• Manual handling • Workstation setup • Work organisation

Kate Nowell OH&S Support Officer School of Chemistry

Employers have a legal and moral obligation to protect the health and safety of their workers Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 (Vic) Occupational Health & Safety Act 2007 (Vic)

Employees also have an obligation to take all reasonable care in your workplace and work duties

Compensation stats show that musculoskeletal injuries account for more than half of all WorkCover claims

Consequences of ergonomic and manual handling hazards: Significant costs – personal and financial Long lasting effects – pain, incapacity, disability,

depression, psychosocial as well as physical

Fitting the task to the human Improving workplace design,

comfort, health and safety, reducing injury risk

Considers psychosocial aspects of work as well as physical

Covers: Job/task design and process The physical work environment Work methods Postures and positions Manual handling tasks Job demands – physical and

psychological Stress and fatigue

Injury Musculoskeletal disorders – sprains, strains, broken

limbs, muscle damage, joint damage Chronic pain, hearing loss/damage

Illness Stress, depression, fatigue, heat stress, cardiac

health issues, headaches Low productivity

Low morale, inefficient processes, uncomfortable workers, loss-time injuries affect productivity

Knock on effects Workers who are tired, stressed or worried are prone

to making mistakes which in turn can lead to incidents and injury

PHYSICAL

Task repetition – highly repetitive tasks can cause muscular damage

Load weight and distribution

Thermal environment Lighting Postures and positions Physical work design Biomechanics and

muscular loading Hearing, noise sound

and vibration

PSYCHOSOCIAL

Time pressures and deadlines Effort-reward balance Social support from colleagues Trust and support from

supervisors and managers Commitment to safety by the

organisation and management Feeling valued Job enlargement/enrichment –

try to make jobs/tasks varied to reduce boredom, mental fatigue

How a worker feels about their injury can impact on their recovery time

The Musculoskeletal System (MSS) is made up of the: Skeleton/spine Muscles Joints Tendons Ligaments

Poor manual handling practices impact on these structures by: Gradual wear and tear injuries (chronic) –

caused by prolonged poor postures, repetitive actions and movements

Sudden damage (acute) – caused by unexpected awkward movements, high-force exertions

The Spine Naturally forms an ‘S’ shape – allows for maximum mobility, balance, flexibility, stress absorption and distribution

Intervertebral discs Discs – spongy, mobile structures between the vertebrae “shock absorbers”

Disc compression = increase in pressure in disc.

Bending forward, twisting, moving or holding a load increases pressure

Pressure at its lowest when maintaining natural ‘S’ curvature of the spine

Poor nerve supply = poor warning system for damage

Poor blood supply = slow healing

Muscles Permit movement and maintain posture Core muscles behave like a supportive

corset – help stabilise and protect the spine Back muscles structured to keep the spine

upright, not for lifting loads or exerting power

Leg muscles are bigger, stronger – are power muscles and ARE structured for lifting and power. LIFT WITH YOUR LEGS!

Two types of muscle work: Static Dynamic

Static Muscles contract, but no movement, position sustained When muscles held contracted:

Blood supply (inc. oxygen) to muscles restricted Waste disposal (e.g. lactic acid) away from muscles

impeded Most common type of muscle work Examples of static tasks – gripping, carrying items,

using a mouse, pipetting, microscopy Muscle fatigue, tiredness and discomfort occurs If prolonged without adequate rest breaks – pain,

discomfort, tissue damage Cause of many soft tissue injuries – neck, shoulders,

arms, hands

Reduce static load Adopt appropriate postures, be mindful of

the postures you need to adopt and sustain Take regular breaks, rotate tasks Stretch and relax working muscles –

shoulders = “stop, drop and roll”

Dynamic Muscles contract and the body part moves Rhythmic action between contracting and

relaxing e.g. walking, typing not ‘held’ positions Less fatiguing, more sustainable

Joints Allow movement, different joints with different

ranges/types of movement Subject to wear and tear when:

▪ Overloaded, stretched, awkward postures adopted/maintained

Can be protected by: ▪ Maintaining neutral postures, keeping surrounding muscles

strong

Ligaments Strong, inelastic tissues which reinforce joints Most prone to injury when suddenly or forcefully

overstretched or rotated

Tendons Connect muscles to bone When muscles contract, tendons

pull on bones in a smooth action to move the limb

When actions are repetitive tendons can become inflamed, making movement painful.

Tendon inflammation = tendonitis, commonly associated with highly repetitive tasks

‘S’ shaped spine Ears above shoulders, eyes forward Shoulders relaxed and symmetrical Feet shoulder width apart Arms relaxed Core activated

Musculoskeletal injuries are costly – personal cost, organizational, financial, reputational

Manual handling and ergonomic hazards are typically easy to manage

Comfortable workers are happy, healthy and productive workers

Identification of hazards Workplace inspections Designing stage of new jobs and tasks Learning from incidents and near misses Review of work practices

Risk assessment – assess the hazards and their risks of causing injury and illness

Risk Control – define and implement processes and resources to reduce the risks associated with the hazards

Regular review and improvement – do implemented controls work, can we do better?

