Discovering the Root of your Back Story – Prevention and Understanding of Back Injuries (December 10, 2020)

Recorded On: 09/25/2020

Back injuries are one of the most common forms of farm-related injuries, so protecting the back is one of the most important things a producer can do to stay active on the farm. Men and women are both prone to work-related back pain and the first episode usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 40. Training will focus on effects of whole body vibration, causes of back injuries/pain, how to prevent back injuries/pain, and other considerations.

Intended Audience: This training is intended primarily for health and safety professionals including but not limited to owner/operators, safety officers or specialists, managers, supervisors, safety coordinators, health safety and environmental interns and any person or persons who serve as safety personnel in an agricultural setting.

Objectives:

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

Identify causes of back injuries/pain
Explain and utilize strategies to prevent back injuries/pain
Describe and utilize proper lifting techniques
Describe effects of whole body vibration (WBV)
Apply strategies for maintaining back health
Recall ways to manage chronic pain

This material was produced under grant number SH-05172-SH9 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Dan Neenan, MBA, Paramedic

NECAS Manager

Dan joined NECAS staff in August 2002 as Director. Dan is a Paramedic Specialist, Firefighter II and EMS Instructor. He is a member of the Iowa Propane Board; Vice Chair of the Dubuque County Emergency Management Commission; and Treasurer, Dubuque County EMS. In his work at NECAS, Dan has developed several OSHA approved training programs as well as agricultural rescue programs. Safety programs include viticulture safety, enology safety, confined space-grain bin entry, prevention of grain storage fire and explosions, chemical safety, and confined space- manure pit safety. Rescue programs at NECAS include tractor rollover, combine auger rescue, grain bin rescue, and manure pit rescue.

Linda Emanuel, RN

Community Health Nurse, AgriSafe Network

Good health advocacy has been at the heart of Linda’s essence from her formative years as a farm girl in eastern Nebraska. Graduating from Nebraska Methodist School of Nursing in 1985, she worked as an R.N. in a variety of acute care hospital settings for over 30 years. She and her husband Tom raised three sons on a successful row crop operation that has been able to welcome the next generation and their families home to continue to diversify their family business. Linda served as a Fellow in the Nebraska LEAD program and has also received agrimedicine training at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Linda now serves on the advisory board for CS-CASH and a member of the AgriSafe team, as a Community Health Nurse.