Improving Fitness and Changing Lifestyles of Todays Line Worker

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Improving Fitness and Changing Lifestyles of
Todays Line Worker
Keoki Kamau, A.T.C, C.O.S.S Operations
Performance Support Manager, Overhead Electric

• John McRae, Journeyman Lineman Performance
  Support Analysts

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Agenda

• Brief History
• Physically Demanding Occupation
• Understanding Occupation
• Field Observation
• Line Assistant Orientation
• Apprentice Training
• Journeyman Training
• History
• Types of Injuries
• Ligaments
• Muscles
• Tendons
• Couple of things that happen when we Age
• Prevention of Strains and Sprains
• Strength Training
• Flexibility
• Goal to Change Behaviors

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Agenda contd

• Changing our Apprentice Development Process
• Building a Case for Management
• Middle Management support at operating centers
• Adjunct / Support Processes
• Safety In Motion
• Injury / Illness Prevention education
• Fitness subsidy program
• How is this working today
• Electric Operations
• Sub-Station
• Gas Operations
• Customer Service Field
• Appliance Mechanics
• Meter Reading
• Questions

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Scope of Project

• Introduce a Strength and Conditioning component
  that promotes health and preventative maintenance
  of the Industrial Athlete into our existing
  curriculum.
• Teach, demonstrate and incorporate specific
  exercises to develop strength, stretching routine
  to increase or maintain flexibility, body
  mechanics education to enhance work positioning
  and provide nutritional information that allows
  for a total development for our Industrial
  Athlete at SDGE.

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Scope (cont.)

• Develop ways of measuring and monitoring
  strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness
  levels of these employees
• Develop refresher course or program where by the
  employee returns back to skills or training camp,
  every couple of years to be re assessed specific
  to their fitness level.

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Targeted Workgroup

• Initial Training Groups
• Entry Level electric workers Line Assistants
• Apprentice who are in Climbing School
• Gas Labors
• Electric line workers
• Underground Electric workers
• Future Training Groups
• At Skills, i.e. Substation Electricians, Service
  Techs., Project Management, Kearny MO

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History

• Training
• Overhead
• Underground
• Injury Study
• Changes in Training Curriculum and its affects on
  the organization
• Injury Reduction Strategy

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Physically Demanding Occupation
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Types of Injuries

• Sprains ligaments
• Strains muscles or tendons
• Tendonitis persistent inflammation that
  develops from micro trauma and the formation of
  scar tissue

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Ligaments

• Attaches bone to bone.
• Varied elasticity - but favors stability over
  flexibility. Injury occurs when load exceeds
  capacity.
• Has limited blood supply.

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Muscles

• Muscles are very elastic. Can stretch to twice
  their resting length before failing.
• Can contract and accomplish work.
• Injury is a strain
• Extensive blood supply aids healing.

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Tendons

• Attach muscle to bone.
• Primary quality is high tensile strength with
  slight elasticity.
• Resists stretch then fails resulting in
• 1st - 2nd - or 3rd sprains.
• Has limited blood supply.

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What Happens As We Age?

• We Expand!
• Over 60 of Americans do not meet the minimal
  level of physical fitness.
• One out of three are overweight.

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The Aging Process

• We Shrink!
• As we age, our bodies gradually dehydrate.
• The cartilage covering of the ends of our bones
  thins and in some cases wears out.

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How Do We Prevent Sprains and Strains?

• Maintain strength
• Improve flexibility
• Work smart

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Strength Training

• Most adults will lose about one half pound of
  muscle mass per year after the age of 20.
• Muscle mass is partly responsible for the number
  of calories burned at rest.
• Muscle are what enable us to work.

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Flexibility / Stretching

• Your flexibility is determined by muscle memory.
• Improving your flexibility will increase your
  ability to recover from the minor nicks and tears
  of everyday life.

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Changing Behaviors

• Most Difficult Challenge

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The Mind - Body Connection

• Our patterns of working, lifting and using our
  bodies are habits.
• The best way to change a habit or posture is to
  first become aware of it and then work on
  modifying it.