Exposure to repetitive tasks e.g. pipetting Lifting heavy weights – 20L carboys of

chemicals Handling shifting, awkward loads –

manoeuvring loaded trolleys Sustained, awkward postures – microscopy,

using fume hoods, computer work Ambient temperature of working

environment Long work hours Mental workloads Time pressures and deadlines Work pace and flow

Modification of the workplace or environment Bench height, lab/equipment layout

Altering systems of work Work pace and flow, task rotation

Changing the objects used Smaller chemical containers

Supply suitable mechanical aids Trolleys, step ladders

Instruction, information and support Training, risk assessments, realistic time

pressures/expectations

… “any activity requiring exertion of human force”

For example: Lifting, lowering Carrying, holding, restraining Pushing, pulling Repetitive tasks – packing, picking, sorting,

pipetting, typing, writing Using hand tools and equipment

Many jobs involve some manual handling tasks – not all manual handling is hazardous though!

Manual handling that involves: Repetitive or sustained application of force

Movements of limbs, torso

Awkward postures Application of high force e.g. lifting heavy

loads Exposure to sustained vibration Lifting, holding, restraining humans or animals

Loads that are unstable, unbalanced or awkward

Factors that increase risk of injury

Duration and frequency Environmental factors – temperature,

slippery or uneven surfaces, limited pace Individual factors – health and fitness

levels, previous injuries, susceptibilities Organizational factors – time pressures,

lack of resources or support, work pace

What:

Sprains and strains to muscles, ligaments, tendons, inter-vertebral discs, joints, nerves, stress fractures

Hernias Chronic pain conditions

Where:

Back, neck, spine, arms, shoulders, wrists, legs, abdomen Referred to as “Musculoskeletal Disorders” or MSD

The OHS Regulations define MSD as an injury, illness or disease that arises in whole or in part from manual handling in the workplace, whether occurring suddenly or over a prolonged period of time

Change the objects being used Purchase 10L carboys rather than 20L Use shallow containers for pipette tip disposal Resize loads – break them into smaller multiple loads Purchase pipettes that are better designed for long-

term use Provide mechanical aids

Make sure handling equipment is available and fit for purpose e.g. trolleys – flat bed versus upright

Use of robotic liquid handling devices Don’t take shortcuts

Go and get the trolley or step ladder for tasks that need them

Minimise amount of handling needed Maintain the s curvature of the spine

– avoid twisting – keep your knees, nose and toes inline with each other

Keep the load close to your body and make sure its balances

Use your leg muscles to lift, not your back, brace core muscles

Push rather than pull

Usually fixed height – 680-735mm Australian Standard

700mm height will fit most people 800mm deep minimum to

accommodate screen or a corner angle to place computer

Less than 33mm thick No clutter under to compromise

posture Adequate space on top

Adjust the back support height till it comfortably fits the lumbar curve – about a hands width gap between the back support and seat.

Sit as far back into your chair as possible – should be 2-3 finger width between seat edge and back of knee.

Raise your chair height so that your elbows are slightly higher than the keyboard and your shoulders relaxed -hips should be slightly higher than knees.

If feet are not flat on the floor a footrest is required

Still not comfortable? or chair lacking the necessary adjustments? you may need an alternative chair

Monitor should be flat or angled slightly up and be approximately arm’s reach away

Top of the screen should be level with eye height. A monitor stand or similar may be required to do this

Adjust brightness and contrast to suit visual comfort Scroll your work to the top of the screen to minimise

neck flexion (bending forward) Focus on objects at different distances, blink regularly

to refresh eyes and take breaks away from computer If you have two screens, make sure:

Both screens sit at the same height The primary screen is directly in front of you, secondary

screen should be hard up against the primary and turned inwards

Swivel your chair to swap between screens not your neck

Keyboard should be positioned directly in line with screen, elbows close to the waist

Keyboard design with thin profile preferred Avoid resting wrists on the desk when

keying- a same height wrist rest may help Keep keyboard ‘feet’ in lowered position to

ensure wrists are as neutral as possible unless need high visual control over keys

Key strike should not be forceful. Use keyboard shortcut keys where possible

Use keyboard shortcut keys where possible

Alternate mouse use between hands Place mouse mat directly next to

keyboard L or R Relax shoulder, support forearm on

desk, maintain middle finger in line with elbow, fit tennis ball only between waist and elbow- not basketball

Alternative keyboards can enable a better arm posture

There should be no sideways wrist movements

Static gel mouse rests/pads are not recommended

Micro-breaks – 20 seconds every 3 minutes – take hand off mouse

If you need to refer to, or read from documents while working at your computer: Neck/shoulder strain

occurs from twisting and bending the neck to read documents placed flat on the desk

Use a document holder An a-frame holder which

sits between the monitor and the keyboard is the preferred design

Phone should be within comfortable reach

Never tuck the phone between your shoulder and ear.

