VPPPA

Your job may keep you active all day while still limiting how your body moves. The body moves through three planes:

Sagittal plane: forward and backward
Frontal plane: side to side
Transverse plane: rotation

Most jobs rely heavily on certain patterns while leaving others underused.

If you sit at a desk, drive, or operate equipment, your day may keep you mostly in a forward-flexed position with your hips bent, head forward, and arms reaching in front.

If you work in construction, warehousing, or mining, you may move through all three planes while still repeating the same reach, bend, climb, or sustained position throughout the shift.

If you work in manufacturing or assembly, the same muscles and tissues may stay active for long periods with limited recovery.

Take a moment to ask:

What movement am I doing repeatedly?
Which position am I holding?
Which direction am I rarely moving?

When the task allows, add small changes throughout the day. Stand and walk. Reverse your position. Step side to side. Rotate gently. March in place during a pause. Stretch the areas you use most.

Workers can add movement where they can. Safety leaders can support it through ergonomic task design, meaningful job rotation, microbreaks, and recovery between demanding tasks.

A job can involve plenty of activity while still providing very little movement variety.

Keep Work Moving.

Attending Safety+ in Nashville? Join Catamount Consulting Monday afternoon in Demo Room 4 and get moving with our team during Stretch & Flex.

VPPPA's 2026 Safety+ Symposium is just three weeks away!

Enjoy more than just work at in Nashville, TN August 30 - September 2. Social outings include a night on the town at the Whiskey River Saloon, a Golf Outing at Hermitage Golf Course, and more!

If you haven't already registered, you can save $100 by registering by August 27.

View full agenda and register here: https://safety.vpppa.org/

Registration is now open for VPPPA's 2026 Safety+ Golf Outing!

Join us Wednesday, September 2 from 1:30-6:30 at Hermitage Golf Course, just minutes away from the Ga***rd Opryland. The 2026 golf outing will take place immediately following the conclusion of VPPPA's 2026 Safety+, allowing you to maximize your learning and networking while still enjoying a round of golf with fellow attendees.

Your $150 registration includes:
-Greens fees and golf cart
-Boxed lunch prior to your tee time
-Light refreshments in the clubhouse after your round

Space is limited! Foursomes are also available at $520 per group. Rental clubs are available through the Hermitage Golf Shop. Reservations are strongly encouraged by contacting the shop directly at (615) 847-4001.

Register today: https://vpppa.atlasams.com/atlas/events-v4/register/9657

Join us for tomorrow's webinar highlighting Best Practices in employee engagement and recognition, with an exclusive introduction from Inanje Mintz with OSHA on Safe & Sound Week and how your site can participate.

Hear real world success stories from Cintas, an industry leader in safety culture, featuring insights from Davana Pilzcuk, Ph.D. You'll also learn about VPPPA's Journey Towards Safety Excellence and how VPPPA is working to help organizations build safer workplaces.

Register today: https://bit.ly/4pVfGVT

Feel Good Fridays is back with a new series: Keep Work Moving.

Different jobs create different movement demands. Some workers sit for long periods. Others lift, reach, drive, stand, or repeat the same motion throughout the day. In every environment, fatigue can build when the body stays in one position or repeats the same pattern for too long.

Start with a quick 30-second movement check:

-Have I been in the same position too long?
-Am I repeating the same motion over and over?
-Is one area starting to feel stiff, tired, or tense?
-Can I change position, change the task, or move for one minute?

Sometimes the best next movement is simply the opposite of what you have been doing.

Over the next few weeks, VPPPA and Catamount Consulting will share practical ways to build more movement and variety into the workday.

Heading to Safety+ in Nashville this August? Join Catamount Consulting for Stretch & Flex and move with us in person. You can also attend our sessions for a deeper look at ergonomics and mindset.

With 60+ workshops, training events, innovation stations, and live demonstrations taking place at VPPPA's 2026 Safety+ Symposium August 30 - September 2, there are plenty of topic areas to learn from.

View our full agenda for all sessions, social outings, and more to enjoy at this year: https://bit.ly/4lITZGy

VPPPA's 2026 Safety+ Symposium is one month away! Learn best practices in occupational health and safety. Join us in Nashville, TN August 29th-September 2nd for work AND play.

VPPPA's Safety+ features networking and learning opportunities alongside live music, drinks, and food at the famous Whiskey River Saloon on September 1st.

Enjoy multiple deep-dive sessions in addition to workshops, live demonstrations, and speakers.

Learn more: https://safety.vpppa.org/

Missed this week's webinar with Catamount Consulting?

You can watch the recording here: https://bit.ly/4pBDxd7

Learn more about how vision, the vestibular system, and proprioception contribute to balance, movement control, and fall prevention. Discover practical ways to incorporate balance, dynamic movement, and movement control into existing safety, mobility, or stretch-and-flex programs.

Don't miss today's webinar with Catamount Consulting!

Falls, slips, and trips remain a major source of workplace injuries and fatalities. In 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 479,480 DAFW cases involving falls, slips, and trips, along with 844 fatal falls, slips, and trips across all sectors.

Environmental controls such as housekeeping, lighting, footwear, walking surfaces, handrails, and fall protection are essential. This session adds another practical layer to the conversation: the worker’s balance capacity and ability to respond when something unexpected happens.

Participants will learn about the three body systems that work together to support balance, why workers may rely more heavily on vision as they age, and what factors can affect recovery from a stumble.

The session will also explore what traditional stretch-and-flex programs might be missing. Participants will leave with practical ideas for incorporating balance, movement control, and worker capacity into existing safety and mobility programs.

Register here: https://bit.ly/4vERiZN

VPPPA's 2026 Safety+ Symposium features six 4+ hour deep dive sessions. These sessions are available on Sunday, August 30. Two of our featured sessions include:

Mastering the Fundamentals of Safety Management: This workshop will represent a "Return to the Fundamentals" of safety management. That does not imply this class is for beginners, but simply a recognition that the path to excellence begins with complete mastery of the fundamentals. The three fundamentals include:
-Reducing unsafe acts by teaching your workforce the Skill of Working Safely
-Reducing unsafe conditions in facilities using the CIRCLE Method
-How to become a master at effective employee training

Power Skills for Emerging Leaders: Employers are increasingly recognizing that “power skills” (what used to be called “soft skills”) are what set workers apart to emerge as leaders to influence, innovate, and drive meaningful change. This engaging session is designed to equip rising leaders with the mindset, behaviors, and practical tools needed to lead confidently. It explores the foundational skills that leaders rely on: emotional intelligence, communication flexibility, collaboration and adaptability. Participants will examine how these skills shape team culture, improve decision-making, and build strong, trust-based relationships. Through interactive discussion and experiential activities, attendees will learn how to recognize their own leadership style and leverage their strengths to influence others.

View the full agenda here: https://bit.ly/4lITZGy