Labor-intensive jobs can leave you bone-tired at the end of the day. You feel sore and a little weak. That sensation has an official name: muscle fatigue. And, believe it or not, it can pose a significant safety risk for you and your coworkers.
It may seem like a small problem, something that will work itself out over time. You just need a little rest. With more time on the job, you’ll get stronger. Eventually, you’ll get to the point where you won’t suffer the stiffness or the cramps anymore.
That may be true, eventually. But in the meantime, you could be putting yourself and those around you, at serious risk.
Meanwhile, the problem might not work itself out. Instead, you might end up wearing down your body to the point where you can’t work at all anymore.
If your job involves physically demanding tasks, you need to take steps to minimize your risks. You should know the signs of muscle fatigue and take the steps necessary to avoid and to treat the problem.
Here are some common symptoms of muscle fatigue. If you suffer from these regularly, it might be time to take some action to minimize the problem:
- Persistent Soreness
- Twitching or Cramps
- Muscle Weakness
- Excessive Sweating and Shortness of Breath
- Overall Fatigue
Be vigilant for these signs of muscle fatigue. If left to fester, what seem like short-term symptoms can quickly balloon to something more serious. You can develop chronic problems, such as repetitive stress injuries.
Also, muscle fatigue raises your risk of an accident or other sudden injuries. For instance, it’s easier to pull a muscle or suffer some other potentially debilitating event, such as a torn ACL.
You’re also more prone to making a mistake, like dropping something that has become too heavy for you to lift. This not only raises the risk of injury for you. It creates a possible hazard for those working around you.
For those reasons, you should take steps to avoid muscle fatigue. Here are some of the things you can do to prevent the issue from escalating:
Stay Hydrated and Eat Healthy
What you put in your body matters. Having a proper diet and drinking plenty of water will give your muscles the building blocks they need to stay healthy and to repair after an intense day.
Work Out
Lift some weights in a controlled environment. A responsible, well-structured workout routine can build muscle, limiting the long-term danger of workplace-related fatigue
Stretch
Before work, or before a particularly labor-intensive task, stretch out the relevant muscles. Being loose and prepared for the activity will reduce the risk of damage.
Hot and Cold Therapy
After your shift, take steps to treat your muscle fatigue. Don’t mask the problem with pain killers. Instead, look into potential solutions that engage the muscles, helping to ease the discomfort and to repair the damage done.
Communicate with Management
Don’t suffer in silence. Your supervisors don’t want you hurting yourself or creating dangerous situations for others. Let them know about your situation. There may be tweaks they can make to your workstation or to your routine that will limit the potential for muscle fatigue.
Work with Qualified Staffing to Find a Job That Suits Your Needs
Your long-term health, not to mention your career success, depends on finding a job well within your skill base. You need a position where you can thrive over the long haul. Working with a top-ranked staffing firm, like Qualified Staffing, will allow you to find jobs that suit your needs.
Contact Qualified Staffing today to learn what they can do for you.