Concrete proof that much of America's medical problems (mainly pain) are job related

Concrete. It seems like a simple thing but it is actually much more complex than most people think. There are hundreds of different recipes for concrete that are used in various applications from being fast setting, cure underwater, are better under tension (opposite of compression), high wear resistance, high shock resistance, high compression loads, etc. I found this out while pouring concrete in college and the company owner was telling me the differences of the concrete in the different areas of the building. I found that the concrete in most of the big box stores use an extremely dense concrete that has superior compression ratings so that a heavier load can be placed on it without doing damage. This is needed when using the fork lifts that are very heavy themselves but also can have very heavy loads in addition and all that weight is placed on the contact area of 4 relatively small wheels, so the PSI rating has to be high to handle this. Also, the stacked "shelving" that is usually 3-5 levels high (depending upon if it is retail or a distribution warehouse) and A LOT of weight is placed on the vertical support members of the shelving.

I was told that the same concrete is usually used in all the big stores from super markets to electronics stores to sporting good stores. When you see a mall go up and they have the big stores, they use that concrete because they never know what tenant will be in the location 5 years down the road, so they have to build it to suit the needs of the future.

Now ask anyone who has ever worked at one of these stores, especially the home imporvement stores like Home Despoiler and Lowe's Expectations, Also almost all warehoses like Amazon warehouses fit this bill as well, and they will tell you that one of their main complaints is over-all body ache after work, very often in the knees, hips, back (a specific part, parts or entire back, & neck) and also feet and ankles take a beating but I've found that many people seem to find good shoes which help with this. The reason for the pain in the body is the extreme hardness of the concrete and every time a step is taken, it sends a shock wave up the body. Even standing in one place can give severe pain throughout the body which is why most places have put padded mats to ease this problem for the cashiers.

I remember the days after a regular 8 hour shift that felt like I had hiked 40 miles with a 90lb pack in steel sole boots. My knee would swell the size of a large grapefruit and be hot to touch. It would always go down after a few hours off my feet but the last few hours on the job seemed like sadistic tourture and I dreded every step I had to take. The thing is that the managers often don't have the same problem because they spend a lot of time at the counter, in the back at desks, etc and aren't pounding the concrete at a brisk pace (because that customer needs that new turbo charged leaf blower NOW for his 2500sq ft lawn).

There really isn't much that can be done to remedy the situation, at least that I have found, when working in these conditions. I know that the stores (corporate) are FULLY aware of the health effects of working on this surface for such long periods but they seem to push people to breaking point, then let them go when they can't "keep up", then they have a health condition which wasn't "caused" by an on the job accident, so they are SOL when it comes to workman's comp and they are in a hard way of finding work they can do. I've seen the same thing happen to more people than I care to think and they all know what caused it. Some people wear back braces because it can help some, but that has drawbacks as well.

So I think a lot of the current "opiod crisis" is because of a lot of people in similar situations who have been worked to their breaking point and since it was a gradual degradation of their body/joints, the company can dismiss them with clean hands and move on the the next sucker to fill in the job. The worker gets on the meds because they have to keep their job, they can't take time off to help heal and can't even drop to part time work b/c they may never get full time again (or they may just be let go). So they have to do something to "keep up" with the job requirements and is one reason that these companies never drug test after you are hired. If they did, they would have to fire a large amount of staff, and or they would be restricted from many activities like running the forklift, heavy equipment & machinery that is required for the job.

So now, after 30-40 years of people working in these healt hazards, we are reaping the "rewards", the companies have gotten insanely rich (especially the CEO's and original owners - yes I'm looking at the original owner of Home Despot) and have left thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of permenantly damaged workers who are in extreme pain and unable to do a lot of "normal" work. To add insult to actual injury, the federal and state governemtn has launched their war on law abiding pain patients who have been taken advantage of from the beginning and left in the gutter as trash. Now the Fat cat politicians take their kickbacks from every industry and now new "treatment" facilities that don't fix the underlying problem. They ahve scared good people and medical professionals and it is sadistic in what they are doing. They never ask why things are happening, just how can we make ourselves look good as if we care to fix the problem.

I would wager a hefty bet that a person working full time in one of these big box stores, as a floor person/runner/stocker, has more joint damage after 15 years than an NFL player playing the same amount of time. The only difference is that they get good health benefits and the pay is just a little bit better, and their injuries are acknowledged and not brushed off as someone trying to game the system.

I'd like to hear from people who have worked in these types of places and hear if you had health problems that you can relate to the above, what your experiences are and if you think there is anything that can be done. I will say that OSHA has severely dropped the ball on this one and I question if there wasn't some illegal happenings when/if there were ever a study done on the health hazards of prolonged exposure to this type of surface.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

I can 100% agree.

