CU Nov-Dec 2020

SOFTWAREreview
PhysioWizard
Musculoskeletal problems are perhaps the single biggest cause for construction employees to
take sick days off work. Now, PhysioWizard provides a certified and thorough self assessment
tool that guides you through the process and tells you what to do next
The current emphasis on maintaining
or improving the wellbeing of your
workforce is, perhaps, one of the
only positives to come out of COVID-19
for. Despite an increasing reliance on
modern construction and manufacturing
technology, it is evident that it's the human
factor that governs the success or failure
of a project. A disorganised, dissatisfied
and unhealthy workforce can play havoc
with schedules, the quality of work, an
increase in accidents and days off work.
The construction industry is a case in
point, and has a bad reputation for the
number of injuries sustained on
construction sites. Whilst a large number
of these may be caused by mishaps,
accidents and falls, which can be
minimised or mitigated by some of the
current health and safety applications
available in the industry, there are
probably many more which are caused by
the stresses and strains of an occupation
which relies on plenty of heavy lifting and
strenuous manual labour. These may not
manifest themselves until the end of a
shift, or when an employee returns home,
but may be serious enough to lay an
employee off for a couple of days.
This costs the contractor time and
money and may result in having to find
a temporary replacement to keep a
project on track. The sooner a problem
is assessed and a course of treatment
prescribed, the better for the patient
and the company, and this applies
equally to industries which involve a
degree of physical activity as well as
office-based workers.
Unfortunately, the first port of call in
today's digitally focused environment is
usually 'Dr. Google', which will bring up
more information than one could possibly
handle - at least 100 different causes of a
simple nosebleed, for example. Half an
hour spent Googling aches and pains will
leave anybody convinced they have a
serious physical ailment, if they aren't
totally overwhelmed by the contradictory
information available.
And, more to the point, downloading
and printing out unofficial advice will cut
no ice with a line manager, who will
instead merely mark an employee
absent. The only alternative, up to now, is
to book an appointment with a GP - a
difficult and arduous prospect in the
current lockdown.
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November/December 2020