents to and from the toilet, lifting residents up in bed, lifting heavy linens, pushing heavy carts, because they do the work, they are the best experts about the work and should be involved in helping to identify hazards and come up with solutions.
I think there are three key elements to a successful ergonomics program. One is management's commitment to the implementation of an ergonomic program to reduce strain and sprain injuries. And the other is the involvement of front line workers, the workers who do the work. Because they know how to identify and solve ergonomic hazards. The third key element of a successful ergonomic program in health care is recognizing the importance of providing quality care to residents and providing that care with respect and dignity to residents and patients.
When we look at ergonomics in the health care industry, we can't separate those two issues out of a safe workplace, meaning good quality care for residents and patients. The two go hand in hand, it's a key element of making sure that we have successful ergonomic programs. We wanted to get a feel for who was in the audience with us today, because we all play a critical part in implementing effective ergonomic programs. So if you could help me out and let me know who's here, we wanted to find out if there was anyone here from corporate staff of health care?
All right. What about administrators from facilities? Only one of you? Do you think we need to get more of those folks in this room? I would think so since they make a lot of decisions about budgets and how money is spent and resources are distributed.
What about directors of nursing? They play a critical role in implementing effective ergonomics programs.
What about staff developers who do training or human resource?
Anyone here who helps purchase equipment for your facility? Another key element of a part of implementing effective ergonomic program is to have the people involved who purchase the equipment.
What about safety directors or chairs of health and safety committees? Great, great.
How about anyone from lost control programs, risk management? Another key part of the whole program, because you're the guys who help convince the administrators and other managers that we need to get the problem fixed.
What about representatives of organized labor? Great.
So it's really important to look around the room and look who's here. All of us are a very important part of implementing effective ergonomic programs and also to think about who's missing from this room and who needs to be here to get the message. They're also a very important part of making sure these programs are effectively implemented.
MR. FRAGALA: Thanks, Jamie.
