Aviation Industry, Assessment Example

In the aviation industry, workers are at high risk for hurting their backs due to improper posture while remaining seated. Both pilots and flight staff need to remain seated for long period of time, which can vary based on the length of the flight and the degree of turbulence experienced while the flight is ongoing. Therefore, it is important for airline employees to be aware of how they can reasonably prevent back pain from remaining in one position for a prolonged period of time. The assessment tool that will be used to assess the back health of pilots is known as the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and was created by Dr. Sue Hignett and Dr. Lynn McAtamney. This assessment both determines the degree of the posture problem and provides specific recommendations to individuals based on these problems that will help them rectify the pain that they are experiencing. The assessment tool aims to help workers lower their risk of injury.

The REBA assessment is comprised of a checklist that is meant to assess employee habits with regards to posture during the work day. It also assesses their ability to stand on occasion and to stretch if needed. Currently, this position is regulated by OSHA, which recommends that pilots receive 15 minutes to stand up for every 2 hours that they are required to be seated. The program notes that it is essential for these workers to take advantage of this time in order to prevent their sedentary job from taking a toll on their posture. Another way to improve this situation that is not discussed in this method is that the support offered by the chair can be replaced in a manner that supports the natural curvature of the back.

References

REBA. (n.d.). CUErgo. Retrieved from http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/ahREBA.html