Worksite Injury Program Design

This course provides a practical framework for designing and implementing worksite injury prevention programs that respond to the specific needs of an organization and its workforce. Participants learn how to move from individual injury prevention activities to a coordinated program with defined goals, services, responsibilities, communication pathways, and measures of success.

Participants examine how workplace needs can be identified using injury data, worker and leadership input, job demands, observed exposures, and organizational priorities. Emphasis is placed on using this information to determine which services and interventions are appropriate rather than implementing programs simply because they are commonly used or available.

The course addresses development of a clear program structure, including goals, target populations, scope of services, stakeholder roles, referral and communication processes, and expectations for follow-up. Participants consider how early intervention, ergonomics, employee education, new hire initiatives, employment testing, and other worksite services may function independently or as components of a broader injury prevention strategy.

Special attention is given to implementation within real workplace environments. Participants examine leadership support, worker participation, operational constraints, available resources, communication, and coordination among safety, human resources, occupational health, supervisors, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders.

Participants also learn to establish meaningful measures of program performance. Rather than relying solely on injury rates, the course introduces the use of leading and lagging indicators to evaluate participation, service utilization, implementation, identified risks, worker outcomes, and overall program effectiveness.

Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on designing a program that is purposeful, measurable, and appropriate for the organization it serves. The goal is not to assemble as many injury prevention services as possible, but to create a coordinated worksite strategy that addresses identified needs, demonstrates value, and can be evaluated and improved over time.

Target Audience:

Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Athletic Trainers, Occupational Health Nurses, Safety Professionals, Human Resources Professionals, Line Leaders, Supervisors, Safety Team Members, and other licensed rehabilitation professionals involved in work rehabilitation, functional restoration, and return-to-work decision-making.

Instructional Level:

Intermediate

Prerequisites:

Foundational knowledge of workplace injury mechanisms and WMSDs, injury-data interpretation, and Job Demands Analysis is recommended. Familiarity with early intervention and other workplace injury prevention strategies may also be beneficial.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify organizational needs and priorities that should guide the development of a worksite injury prevention program.
• Develop program goals, scope, target populations, services, roles, responsibilities, and communication pathways based on identified workplace needs.
• Determine how early intervention, ergonomics, new hire initiatives, employment testing, education, and other worksite services may be integrated into a coordinated injury prevention strategy.
• Identify leadership, worker, operational, and resource considerations that influence successful program implementation.
• Select meaningful leading and lagging indicators to evaluate program activity, outcomes, and effectiveness.
• Develop a process for reviewing program performance and making data-informed adjustments over time.

Educational Methods:

Didactic instruction, workplace examples, organizational needs-analysis exercises, case-based discussion, program-design activities, stakeholder-planning exercises, and applied development of worksite injury prevention strategies.

Continuing Education Units / Contact Hours:

1 hour. Full Attendance Required.

Sponsors:

This program is not sponsored by any commercial entity. No commercial support has influenced course content.

Disclosure Statement:

All faculty and planners have disclosed relevant financial and non-financial relationships. Any potential conflicts of interest have been reviewed and mitigated in accordance with continuing education standards.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

Refunds are available in accordance with Matheson's cancellation and refund policy. Please refer to our Cancellation Policy for full details.