I wear 2 layers of gel insoles as well as a hard plastic with gel cushions along the heels.

I buy one 1/2 size bigger steel toe boots. They have to have the rubber that is acid and slip resistant. Water proof all around.

The bigger size allows more room for cushion to be inserted. I buy the wide toe. Wiggle room and being able to almost get your toes behind the steel is important.

The fit should be snug everywhere else.

After making this change my endurance has sky rocketed. Fatigue only sets in after more than 2 weeks of consecutive long shift work days and no prolonged rest time.

I am a VERY active mover /truck driver. I am literally jumping off a tall truck all day. I carry very heavy things.

This is my little secret to near terminator levels of endurance.

Hydrate and you should be good for a very long stretch. Damage to your body (feet and knees) will be almost non existent.

I can also tell you that the rubber mats behind bars arent for falling glasses. I think its a labor law in NY and its health related /along the lines of your OP.

If you like the now hipster look of Doc martin boots get those. They arent called the bouncing soles for nothing. This is a real thing. lol

I would rather work a job than live hand to mouth. Where gardening and hunting are a hobby. You got to do something to provide for yourself and your family.

Funny, I know lots of people that missed work because of weekend warrior activities. Motor sports, sports, and home improvement related injuries.

originally posted by: neutronflux
I would rather work a job than live hand to mouth. Where gardening and hunting are a hobby. You got to do something to provide for yourself and your family.

Funny, I know lots of people that missed work because of weekend warrior activities. Motor sports, sports, and home improvement related injuries.

Yeah, but that really isn't the point of the article in the least. I agree that if the job is safe and isn't going to destroy the body, then yeah, that is a good job (unless it destroys the mind).

I'm not sure where the weekend warrior part comes in when the discussion is chronic pain from repetitive motion/impact.

I can't stand or walk much on concrete,it doesn't give, bad for anyone with spinal injuries or leg injuries

A large factor in all of this is eating right.

If you fuel your body with garbage, don't expect it to perform at a high level.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof
I'm a mess from working in factories. My back and knees are shot from standing on concrete floors a lot. Sure, there was a rubber pad at some machines but it didn't really help. Also, running machines wrecked my shoulders. Then there's the carpal tunnel syndrome.

a reply to: watchitburn

To expand on this...

Being of good health and bodyweight does miracles to endurance and overall joint health. No matter the conditions of the floor that people work, if they are overweight and out of shape, it will always be a problem.

Even 30 pounds overweight adds a load of stress on the knees and ankles.

But I agree with the concept. If a person is working all day on a concrete floor, they need to cushion their soles and protect their joints as long as possible. It was mandatory to supply specific work shoes at a few places I worked. I haven't suffered any long term injuries from being on my feet all day, but I keep myself in great shape and regularly lift heavy ass weights for fun.

I don't see a conspiracy here.
More of a general guideline.
Protect your body, people.

originally posted by: DigginFoTroof

originally posted by: neutronflux
I would rather work a job than live hand to mouth. Where gardening and hunting are a hobby. You got to do something to provide for yourself and your family.

Funny, I know lots of people that missed work because of weekend warrior activities. Motor sports, sports, and home improvement related injuries.

Yeah, but that really isn't the point of the article in the least. I agree that if the job is safe and isn't going to destroy the body, then yeah, that is a good job (unless it destroys the mind).

I'm not sure where the weekend warrior part comes in when the discussion is chronic pain from repetitive motion/impact.

What do you think farming by hand did to a body 150 years ago? Chopping wood? Carrying water? Working with horse or mule teams. Providing for yourself has always been a chore. Why do you think it’s call the working class?
And some of the most serious accidents that occurred to people I work with were not work related.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Before I finish, I worked for a small 3 to 4 man operation pouring driveways, walkways, etc. Anyway this one guy on the crew showed me how he had sores that he had to have someone squeeze the puss out, all over his right shoulder and had been that way for years due to one day they were using the paper packages of dry concrete mix, and he was hauling these bags from the truck to wherever they needed to be, and it was a hot day and his sweat made the paper packages wet and the chemicals inside transferred through and absorbed into his skin. I don't know what specific type it was, but he will most likely have those puss pockets all over his shoulder for life.


Eta-

Ahh, now that I've read the rest of it, I see you are talking about something completely different... i was wondering if you might be saying that the harmful chemicals are still harming people after the concrete/ cement dries, but the strain of pounding that surface with your feet all day, all week long is a valid concern.

originally posted by: Skid Mark
a reply to: DigginFoTroof
I'm a mess from working in factories. My back and knees are shot from standing on concrete floors a lot. Sure, there was a rubber pad at some machines but it didn't really help. Also, running machines wrecked my shoulders. Then there's the carpal tunnel syndrome.

