An exoskeleton has helped Jan Nielsen back to work as a baker on the Copenhagen-Oslo route. UFDS has spoken to Jan, who is very satisfied with both the solution and the process, just as Sedgwick Care sees the case as a success story all in all.
In September 2023, Jan Nielsen was injured in his job as a master baker on Pearl Seaways, serving the Copenhagen-Frederikshavn-Oslo route. In connection with cleaning a goods rack, the top shelf had to be lifted off, when suddenly his right shoulder gave in.
As he unfolds his tale for Danish Shipowners’ Accident Insurance Association, the pain really set in when the shelf had to be lifted back into place. It proved impossible for the 53-year-old seafarer, who dropped the plate and had to realize that he could not work anymore for the rest of the night shift he was on.
The next day, Jan Nielsen therefore stopped by the UFDS doctor on Amaliegade, who actually wanted to put him on sick leave, but since this would leave an understudy alone in the bakery, Jan Nielsen insisted on gritting his teeth and returning to work.
»So it was back in the bakery, and I could take stuff out of the ovens, but as soon as I had to lift my arm, it proved impossible. And when we got to Oslo, I had to throw in the towel and announce that I couldn't work the following night,« he says.
The understudy therefore had to take the watch himself, but Jan Nielsen, a sailor since 2019, was never far away. Firstly, he has a cabin directly above the bakery, and on top of that, he could not sleep due to pain in his shoulder.
What followed was a six-week sick leave, which offered the opportunity of having a blockade done along the way. However, the result from the exam was only wear and tear, so by the end of the autumn, Jan Nielsen was back at work, where a busy time leading up to Christmas meant plenty of hours in the bakery.
»It went well until mid-January, when the pain unfortunately returned, so I had a new blockade made at Parken's Private Hospital in Copenhagen, because I had to continue working. At the same time, I was examined a little more thoroughly, and they could see that my muscle in my shoulder was cracked, and recommended a surgery,« he explains.
March marked the end of the line. An MRI scan showed that the muscle was 25 percent torn, so in April Jan Nielsen went on the operating table, and in practice he is still on sick leave and in the process of rehabilitation, but very much on his way back.
An obvious success given the circumstances
Jan Nielsen's path back to work in the onboard bakery – where he got a new employer along the way when DFDS sold the route to Gotlandsbolaget – went through a close dialogue with social work consultant Britt Saaby from Sedgwick Care, who in turn brought in UFDS social worker, Luise Hougaard.
Early in the process, the former recommended Jan Nielsen to consider an exoskeleton. This required only a minimum of consideration, after which the process went quickly.
»It took one day, then it was granted, and then I got it two weeks later. And it works fine. The spring takes a load of three kilos, allowing me to work pretty much as normal. But it was by no means a solution I had heard of before, and I still have to get used to it,« he says.
The exoskeleton gives Jan Nielsen physical relief by 'lifting along' when he moves his arm – with or without weight in his hands – and is also good at supporting the more repetitive tasks when, for example, 200 pieces of pastry needs to be filled with custard.
»I've become really happy with it, and the alternative would have been that I had to retrain for something else, but I don't really know what that should have been, because you use your arms for most things. So, this is definitely a success given the circumstances,« he says.
Both physically, but also mentally, it is a great relief for Jan Nielsen to be working again, he emphasizes, after also talking to a psychologist during the process. However, the last meeting was over in 20 minutes – 'There wasn’t really anything more to talk about', as he says with a wry smile.
So far, Jan Nielsen is not officially part of the crew on the boat, and he is still adding more hours, just as he is also still getting used to working with the exoskeleton on, while at the same time rehabilitating his shoulder with small dumbbells in the onboard fitness room.
»I really want to go back to full-time, and my sick leave expires on 31 January, although it can be extended. I'm going to have 20-30 percent disability for the rest of my life, and I'll have to put up with that, but I expect to work for a number of years yet, so I'll take things at the right pace,« he says.
Great satisfaction on both sides
In addition to the joy of the exoskeleton itself, which is easy to handle with magnetic fastening, Jan Nielsen also expresses great satisfaction with the dialogue and collaboration with UFDS and Luise Hougaard as well as Britt Saaby and Sedgwick Care, describing both as 'very responsive and easy to get in touch with'.
The positive perception of the process is very much shared by Sedgwick Care, Britt Saaby confirms. She has extensive experience with exoskeletons and has happily passed on her knowledge to Luise Hougaard, in order for the technology as well as Sedgwick Care's offers to get more attention among seafarers.
»Our approach is to reach out to the injured employee and offer our advice and aid. We discuss what we can do, and then the person in question decides on the options on the best possible basis,« Britt Saaby explains.
The model is based on an active decision by the UFDS based on a desire to offer its members the optimal help. When exposed to an occupational injury, laying out a path to get back to work can be difficult. Especially if the public offer is not enough, as in Jan's case. At this point, Britt Saaby and her colleagues at Sedgwick Care take the reins.
»Our proposal is always based on individual assessments, so the fact that Jan has been offered an exoskeleton doesn’t mean that the next person with a shoulder injury will receive the same offer. Maybe the person in question needs more specialized rehabilitation, more intensive sessions with a psychologist or something completely different; It will always depend on an individual assessment and close conversations with the injured party,« she says.
Great satisfaction on both sides
In addition to the joy of the exoskeleton itself, which is easy to handle with magnetic fastening, Jan Nielsen also expresses great satisfaction with the dialogue and collaboration with UFDS and Luise Hougaard as well as Britt Saaby and Sedgwick Care, describing both as 'very responsive and easy to get in touch with'.
The positive perception of the process is very much shared by Sedgwick Care, Britt Saaby confirms. She has extensive experience with exoskeletons and has happily passed on her knowledge to Luise Hougaard, in order for the technology as well as Sedgwick Care's offers to get more attention among seafarers.
»Our approach is to reach out to the injured employee and offer our advice and aid. We discuss what we can do, and then the person in question decides on the options on the best possible basis,« Britt Saaby explains.
The model is based on an active decision by the UFDS based on a desire to offer its members the optimal help. When exposed to an occupational injury, laying out a path to get back to work can be difficult. Especially if the public offer is not enough, as in Jan's case. At this point, Britt Saaby and her colleagues at Sedgwick Care take the reins.
»Our proposal is always based on individual assessments, so the fact that Jan has been offered an exoskeleton doesn’t mean that the next person with a shoulder injury will receive the same offer. Maybe the person in question needs more specialized rehabilitation, more intensive sessions with a psychologist or something completely different; It will always depend on an individual assessment and close conversations with the injured party,« she says.
