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901 Oil and Gas Hazard Awareness
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Strains and Sprains

Work on a drilling rig requires forceful exertions, repetitive motions, and awkward postures. All of these requirements increase the risk of an injury on the drilling rig. Even a motion that is harmless in and of itself, like stretching out the arm to grasp an object or squeezing a tool, may put the worker at risk of injury if it is repeated over and over.

Sprains and strains are two types of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

  • A sprain is a stretch or tear of a ligament (a band of fibrous tissue that connects two or more bones at a joint).
  • A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon (a fibrous cord of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone).

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

6-4. Which of the following ergonomic hazards is usually NOT a problem on drilling rigs?