JenTra consequently launched the seven-piece Cheatah door-installation kit. The $50 nylon resin device forgoes juggling six-ft levelers and shims and physically balancing the door to keep everything square, thereby preserving muscles, joints and bones.

Instead, Cheatah uses integrated levels and built-in spacers that click into place in order to keep spaces around the door parallel and plumb. Three pieces fit along the door hinge; three more go onto the strike, with a final piece placed atop the door.

Fold-down, accordion-like spacers ensure a proper tool fit for both 1-3/8-in. and 1-3/4-in. doors, which account for 99% of the market, JenTra says. Manufactured in Rogers, Minn., the tool has been making the rounds at trade shows, earning top-product honors at the International Builders Show in January. Cheatah, which has 3,000 pre-sales and counting thus far, should be available in lumber yards after July 1.

JenTra’s simple but sound solution can mean big savings in reduced labor, time and injuries. Worker sprains, strains and tears made up 44.4% of all incidents in 2011, the BLS reports. That affects the cash-intensive, bottom-line construction industry whose already slim profit margins have further narrowed during the economic downturn. Today’s surviving contractors closely scrutinize jobsite procedures and practices with an eye toward safety, proficiency and remaining competitive.

“We promote both safety and efficiency on our jobsites, including mandatory constant pressure switches on hand tools in lieu of on-off switches,” says McCarthy Building Cos. executive vice president Ray Sedey. “Additionally, we analyze potential work hazards and identify ways to mitigate them. This includes dedicating time to stretch at the beginning of each shift so the risk of soft-tissue injuries can be reduced.”