As a preventative measure to support employee musculoskeletal health, The Coca-Cola Company is considering incorporating a new insole technology by SelectFlex into its already robust ergonomic controls.
Before rolling out this new program, the Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) lead performed due diligence by implementing a pilot study at Coca-Cola’s plants in Honolulu, Hawaii, Paw Paw, Michigen and Auburndale, Florida to gage personnel adoption and assess potential health benefits derived from wearing the adjustable orthotics at work.
Barry Renow, CEO of Alliance Design & Development Group, the makers of SelectFlex, said: “We applaud Coca-Cola’s EHS team for their initiative and continuing to raise the bar on innovative safety programs.”
Coca-Cola developed a well-structured trial and enlisted a sampling of employees from each plant, placing particular emphasis on those whose jobs require standing for the majority of each shift. Groups represented a balance between men and women, primarily between the of ages 25 and 45. Other demographic criteria included occupation activity level (moderate to vigorous), shoe usage (work shoes or boots), foot arch characteristics, and preexisting health conditions. Among the test subjects, close to half reported having ongoing health issues such as flat feet, lower back pain and plantar fasciitis.
Participants were instructed to wear SelectFlex insoles for a period of two consecutive weeks, then were surveyed and opinions documented. Results showed that nearly 100% of all participants, regardless of arch type or existing conditions, noted a marked difference in support due to the adjustable arch insole. Of those, about 75% also felt they were comfortable to wear. Overall, employees gave SelectFlex a satisfaction rating of 4.2 out of 5.0.
One participant who suffered from a prior knee injury said: “SelectFlex is far superior than other insoles I have used. Option to adjust was extremely helpful. I like that it was not a one size fits all.”
The patented Variable Resistance Beam (VRB) technology in SelectFlex is a suspension system, which allows arch height and firmness to be adjusted at three different levels to dynamically lift the arch into better alignment to help correct structural anomalies, like overpronation or poor posture, realign foot bones, slow arch collapse, and reduce burdens on weight bearing joints.
Arch type played a significant role in participant response as 85% had what they classified as mid to flat arch, which is the range where Selectflex insoles best assist with dynamic support.
One participant who had been diagnosed with flat feet and stands for eight hours per day while doing vigorous work stated the orthotics were, “a lot better than the gel ones I’ve tried before. It allowed me to adjust to my foot type.”
Based on the success of the pilot, Coca-Cola distributor representatives at Grainger are working on plans to supply SelectFlex insoles to employees along with work footwear.
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