CNH Industrial Eliminates Injuries in 1 Year

CNH Industrial - Saskatoon dramatically improved workplace safety by implementing the SoterCoach wearable technology. Over the course of just one year, the company experienced a significant reduction in back injuries, ultimately achieving zero incidents across all categories, including recordable injuries, WCB claims, and report-only MSD back injuries.

The company is also using SoterCoach to create physical demands descriptions to further enhance workplace safety.

At CNH-Saskatoon, workplace safety has always been a top priority. Linette Fetter, EHSE Manager at CNH-Saskatoon, noticed an alarming trend of employee back injuries.

In 2021, there were 10 OSHA Recordable back injuries. Eager to address this issue, the company decided to implement the SoterCoach program in early 2022.

The results – all categories of back injuries were reduced to zero. As part of the trend analysis, shoulder MSD injuries were also seen as a potential area for improvement. CNH Saskatoon launched the Shoulder SoterCoach wearable technology in the fall of 2022.

The SoterCoach program was first introduced to high-risk departments where recordable injuries previously occurred. Approximately 200 workers were chosen to run through the program.

Linette noted that the wearable technology was helpful for worker education and identifying high-risk tasks due to incorrect ergonomics.

One worker, a welder, grew frustrated with the device's beeping and buzzing and decided to take matters into his own hands. He acquired a stool that automatically placed him in a proper position while welding, leading to improved posture and reduced risk of injury.

The workers found it intriguing that performing the same overhead motion daily didn't initially seem harmful, in terms of an ergonomic injury. However upon considering the frequency of this action throughout the day, they understood why the device was alerting them with beeps and buzzes.

The program's success led to plans to introduce the technology to other departments and other CNH Industrial sites. Employee feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many workers noting that the wearables helped them identify risky movements and develop safer habits.

As part of their ongoing commitment to workplace safety, CNH-Saskatoon is leveraging SoterCoach technology to create physical demand descriptions in compliance with CSA and Saskatchewan regulations.

This involves utilizing AI technology to streamline the process, such as measuring object weight and identifying risk factors more efficiently, ultimately working with Soter to build a comprehensive library of physical demand descriptions.