Offices receive grant to reduce worker back injuries

The offices of Human Resources (OHR) and Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) recently received a grant from the state Department of Administration’s Division of Risk Management for initiatives designed to decrease back injuries among UW–Madison custodians. Back injuries are the largest category of custodial injuries on campus.

The project includes four deliverables:

• Develop video training on back safety during snow removal, trash collection and storage room and supplies distribution. This training will be incorporated into the annual custodian training cycle and also available online.
• Post back safety signage in work areas of 50–100 campus buildings.
• Develop a back safety booklet focused on good work practices related to lifting, pulling and pushing, and the need for proper equipment, procedures and injury reporting.
• Make these deliverables available for use by other campuses and state agencies.

All materials will be produced in English, Spanish, Hmong and Tibetan languages.

There are about 600 custodians on the Madison campus, and an estimated 35 percent use English as their second language.

The grant award was for $20,400, and this initial project will run through the summer. The offices will use the video production and editing equipment purchased with the grant funds for similar projects in the future.

The state Division of Risk Management awards the grants with the goal of reducing worker compensation expenses. In addition, the university goal is to have a healthier, more productive custodial workforce.