Congratulations to Lincor Enterprises Ltd., which has won the 2020 ICBA Gord Stewart Award for its outstanding Industrial Athletes Injury Prevention Program.
The Gord Stewart Award is presented annually by ICBA and WorkSafeBC to acknowledge individuals and companies for their efforts in the prevention of workplace incidents, injuries and illnesses. The award recognizes the employee or team of employees who come up with an innovative program, policy, tool or project that demonstrates a proven accomplishment in the area of health and safety for the construction industry sector. The Award comes with a $5,000 prize.
In 2020, Lincor Enterprises started a pilot program using technology and a team of contracted physiotherapists to provide a personalized, engaging and comprehensive physiotherapy program. This innovative new program initiative is designed to add value to their existing Health and Wellness program by connecting staff with a unique set of services not previously available to construction companies in British Columbia.
An initial screening of participants at the UBC Allan McGavin Sports Physiotherapy clinic provides a baseline and serves as the starting point for a daily warm up and cool down program. This screening is repeated every six months while weekly surveys are conducted between the physiotherapists and company employees to ensure the exercise routines are meaningful and effective. Another positive outcome of this experience is the team building taking place at the start of shift on site when employees do their daily warm-up together.
A key driver for this program was the current basic approach to injuries on site, send someone home or work through the pain. This new innovative program provides construction workers access to a personalized physiotherapy program as well as a physio on demand through zoom, phone or text during regular working hours.
A major barrier Lincor had to overcome was combating the stigma was associated with workers looking “soft” on the job site by doing yoga exercises or warming up in a group setting each morning. Another barrier was the technology required to provide an app-based program allowing video calling, text surveys and confidential relaying of information between the physio clinic and company employees.
The innovation reduces workplace risks by making construction workers aware of ongoing injuries, wear and tear, and things they may typically work through. Additionally, workers are being contacted by the same physiotherapist week after week and developing a relationship while working towards improving their baseline health and mobility. There is a mental health and wellbeing component that can be associated to this type of care.
The information is very current and is being updated on a weekly basis with feedback provided to and from both the physiotherapists and construction workers.
This innovation is transforming construction workers, who typically endure heavy loads of physical strain over extended periods of time, into industrial athletes who are being given the tools and resources to understand what is hurting them, how to take better care of their bodies on a daily basis and set long term health and wellness goals measured every six months in a renowned physiotherapy clinic.
Congratulations Lincor!