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1Why Ergonomics?

Ergonomic principles are applied for 3 reasons: – Prevent you from being injured

– Optimize your productivity

– Increase your comfort at home and at play

You can do a job the hard way…. …or the easy way

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2Report Discomfort & Injury

Report Concerns: 1. If you experience any discomfort beyond expected fatigue

while at work you should notify your supervisor as soon as possible.

2. Ignoring symptoms won't make them go away! Seek help early.

3. Most ergonomics-related injuries are avoidable if corrective actions are taken early!

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3Discomfort

Your body will give you warning signs when you experience physical stress

– Pay attention to these warnings and take action to resolve the problem before it gets worse

New activity muscle soreness– Occurs when a muscle is not sufficiently

prepared to perform an activity and typically occurs within 24-48 hours of the activity

– May last for up to five days and typically does not require medical intervention

– Generally treated with an over-the-counter pain reliever

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4Ergonomics-Related Injuries

If not corrected early the source of pain and discomfort may result in a Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) result over time

– Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) is a disorder (injury/illness) of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, blood vessels, or spinal discs

– Signs Include: Decreased range of motion, decreased grip strength, loss of muscle function, pain, and discomfort

Remember, if you experience any discomfort beyond expected fatigue while at work notify your supervisor.

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5Rest and Recovery

• Your body requires rest and time to recover from physical stress

• Ensure that you get sufficient rest – Take your scheduled work breaks during your shift– Get adequate rest when you are away from work

• You’re the best judge of how much rest is needed since some people need more rest than others

• Overall health improves recovery time from physical stress so maintain a healthy lifestyle

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6Neutral Position

• In ergonomics, the term “neutral position” is often used.

• It is easy to understand – it is the position where your body is in its most natural position.

• There are different neutral positions– for your arms, legs, wrists, head, etc – when you are standing and sitting

• Let’s take a look at some of them

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7Keep Your Wrists Straight

Muscles providing grip strength are located in the forearm and are connected to the fingers by tendons, which pass through the wrist

– Bending the wrist creates friction when these tendons move, therefore more muscle work is required to grip an object when the wrist is bent

– Bending your wrist reduces your potential grip strength (try gripping an object and then bending your wrist)

– If you do too much work with your wrists bent friction can irritate the carpal tunnel in the wrist, causing it to swell and create a painful condition

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8Neutral Posture - Standing

Non-neutral Posture Neutral Posture

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9Neutral Position - Sitting

• Your natural position when sitting is shown in this depiction. We’ll come back to this when we review how to adjust a workstation.

• Notice– the arms and thighs are parallel to

the floor– the feet extend out from the body

slightly– the back is straight– Line-of-sight is slightly down

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10Avoid Static Postures - Move

• Maintaining a static posture for extended periods results in reduced blood circulation in the muscles, which can lead to fatigue and discomfort– You can lift more weight than you can hold steady for an

extended period• Vary your posture throughout the day to increase your

comfort and reduce fatigue• Your body is built to move – not for staying still

• Static muscle work requires longer recovery times than dynamic (active) work

• Suggestion– Rest break activity should use different muscle groups than

work activities. If you sit while working, try walking around during your break; if you walk a lot on the job, try sitting

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11Fight Fatigue

Take periodic rest breaks– Rest breaks are more effective if you take

them before you are tired

Stretch periodically– Stretching can reduce fatigue and increase

your comfort

– Stretching muscles before an activity prepares them for the work at hand

– Stretching also reduces mental and physical stress and is enjoyable and relaxing

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12Ergonomic Controls

Ergonomics controls can be categorized as follows:

Engineering Controls– Physical work area changes

• An example is adjusting a computer desk height so the wrists are straight while typing

Administrative Controls– Changes in the job or task

• An example is having two people share a typing task

Personal Controls– Changes in work habits or techniques

• An example is a taking periodic stretch breaks or using an improved technique

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13ERGONOMICS APPLICATIONS

We’ve learned some ergonomics principles, now let’s see how we can apply these principles to optimize your comfort and productivity while at work and home.

