Back Safety (A-SAF-051)
Version 01.2022 - Content current as of 01 January 2022
Back injuries may result from a single traumatic event, or over a period of time as a result of repetitive injury and strain. Acute back injuries often result from improper lifting techniques and/or lifting loads that are too heavy for the back to support.
However, the acute injury is often brought on by the slow and progressive onset of trauma caused by repetitive stresses where the symptoms have been ignored. In many cases, these traumatic injuries may have been preventable.
Back injuries, particularly, acute disabling injuries, account for a significant loss in workplace productivity and costs associated with workers compensation claims. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that back injuries may affect as many as 600,000 people, and cost as much as $50 billion per year, since 1991.