Stretch and Flex is a construction pre-shift routine where field workers will meet in the morning at the start of the shift to discuss safety items for the day as well as voluntarily participate in a series of stretches. Stretch and Flex has two main objectives:

1. Build camaraderie with the group and address the top safety hazards for the day before starting work.

2. Attempt to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders (soft tissue injuries). 

Stretch and flex has been shown to be effective at reducing injuries due to the increased camaraderie and taking time to address the top safety hazards, however there is very little evidence that stretch and flex is effective at reducing soft tissue injuries 

According to a research survey of 133 construction health and safety representatives, 56% of respondents had a stretch and flex program aimed at reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders with very little evidence that any program had a substantial reduction in soft tissue injuries. 

This article attempts to provide actionable changes that can be made to stretch and flex that may help to prevent soft tissue injuries in workers.

How Big of a Problem is Musculoskeletal Disorders in Construction?

The construction industry has a major problem with pain. Over 80% of construction workers reported having pain in the past year. Chronic pain can affect the construction industry's bottom line, however chronic pain can also affect the construction industry in a more indirect way. As anyone who has been around construction, the industry desperately needs to attract more workers. The industry may have a better chance recruiting and retaining individuals if it loses the stigma of being an industry that uses and abuses people until they are broken. Companies that actively invest in the health of their employees will have better odds of attracting and retaining top talent. Investing in employees' health can be as simple as incorporating some of the items described later in this article into their pre-shift routines.

How to Overhaul Stretch and Flex

It is no longer 1990, let's ditch the static stretches

As someone who has been exposed to high level athletics, it pains me to see construction workers use static stretching to prepare for a workday. Construction workers should be thought of as athletes. These workers are moving heavy items, walking long distances, and putting their bodies in awkward positions. No athletic team would ever use static stretching as their sole means to prevent soft tissue injuries so why would construction workers?

Instead, construction workers should incorporate what the current research says about preventing overuse injuries. The current research suggests that more dynamic warm ups rather than static warm ups are more effective at increasing power and performance. This may consist of some sets of bodyweight lunges with torso rotations or some elastic band exercises to build strength in joints or muscles that will be used for the day. 

Lets try to tailor the stretch and flex to the trade

Almost nothing in life is one size fits all. Individuals are unique and have unique problems. This is especially true on a construction site with many different trades. So why are the laborers who walk and carry heavy things all day doing the same stretches as the HVAC trade who works overhead all day? The HVAC workers need a focused routine on their shoulder strength and upper backs, while the laborers need to be doing air squats to prime their body for lifting things in the correct posture. 

Every trade should not have the same stretch and flex. The trade companies should examine the type of work that each trade is generally performing each day, the most common soft tissue injuries that occur, and adjust the pre-shift stretches to help prepare the trade for the work they will see. Each company could have a common set of stretches that are SOP depending on what common activities they will be performing that day.

Invest in greater training and resources

Let's be honest, even if you created the perfect stretch and flex routine, 15-20 minutes per day likely won’t be enough to help individuals get out of long term chronic pain. That is why there needs to be an effort to give construction workers tools and resources they can take home and use to further alleviate their pain.

Often, pain is a result of a lack of strength in certain areas and the research shows that the most effective method of reducing overuse injuries is to simply get stronger. Although the current OSHA rules prevent companies from providing a lot of resources to employees such as specific exercises, safety managers should provide education to workers on how they can take care of their bodies outside of work. Educational resources could be access to online training platforms that workers can access specific workouts, and nutritional training. 

Stretch and flex is not beyond saving. The program has been shown to be effective in reducing injuries due to identifying hazards each day. The program can provide further value through a reduction in soft tissue injuries with a few small changes. The cost and effort to implement these changes will surely be rewarded as the workers will start to see that the company cares about safety as much as the company slogans suggest they do.