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14Work Smart

• Identify potential risks before performing a job and eliminate or control the hazard(s)

– A little planning goes a long way

– Work smarter, not harder

• Know when a task is beyond your

capabilities – Ask your supervisor or a co-worker for

assistance

• Use work techniques that minimize physical stress

– Check with your supervisor, training group, or co-workers

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15Work Smart: Tools and Devices

• Use the right tool for the task at hand

• Make sure tools are in good working condition

– If they’re not, notify your supervisor

• Use lift devices or carts when appropriate

– Take the time to get and set up the appropriate lifting device

• Make workstation or tool adjustments, if appropriate

– Adjust your chair

– Arrange your workstation

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16Workstation Adjustment

• Your computer workstation should be set up so you are working in approximately a neutral posture

• The next slides will show you how to do this

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17Computer Workstation: Chair

Adjust chair seat pan height so that your feet are flat on the floor and your thighs are parallel with the floor

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18Computer Workstation: Keyboard

Adjust the keyboard so it is approximately at the same height as your elbow

• A mouse or trackball should be set at approximately the same level

• Either adjust your work surface height or use an adjustable keyboard tray

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19Computer Workstation: Fixed Work Surface

If the height of your work surface cannot be adjusted

• raise your chair so your wrist are straight while typing and

• use a footrest to support your feet.

If your wrists are bent as shown in the picture, your workstation is not adjusted correctly.

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20Computer Workstation: Monitor

Adjust monitor height so that the top of the display is at or below eye level

• To raise the display height, place blocks or phonebooks under the monitor

• To lower a display, remove a desktop computer or docking station from under the monitor

• Tilt the display downward slightly to reduce glare from overhead lights

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21Computer Workstation: Layout

Arrange your work area so items used most often are close - avoid overreaching

• Frequently used items, such as a keyboard or mouse, should be accessible without moving your arms

• Infrequently used items, such as a telephone or calculator, should be placed within a comfortable reach

• Very infrequently used items, such as books, should be placed so that you can reach them without straining yourself

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22MATERIAL HANDLING OVERVIEW

When lifting, moving, pushing or pulling -– Know your limits

• ask for help if needed

– Plan your move

– Stagger your feet for stability

– Bend your knees

– Tighten your abdominal muscles when lifting

– Maintain the natural “S” curvature of your spine when lifting

– Tighten your abdominal muscles when lifting

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23Material Handling: Back Stress

Reduce back stress by keeping materials close to your body when lifting and carrying them– Store frequently used items near elbow

height– Store infrequently used items between

knee and shoulder height

Maintain the natural curvature of your spine when lifting – Poor back posture can increase back

stress

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24Material Handling: Twisting

Twisting while lifting places extra stress on your back and requires extra work

– When you twist, your lifting capabilities are reduced

Avoid twisting while lifting objects

– Use your feet to turn, not your back

– Adjust work areas to avoid twisting

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25Safe Lifting Practices

• Plan your move– Before lifting the object, size up the load– If it’s too heavy, ask for help

• Prepare for lifting• Get close to the object• Get firm footing and a good grip on the object before lifting

• Start the lift– Tighten your abdominal muscles before lifting– Maintain the natural curves in your back when lifting– Lift with your legs so the large leg muscles do the work– Keep the load close to your body– Don’t twist, use your feet to turn

• Reverse the lifting procedure when setting down objects– reverse the lifting procedure when setting down objects– lowering an object places stress on your back too. – In many cases the risk is even greater because you are trying to be

precise when setting it down.

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26Pushing and Pulling

Pulling or pushing an object is usually better than carrying it

Generally, you are stronger when pushing an object than when pulling it

– Avoid twisting while pushing and pulling items since twisting while performing tasks places extra stress on the back

– Generally, carts are easier to steer once they are moving

Yes!Avoid

*Note: This does not apply to very large carts that you can not see over

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27Why Ergonomics?

Remember the 3 reasons for Ergonomics: – Prevent you from being injured

– Optimize your productivity

– Increase your comfort at home and at play

You can do a job the hard way…. …or the easy way