If typing and talking on the phone simultaneously is required, provide/use a headset

Use the speaker function where possible

Laptops are not recommended for extended periods because the design (keyboard attached to screen) results in sustained neck flexion (forward bending)

Use an external keyboard, mouse and screen raising device to ensure optimal seated posture

Plan the days activities to allow for task rotation where possible

Set up equipment to encourage changing positions, walking around

Avoid long work hours especially where mental workload is high

Take regular assigned breaks e.g. don’t skip lunch

Have clear objectives and reasonable time lines, minimise strict deadlines where possible

Plan your tasks ahead of time Provide adequate and relevant training,

information

The average lab bench is higher than a office desk

Standing/sitting - bench height should allow for the shoulders to remain in a relaxed position, the elbows close to the body and the forearms slopping slightly downwards

Nothing should be stored under work benches – doing so restricts posture

Resting forearms and wrists against the edge of the bench can compress and damage tendons, blood vessels and nerves

Maintain head and shoulders in a neutral position (avoid bending neck forward excessively)

The chair should have adjustability in height, back support angle and height and preferably depth

Friction lock castors or glides should be fitted for safety Sit back in the chair so the back support fits neatly into the

hollow of the back (about a hand width gap between the seat base and the back support) and there is approximately 2-3 finger width clearance between the edge of the seat & the back of the knee

Adjust chair height so bench edge is level with belly button Hips should be slightly higher than the knees, feet supported

flat on floor or footrest-industrial type. Don't use a foot ring, which provides inadequate support & can compress blood vessels in the feet

Unlike in the office, arm rests can be helpful to support the arms when performing static tasks and to assist getting in/out of chair

Use the swivel to assist reach rather than twisting the spine

Shift weight frequently when standing for prolonged periods, use a footrest to prop up one foot at a time

Lean hips into bench to take some weight off spine

Ensure no clutter under work bench encroaching on room for feet

Alternate between sitting and standing if possible

Pipetting involves several ergonomic stressors: thumb force, repetitive motions and awkward postures, especially of the wrists, arms and shoulders.

Ensure posture is optimal-S shape, shoulders relaxed,

arm support, elbows in close, neutral wrists Where possible rotate pipetting with other tasks. Take

regular rest breaks e.g. a few seconds every 15-20 minutes

Ensure materials (vials, samples, instruments etc.) are positioned to avoid unnecessary reaching

Use ergonomically designed, light-force/light touch pipettes that require little force to operate. Use only the force necessary.

Use multi-channel pipettes for longer duration tasks/ electronic pipettes with mixing devices when possible

Use shorter pipettes. This decreases arm and hand elevation and consequent awkward postures

Use low profile waste receptacles for used tips. They should be no higher than the top of the tubes being filled

Clean pipettes regularly to prevent sticking Use minimal force when applying pipette tips Use thin-walled well fitting tips that are easy

to eject

Don’t store anything under the hood – ensures uncompromised leg room

Avoid resting wrists on the edge of the hood (doing so disrupts blood flow in the wrists)

Get as close to the hood as possible to minimise holding arms out unsupported

Spread the fume hood duties over the entire day

Take frequent micro-breaks to perform stretching exercises

Flat LCD screens have eliminated most glare problems

The screen should be placed in a position to minimise glare or reflections from light sources

Avoid sitting in front of or behind a window. Adjusting to the contrast between external light and screen is hard work for the eye muscles

Insufficient light/shadows can cause crouching over work/ poor posture

Risk assessment Provide training and induction in

proper materials handling procedures Inspections Educate workers in proper

workstation set-up Organizational support – make sure

the workers don’t feel pressured and can’t take a break to rest strained muscles

A range of stressors exist in our work environments – workloads, deadlines, feeling unable to control your work, boredom, challenging personalities…

Plan your time Prioritise what needs to be done and when – have a

clear idea of what is due and when Learn some stress management techniques – yoga,

Pilates Rotate tasks to avoid boredom where possible encourage job enlargement where possible Avoid working overtime and at home (ha!) and

maintain a good work-life balance Report issues to your supervisor or the OH&S support

officer

Report pain and discomfort early, prevention and early intervention is better and more effective

Same reporting system as other injuries and near-misses

Predict and prevent rather than react and regret. Its often cheaper to install the ergonomic equipment or buy materials handling equipment straight up rather than retro-fitting later or having to pay for physio and surgery

Get into exercise - for fitness, strength, mobility

Adequate rest/sleep Hydrate – more water, less coffee (or

just up the water if you can’t live without coffee)

Relaxation, stress management, recreation

Life balance