Preventing injuries before they happen is one of the most effective ways to protect your employees, as well as the long-term health of your business. Mercy Urgent Care is proud to now offer ergonomic injury prevention training for Western North Carolina businesses. Led by Mercy Occupational Medicine Manager Josh Gallimore, these sessions take a hands-on approach to helping employers reduce workplace strain and risk.
Designed to be interactive and directly relevant to the work employees perform every day, Mercy’s ergonomic training equips teams with simple, actionable strategies to move more efficiently, recognize early warning signs of strain and build safer habits on the job. In the Q&A below, Josh shares how the training works, why it matters and how local businesses can take a proactive approach to workplace safety.
Let’s start off with a bit about your background and area of expertise: What makes you a vital resource for employers in helping prevent injuries in the workplace?
I have over 20 years of experience in injury prevention, working with people across a wide range of environments — from athletes at all levels and ages to industrial workers on assembly lines and construction sites. Throughout my career I’ve developed and managed injury prevention programs for large organizations, including work conditioning programs, ergonomic job evaluations and targeted injury-reduction strategies for hundreds of positions across multiple industries. That combination of clinical knowledge and real-world workplace experience allows me to help employers identify risks early and implement practical solutions that work on the job floor.
What can employers expect from your ergonomic injury prevention training? What does a typical session look like?
Employers can expect training that is practical, interactive, and directly relevant to the work their employees perform every day. A typical session focuses on helping employees understand how common workplace movements — like lifting, reaching, gripping or repetitive tasks — can contribute to strain if they aren’t done efficiently.
We walk through real examples of movements employees perform during their shifts and discuss ways to reduce unnecessary stress on the body. The training usually includes demonstrations of safe movement patterns, brief mobility or warm-up strategies and guidance on recognizing early signs of fatigue or strain. The goal is not only to provide information, but to give employees simple techniques they can immediately apply to help protect themselves throughout their shift.
What is the typical group size for these training sessions? Is there a minimum or maximum number of employees you can work with at once?
These sessions are flexible and can be adapted to different group sizes depending on the employer’s needs. Smaller groups of 10–20 employees often allow for more discussion and individualized feedback, but I regularly work with larger groups as well, particularly when organizations want to reach an entire shift or department at once.
There isn’t a strict minimum or maximum. The training can be structured as a classroom-style presentation, a hands-on demonstration or a train-the-trainer session for supervisors who will lead ongoing injury prevention practices with their teams.
What types of industries are impacted by ergonomic injuries, and what do common ergonomic injuries look like across different sectors?
Ergonomic injuries can occur in nearly every industry because they’re tied to how the body moves and repeats tasks throughout the workday. Manufacturing, construction, warehousing, healthcare and even office environments all see ergonomic-related injuries.
The most common issues typically involve the shoulders, wrists and forearms and lower back. In manufacturing or construction, this often comes from repetitive lifting, gripping tools or sustained overhead work. In healthcare, it may involve patient handling or awkward positioning. In office environments, it can come from prolonged sitting and repetitive keyboard use. While the tasks differ, the underlying issue is usually repetitive strain or inefficient movement patterns that accumulate stress on the body over time.
How do you tailor prevention training sessions from industry to industry?
The key to effective injury prevention training is making it specific to the work being performed. Before a session, I learn about the tasks employees perform, the equipment they use and the physical demands of their jobs.
From there, the training is tailored to focus on the movements employees repeat most often — whether that’s lifting materials, operating tools, pushing or pulling equipment or maintaining certain postures for extended periods. By connecting the training directly to the work employees do every day, the strategies become more practical and easier for them to adopt.
How can you help employees recognize the warning signs of ergonomic strain or stress before they become major injuries?
One of the most important parts of injury prevention is helping employees recognize early warning signs. Many strains develop gradually rather than from a single incident. Employees are taught to pay attention to symptoms like persistent tightness, fatigue in specific muscle groups, reduced range of motion or discomfort that consistently appears during certain tasks.
When employees learn to recognize these signals early, they can make small adjustments — such as changing movement patterns, taking short recovery breaks or reporting concerns before the issue progresses into a more serious injury.
What role does management play in reducing risk for employees?
Management plays a critical role in creating a culture where injury prevention is part of the daily routine. When supervisors support safe work practices and reinforce ergonomic awareness, employees are far more likely to adopt those behaviors.
Leadership involvement also helps ensure that injury prevention strategies are applied consistently across teams and shifts. When management prioritizes safety and encourages employees to speak up about discomfort or potential risks, it creates an environment where problems can be addressed before they turn into injuries.
What makes this type of training important for employers to consider for their teams?
Ergonomic injury prevention training helps employers take a proactive approach to workplace safety. Instead of only responding after injuries occur, organizations can equip employees with the knowledge and tools to reduce strain before it becomes a problem.
This type of training supports employee well-being, helps reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries and reinforces a culture where safety and awareness are part of everyday operations. Over time, that proactive approach can contribute to healthier employees, improved morale and a safer workplace overall.
