Working Together to Reduce Strain and Sprain Injuries: New SAfety Voice for Ergonomics Apprenticeship Training Program

Back and shoulder strain and sprain injuries are common in the construction industry and in the masonry trades. These types of soft tissue injuries impact a worker’s wellbeing on and off the job and are a leading cause of disabling injuries. 

Providing contractors and workers with the information and resources to prevent them has been a focus of the Masonry r2p Partnership since it was established – first with the ChooseHandSafety.org website and most recently with the release of the SAVE apprenticeship training program. This new program, which was developed through a research study funded by CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training (see 2019 Issue 1, p. 19), is designed to teach masonry brick and block apprentices about the risks for ergonomic injuries and how to prevent them.  It also teaches them how to speak up and who to go to with concerns about these and other safety and health hazards. “[Working with the Masonry r2p Partnership] was a great way to do research…[because] it helps make the research more meaningful,” said Dr. Dan Anton the leader researcher on the project.

Developed with direct input from IMI trainers, signatory contractors, and brick and block apprentices, the 7 interactive 30 minute training units can be taught individually over time or as a single 3 ½ hour session.  Each unit contains slides and a brief video with pauses for discussions, activities and quizzes. There is an apprentice workbook to use with the units as well as a SAVE Instructor Manual and Orientation Video to help instructors deliver the training.  All of the materials can be found through https://www.cpwr.com/safety-voice-ergonomics-save. 

To learn more about the development and use of the SAVE Program, watch this 45 minute webinar: https://youtu.be/7wF5nstdHtI on-demand, presented by SAVE researchers Dr. Dan Anton and Dr. Jennifer Hess, along with Masonry r2p Partnership facilitator and IMTEF North Central Regional Director and National Safety Director, Dave Wysocki.