They all can be considered athletes, i.e., industrial athletes. The playing fields of Caterpillar, Wabash National, SIA, Indiana Packers, Fairfield Manufacturing and many others in Greater Lafayette are full of teams striving to compete and excel in their respective business leagues. The industrial athlete requires skill, dedication and perseverance. Their rewards as any professional ball player are both financial and having a sense of accomplishment. Companies have realized, especially in today's tight labor pool, that they need to take care of their work force.
Injuries are an inevitable part of the athletic participation.
The sports medicine approach applied to occupational health has a proven track record. A worker at TRW needs different treatment than one from Perry Chemical. Treatment needs to be timely and appropriate. Delays adversely affect both injured employee and employer. The indirect costs of lost productivity can be more than the medical care itself.