IN THE FIELD
By Bryan McClure
Ironworkers are Industrial Athletes Treating your body and mind like a sports pro helps prevent injuries
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ike many high school athletes, I had dreams of playing football at the next level and becoming an athletic trainer. But circumstance led me to become an ironworker, where I worked in the physically demanding field for many years. Flash forward 30 years. Hensel Phelps, a general contractor with locations across the U.S., approached Trivent Safety Consultants to develop a program specially designed for craft workers. “I want a program that educates our tradesmen on how to take care of their most valuable tool, their bodies. I want a program that the Denver Broncos would use to train their million dollar athletes but geared for the trades,” said Jeremy Spooner, Hensel Phelps Superintendent Out of this initial conversation was born the Industrial Athlete program. We define an industrial athlete as a person who is engaged in work tasks or projects requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina, and who is trained or skilled in exercises to support that. The program consists of four classes, each Bryan McClure is a managing partner of Trivent Safety Consulting. He is a safety professional who got his start as an ironworker. As a former football player and football coach with a passion for exercise, he has applied principles of athletic training to the jobsite. Trivent Safety recently added its Industrial Athlete program to its regular class schedule at its training center in Denver, Colo. Learn more at triventsc.com.
two hours in length, covering nutrition, exercise, ergonomics, and behavioral safety. Since the introduction of the Industrial Athlete class to Hensel Phelps in 2019, 80 to 120 of their workers have completed the program each year. The company has found it so beneficial, that they have expanded its availability to their trade partners. When workers buy into the concept, they begin to treat their bodies and their minds with better care. It makes them less prone to injury. When employers offer this kind of training to field workers it conveys the message that the individual is important and valued. Here’s a look at the elements of the program.
In addition, the days of eating salt pills at lunch to stay hydrated are over! There are many great companies out there that offer supplements designed for craft workers that are healthy and have science that backs their claims. We have partnered with WorkingAthlete.com, which offers a variety of products for hydration, energy and nutrition. A normally active person needs about 12 calories per pound of body weight every day to keep the organs functioning and to maintain normal body temperature. However, craft workers don’t typically fall into the category of “normally active.” The following examples are for 15 minutes duration. Multiply that out over 8 to 10 hour
Nutrition The Nutrition module was designed by Jenny Vanmeter, the head athletic trainer for the Adams 12 Five Star School District and a Physician Extender from Children’s Hospital in Denver. The class focuses on the proper hydration, macronutrients and calories needed to support the physical nature of work undertaken by craft laborers. It also teaches them how to make healthy choices when shopping at gas stations or eating fast food, which often goes hand in hand with being a construction worker on the road.
20 | THE STEEL ERECTORS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
The Zero G arm is a tool that can be used to take pressure off the joints of the worker.