I was lucky that the factories that I worked at had good rubber matting, but the carpal tunnel is there for a lifetime. And when you're forced to work through carpal tunnel, it messes up elbow tendons as well...and although the workmen's compensation board states maximum lifting weights, you still end up lifting way more than that maximum....

On the other hand, there are a lot of work-related injury claims that are complete fabrications by people who were fired for being incompetent or otherwise screwing up on the job. It's very common. And if they go to doctors, the doctors are almost sure to find something wrong that can be attributed to work, because pretty much everybody has something wrong if a doctor looks hard enough.

Not all. But enough to skew the data so that workplaces look like they are dangerous hellholes, when actually they're safer than they've been in centuries.

A lot of people are fakers and liars and are looking for a retirement plan by conning the insurance companies -- which ultimately makes your rates go up.

Can confirm this absolutely.

Since I started working at a major retailer, I go home and my legs are swollen from the knee down. The pain in my hips and lower back is worse than I've ever experienced. Just about everyone there complains about the pain, yes, even those in good shape. The floors are awful on the body and those rubber mats don't help after a certain point.

What makes it even worse is that we're expected to lift well beyond what was termed the limit for our job. I go home with bruises on my arms from the heavy stuff like shelving, generators, unassembled furniture, buckets of oil, etc. I'm still recovering from a nasty pull in my groin when I was told to move oil from one palette to another without any sort of assistance. And yeah, I did tell them I didn't think I could manage it after trying to pick one up and feeling the pain in my back. But, ended up doing it anyway because I was told it was part of my job.

I've tried different boots, but so far, no luck in finding any that works. Tried inserts as well. No good. My only saving grace now is popping an Aleve just before shift, then Advil if the Aleve proves to not be enough that day. That worries me though. Pain is nature's way of telling you something is way off. All I'm doing is dulling the pain to ignore it. Makes me wonder how much damage I'm doing to myself when I have six shifts in a row and get one day off before going back for another 5 or 6 days.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Kinda odd that nobody has replied to the subtle point you were making:
Commercial and industrial buildings are not made for people.
The well-being of the people, is not even a concearn in the original planning.

The logical conclusion of your OP could be: why do we accept this?
Many replies here have witnessed the unhealthy conditions those structures pose to us: humans.
What kind of a world do we want? A place where corporate price-saving comes before human wellness?

Again: how in the heck do we accept this?

a reply to: tadaman

Totally agree with you.
I beat myself up daily at work, lifting, running, climbing in & out of machinery, tossing pallets, but it's whipped me into shape an I'm now kicking some 20yr old butt. I'm of the opinion you agreed to the job an it's your job to show up prepared. If it's concrete floors, well that's the deal an it's on you to make sure you don't injure yourself.



My work boots are 1/2 size larger to fit extra inner soles in, plus a thick hunting sock with a sock liner to prevent athlete's foot. Most people at the box stores aren't coznigant of the fact that pounding it for 8-10 hours on concrete is similar to hiking the Appalachian Trail and show up woefully unprepared. Then bitch that yeah, their back hurts, their legs are swollen.....

What did you expect?

Good shoes or work boots are necessary. Not optional. So are quality socks.

I also agree eating right is a must. I run my butt off an not only HAVE to eat decent, but am slamming the vitamins. A lack of the correct version of magnesium can KO you by day 2 of a 6 shift week. With it you cut your pain levels by 2/3rds.


There's plenty of physical therapy video's on youtube so you can strengthen your back etc...
I know I was woefully out of shape when I took this job, but I stuck it out an by working on myself it's really paid off.
Instead of grumbling about things, I prefer to see it as I'm getting paid to work out.
WIN-WIN!!!!!

btw, I'm NOT a kid, I'm at the tail end of my freakin 50's looming up on 60.
People really need to quit griping an make their situation work FOR them.

a reply to: Subrosabelow

If you can get yourself some Sketcher Shape-up work shoes.
They quit making the composite toe ones but still make the safety shoe ones. Massive cushioned heel and they force you to stand up straight stoping back pain.

I'm buying cheap boots now cause I blow thru the heels in about 4 months, I walk heavy, but I started with the Sketchers an they saved my ass. Steel toes are mandatory now, or I'd be wearing them still. Little weird to walk in at first but total lifesavers!

Feel ya on the bucket thing.
My personal best was filling 495 35 lb buckets of wheel bearing grease an hammering the lids on, stacking them in a 12 hr shift. Once is bragging rights, twice is never gonna happen!