Martial arts the basis of work safety program
Martial arts the basis of work safety program
Employees more aware of bodies, environment
A Portland, OR-based organizational change consulting firm is using a program based on martial arts principles to improve employee safety. The program, MoveSMART, was developed by Robert Pater, martial arts expert and founder of Strategic Safety Associates. Pater’s firm has worked in 63 countries.
"We want people to be more in control of all that they do," Pater explains. "When people become more aware of their bodies and their surroundings, it not only decreases injuries and accidents but cumulative trauma, as well. We try to help people pay more attention to what they do, and how the mental, the physical, and the emotional interact with their lives."
You can’t impact people only at work, or do wellness only at work, Pater insists, and safety is no exception. But, he notes, it’s tough to sell employees on long-term benefits. "While it’s difficult to persuade people that smoking is a bad habit and that they should just stop; if you give them something they can do immediately, you’ll see tangible effects," he explains. "We try to develop a credibility halo in the work site, and make a high impact immediately." Pater says he used the same strategy when he coordinated a stress management program at a hospital.
Pater’s system is designed around what he calls the organizational-critical triangle: productivity, safety & health, and morale. "Any strategy should benefit all of these," he asserts. "We are systematic and holistic."
Following his "immediate halo" philosophy, Pater never offers prevention as the prime motivator. "I ask the worker, Does this make you feel stronger? Are you better at your favorite sports and activities? Are you less fatigued, more relaxed, and calmer under pressure?’"
Internal’ martial arts
Pater’s MoveSMART program relies on the principles of internal martial arts. "It focuses more on balance, internal control, mental control, and relaxation than on external power and quickness," he explains.
Pater offers this brief description of some of the principles he employs in his program:
• Proximity: "The closer two objects are, the more force they can produce on each other," he explains. "If you are closer to an opponent, you can more effectively affect their balance. In studies of back injuries, one of the biggest problems was proximity. So, we talk about handling zones, and foot zones. The further away you are from your task, the more pressure there is on you; even a few centimeters can help." Pater demonstrates this principle by asking employees to lift a chair when standing a couple of feet away from it, and then from close up.
• Balance: "The more balanced we are, the more available strength we have," says Pater. "We are always countering gravity. Balance is the state of lowest energy; we use excess muscle energy if we are less balanced, and have to work harder to accomplish the same task." Pater explains that small changes with your hands, fingers, or the angle of your head, can make a big difference. "If you grasp things with the little finger and ring finger, it creates what we call a myotactic grouping that recruits muscles from the underside of the arm. If you grasp them using the thumb, the pointer, and middle finger you activate the biceps, not the triceps, and the triceps are always stronger than the biceps. So, simply by squeezing or holding things — such as hammers — more with the lower fingers, it will increase your balance immediately." Pater put that principle to work at a Boeing facility, where riveters were suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. "In terms of carpal tunnel, the medial nerve goes to the first two fingers," he explains. "We had the riveters emphasize the ring and little fingers, and the carpal tunnel severity was reduced dramatically."
• Alignment: Your head should be aligned directly over your body, says Pater. Slight changes of head movement can make a big difference in balance. "When gymnasts want to move in the air, they initiate those movements with the head," he notes. "The head weighs 10-15 pounds, or just about what a bowling ball weighs. One way to prevent slips and falls is to maintain better balance. It also reduces neck tension when you keep the crown.’"
Pater’s program also focuses on attention. "What you put your attention to is what you get," he notes. "Most people are fixed and locked into one pattern. We get people to notice what happens when they do the various exercises. We have found that many people, when they start paying more attention to their own body, start embracing wellness and fitness principles. The toughest nuts to crack are people who are disconnected from their bodies."
A customized program
This program is definitely not one size fits all. "Everything we do is customized," says Pater. "We go to the work site and assess the physical risks. We also look at what’s going on in the culture. What’s been tried before? What’s worked and what has not? What are they currently doing that needs be reinforced?
If his organization is hired, Pater’s main emphasis is on training trainers. "This is best for organizational change; the best people to reinforce the program are those who do the work themselves."
The training has two elements: the classroom and the workplace. The trainers are taught through demonstrations how to take control of their own well-being.
"We ask the trainers to try a job activity the way they have been doing it, and then with a slight change," says Pater. "This way they learn that small changes can make a large difference.
"Once they have felt the difference, we bring out the equipment they use regularly and work with it in the class. Then, we go to the work site, which is where many of the workers are actually convinced that these techniques work."
• Robert Pater, Strategic Safety Associates, P.O. Box 80161 Portland, OR 97280. Telephone: (503) 245-4296. E-mail: [email protected].
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.