Preventing and Managing Disabling Injury at Work

Work-related disability is an increasingly important issue to organizations, in terms of cost, competitiveness, and social and ethical issues. Changes in the nature of disability arising from the evolution of work calls for a new approach to this understudied topic. Significant developments have taken place in linking injury events with subsequent primary prevention efforts, in engaging key stakeholders in effective pre-injury prevention and post-injury disability management efforts, and in exploring company-level interventions, regulatory interventions, and economic incentives. These issues are examined and brought together to form a unique, evidence-based, state-of-the-art research work revealing what works best in preventing workplace disability. Preventing and Managing Disabling Injury at Work examines the changing nature of the workplace and work force, and includes the newest information on effective early and staged multi-modal interventions in the workplace. The text also explores psychological risk perception, and the essential linking of the workplace, clinician, insurer, and worker in the recovery process and in the prevention of subsequent disability events. This volume assembles a group of active researchers in the field of work-related disability from North America and Australia, many of whom manage interactive programs of work through HealNet, a health research network funded by Industry Canada. Well-illustrated with case studies and practical examples, much of the book focuses on the common musculoskeletal disabilities and 'regional disorders' along with other broader applications.