Reduce workplace injuries? There’s an app for that

No business wants to see its workers get injured on the job or deal with costly workers' compensation claims. But it’s not always clear what they can do to minimize the risk. 

Now a New Jersey-based insurance carrier has come up with a potential solution. In an effort to help its clients cut their injury rates, Selective Insurance has introduced an ergonomic risk-assessment tool that identifies high-risk body positions or movements that could lead to injuries. The tool, which is available to Selective’s workers' compensation policyholders, was developed by TuMeke Ergonomics, a California company that specializes in computer vision joint-position tracking.

Selective’s policyholders can use a smartphone to record videos of consenting employees completing a typical task. TuMeke’s software will review the footage to build detailed models of the human body moving through space to identify high-risk body positions and motions. It then creates a report with suggestions for reducing musculoskeletal pain and disorder risks.

“Strains to muscles, nerves, and tendons are some of the most frequent injuries employees experience at work. Many times, they are preventable with some ergonomic changes to our behaviors, such as when lifting heavy objects or performing repetitive tasks,” Scott Smith, vice president, director of safety management, at Selective Insurance, said in a release. “Selective’s ergonomic safety solution from TuMeke provides a unique opportunity for employers to promote workplace wellness by spotting these potentially hazardous behaviors so they can be addressed and reduced, especially in labor-intensive industries.”