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The Other Way to Change a Habit
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Considerations for the Physical Preparation

• Shared with apprentices and journeyman lineman
• Allow at least 6-8 weeks prior to entering your
  training for conditioning
• Share with your wife or significant other your
  plan for preparing for this new occupation
• Even minor injuries can keep you from
  successfully completing this program.
• Get ready! And be honest with yourself.

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Benefits of Physical Training

• You are no different than a professional athlete
  and there is no compromise for hard work
• Good physical condition lessens the severity of
  injury
• Physical fitness readies you for physical demands
  of the job
• When youre physically fit, youll work with less
  strain!
• Good physical conditioning allows you to work
  with a clear thought process

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Monitoring Status and Progress

• Each students workout session is recorded on
  their workout card
• Each students workout card is reviewed, and
  their next session inserted onto their card

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4 Areas of Development

• Cardiovascular system -Climbing up and down poles
• Heart, Lungs, Circulatory System
• Muscular Strength- Lifting material, pushing
  pulling climbing
• Legs, Back, Shoulder, Abdominal
• Muscular Endurance
• Allow the muscle to work over a long period of
  time
• Flexibility Reaching out stretching while on
  pole or structure
• Maintain Range of Motion

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Cardiovascular System

• At least 3-20 minute sessions per week
• Swimming
• Racquetball
• Jogging
• Stair Climber
• Stationary bike
• Verse Climber
• Beach Run
• Stadium Stairs
• Wind Sprints

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Muscular Strength

• At least 2 sessions per week 10-12 reps
• Legs
• Leg press
• Hamstring Curl
• Leg Extension
• Back
• Back Extension with no weight
• Lat Pull down

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Muscular Strength

• At least 2 sessions per week 10-12 reps
• Shoulder / Arm
• Deltoid Raise
• Incline Press
• Biceps Curl
• Triceps extension
• Abdominal
• Sit ups

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Muscular Endurance

• At least 3 sessions per week 15-20
• Exercise all muscle groups that were discussed in
  previous section - Muscular Strength

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Flexibility

• Stretch Upper and Lower body parts at least 15 -
  20 minutes Daily
• Maintains Range of Motion
• Increases Range of Motion
• Decreases Severity of Injury
• Decreases Recovery time
• Stimulates Muscular Circulation

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Daily Schedule

• 0630 0715 Apprentice Training
• Troubleshooters
• 0730 0800 Line Assistants
• Gas Laborers
• 0815 0845 Apprentice Underground
• 0900 0930 Locators

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District Involvement

• Leadership buy in
• 15-20 minutes prior to start of day stretch in
  district
• Proven to be educational
• Went to each construction and operations
  location
• Employees can stretch any part of their body if
  they feel any tightness / soreness
• Fitness Subsidy Program
• Initiation Fee one time
• Monthly dues 50 up to 20

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• Did we meet our Company Goals and Objectives
• Did we meet our FLEX Center Targets

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Goals and Objectives

• Reduce and lessen severity of physical injuries
• Enhance overall strength and conditioning of each
  student employee
• Develop a work force that is fit and will be
  prepared for the physical demands of the job
• Decrease workers compensation costs
• Promote and enhance health and wellness education
• Support of the Company Health and Fitness Subsidy
  Program
• Support of the Company health and safety visions
  and processes

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F.L.E.X Center Targeted Outcome

• Provide each employee an opportunity to
  physically prepare themselves for the physical
  demands of the job
•  Provide each employee with the understanding why
  they are training specific body parts.
• Lessen the severity of possible injury
• Provide each employee with an understanding of
  how to use specific weight lifting devices in
  order to train safely when they return to their
  normal fitness facility
• Promote Health and Safety awareness
• Provide support for employees returning from
  injuries
• Continue to find ways to improve our system that
  contribute to the physical preparedness for
  field employees at SDGE

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• Any Questions

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• Thank You
• Mahalo