A construction site is not the only place where workplace injuries occur. According to Shawn Barry, Krusinski general superintendent/corporate safety officer, people who do nothing more than sit at a desk all day long, are also exposed to injury for precisely that reason – they sit at a desk all day long.

Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs) are medical injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and a variety of tendon inflammations that are caused by a poor ergonomic environment. Myofascial pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, thoracic outlet syndrome are also thought to be the result of cumulative trauma.

Repetitive motion is the best known but not the only cause of CTD. Other causes include:

• Holding one position for long periods of time.
• Localized pressure on nerves or tendons.
• Use of force.
• Cold temperatures.

Among Barry’s suggestions for avoiding CTD injuries are:

• Break up repetitious work.
• Don’t use your muscles to hold your hands or shoulders in a particular position. Keep limbs limp as much as possible.
• Don’t use too much force such as pulling at a hard-to-reach drawer or lifting heavy files.
• Move with an even motion. Avoid snapping the wrist or jerking against outside forces.
• Keep hands and fingers warm.

Fortunately, there are a number of products on the market that can help office workers avoid cumulative trauma. Barry, who is 6’ 3” tall and 250 pounds, uses a split keyboard which frees a large-framed person from hunching over the keyboard with his elbows pasted to his sides.

There are also: trays that adjust the height and angle of a keyboard to fit the user or allow posture change; wrist rests that prevent the wrist from bending back while keying, and mouse support trays that can be adjusted to permit use of the mouse with a straight wrist.

Barry says that others may benefit from adjustable work tables, chairs, document stands and foot rests.

“The idea is to make the work environment accommodate your needs – not the other way around,” he concludes.

Krusinski Construction Company has received a $2.1 million contract from Affinity Processing Services to build a 30,000-square-foot addition to the company’s current headquarters in Lake Zurich, Ill. The addition, which will nearly double the company’s existing space, will include 25,000 square feet of additional warehouse space and 5,000 square feet of new office.

Construction began in April and is expected to be completed in November.

Krusinski, which built Affinity’s exisiting building in 1998, also will add parking for approximately 37 cars, two truck docks and one drive-in door.

Joseph R. Krusinski III is the project manager and Adam J. Nauman is the superintendent. Tommy Molina of Chicago-based Archideas is the architect.

James W. Wilkinson, who joined Krusinski Construction Company in December 2004 as a project superintendent, recently made a department shift to become pre-construction manager.

In his new position, Wilkinson will be responsible for estimating new projects, client contact support, pre-construction coordination, conceptual estimation, hard bid estimates and historical bid information and analysis.

Wilkinson has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois and previously worked for Itasca Construction as a project manager.

Krusinski Construction Company recently received the “Jennifer Kihm Visionary Award” from Inspiration Corporation, a social service agency that encompasses the Inspiration Café in Uptown and the Living Room Café in Woodlawn.

Named for the South Side café’s founder, the award recognizes the company’s monetary and volunteer support over the past 10 years. In addition to sponsoring all fund raising efforts, and purchasing holiday gifts for children at the café, the company and its employees donated a day of remodeling services – including the installation of a new tile floor.

Gina M. Krusinski, marketing and administrative manager, and Joseph R. Krusinski, chief executive officer, accepted the award. Gina Krusinski is a founding board member of Living Room Café.

Krusinski Construction Company will offer free 10-hour OSHA certification training for its clients in two sessions, October 7 and 14, at its headquarters, 2107 Swift Drive in Oak Brook.

Shawn M. Barry, general superintendent/corporate safety officer, and Andrew J. Johnson, project manager, will instruct the class, designed for general managers, facility managers and plant managers. The sessions will take place from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and include lunch.

Topics cover fire protection and prevention, electrical safety, personal protective equipment, forklift safety and more.

Participants will receive an OSHA construction safety and health card upon completion.

Krusinski Construction Company will welcome the Citadel Group to its Oak Brook headquarters September 11-13.

Citadel Group is an alliance of eight “best of class” regional construction-related companies in 15 cities that have joined together to serve the needs of national clients.

Krusinski is currently working on several projects for Comcast Communications that were acquired through its affiliation with Citadel. They include two projects in Schaumburg, Ill. – a 4,100-square-foot office renovation on Wise Rd., and interior renovations for a technical operations facility on McConnor Rd. Completed projects include a 63,000-square-foot technical operations center in the Prairie Lakes Industrial Park in Homewood, Ill; a 12,000-square-foot technical operations center on Cortland Street in Chicago; and a 13,200-square-foot technical operations center in Merrillville, Ind. Krusinski also repaired storm damage and renovated the interior offices for a 35,000-square-foot technical operations center on South Waukegan Rd. in Waukegan.

Miguel Lopez, a carpenter with Krusinski Construction Company, is the 3rd quarter 2005 DIG (Diversify, Improve, Grow) winner.

Lopez, a 10-year Krusinski employee, received the award for his dedication and enthusiasm at project sites.

“Miguel always goes the extra mile,” said Andrew J. Johnson, project manager. “He helps ensure that project expectations such as schedule, budget, quality and safety, aren’t just met, but are exceeded.”

The DIG program was instituted as a way to involve every employee in company strategies for growth and profitability. The award is given to employees who have either submitted recommendations for cost savings, sales leads or productivity initiatives or have worked to further those goals.

As a DIG recipient, Lopez received a cash bonus and a company lunch in his honor. In addition, his name will be added to a company plaque.