Work can be a pain for anyone at times. But there's no reason any School-Related Professional should have to experience physical pain on the job.

A major health threat for SRPs is lifting-related injuries, which can strain bones, joints, muscles and nerves through the repeated strenuous tasks that are a critical part of many job descriptions. Special ed paraprofessionals are at special risk.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that:

• lifting-related injuries are among the nation's most significant workplace safety challenges; and
• back injuries account for one in every five workplace injuries or illnesses.

In any job where heavy lifting is required, injury can be a real risk. Food service workers and maintenance personnel both have job descriptions that present a significant risk of lifting-related injuries.

Fortunately, with a little vigilance and caution, these workers can take steps to reduce their chances of being injured on the job.

A good environment

Pat Weinwurm, vice president of the Johnson City Education Support Professionals in the Southern Tier, said her union has been fortunate to work with an administration that takes RSIs and lifting injuries seriously.

A freight elevator and loading docks in the four-year-old K-8 complex make heavy lifting over long distances unnecessary. The district has been active about training employees to use equipment in ways that minimize the risk of injury.

"We're lucky that our school district has been proactive about training and procedures," admitted Weinwurm, a NYSUT Board member. "They're pretty good about listening."

Of course, Weinwurm said, Johnson City still sees occasional injuries, particularly in job categories that require lifting.

The situation is even more dire in schools around the state that may be aging or cramped, where heavy loads must be carried awkwardly across distances, or where modern conveniences such as elevators are not available.

According to the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, NYSUT's national affiliates, many of the lifting-related injuries that affect food service workers come from poor lifting procedures or the workers trying to do too much.

Food workers can take the following steps to reduce their risk of lifting-related injuries:

• Store supplies at waist level so you won't have to bend and lift the items to get them into working position.
• Break heavy items into smaller loads. Instead of carrying one large pot of food, see if the load can be broken into two smaller containers and take two trips.
• Get help in lifting heavier items.

AFT conducts training for food-service workers and has good safety literature for custodians.

Maintenance personnel

Proper lifting procedures, storing supplies at work height and breaking large loads into smaller ones can help maintenance workers, too. Some additional steps these workers can take:

• Don't carry loads on your shoulders. This often-common lifting procedure creates strain on the neck and shoulders and can lead to nerve damage.
• Take micro-breaks. Maintenance workers, whether they are unloading a truck or sodding a field, often have to move large quantities of an item, requiring much lifting and several trips. Take short breaks to stretch out your body and get it out of the lifting position.
• Use mechanical lifting devices if they are available. If they are not available, ask how the school can obtain them.

Wendy Hord, NYSUT's health and safety specialist, said many workers simply accept activities that create a risk of injury as part of their jobs, instead of speaking up and looking for ways to make their jobs safer.

"Injury and pain should not be part of any job," she said. "If you feel like a certain activity is unsafe, talk to your union representative and begin a dialogue on how to make the job safer. When you don't advocate for your own safety, it catches up with you eventually."

— Kevin Hart