Heavy Construction Operators: 4 Ways You Can Deal With Back Pain
If you spend your days operating heavy construction equipment, you may sometimes find that you suffer from back pain. While this is a common complaint among construction workers who operate machines for long periods of time, it is not something you need to put up with. Thankfully, there are some steps you can take which will help to prevent and alleviate back pain.
Get out of the cab
This may sound like a silly piece of advice, but the best thing you can do is take every opportunity to stand up out of the seat so you can stretch your muscles and get the blood flowing around your body again. It can be very tempting to spend any downtime sat in your cab, but sitting in the same position all day long will only aggravate any back pain you are experiencing.
Make sure your seat is properly adjusted
On a busy construction site, the same piece of heavy equipment will often be used by several different people who are all different heights. This means that when you sit down in the seat, it may be adjusted to fit someone who is taller or shorter than you. Either way, this will result in you placing a strain on your back muscles as you press against a pedal which is too close or struggles to reach one which is too far away. As soon as you sit down to start a shift, the first thing you should do is adjust the seat so that it is comfortable for you.
Add lumbar supports
The lumbar is the medical name of the lower section of your spine. This part of the back is often the part which you will tense when you are in a seat which is uncomfortable, which can lead to muscle tension and intense pain. You can combat this by investing in a lumbar pillow. A lumbar pillow is specially shaped to provide additional support to your lower back.
Install an ISRI seat
If the seat which is currently installed in your heavy construction equipment has seen better days, you should ask the foreman to fit a modern ISRI seat or something similar into the cab. Modern truck seats feature additional padding and are designed to offer full support to your back and neck.
If you would like to find out more about how changing your seat can improve your posture and help to reduce back pain, you should contact a seat supplier today.
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