Fact Sheet

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is defined as the study of workplace equipment design or how to arrange and design devices, machines, or workspace so that people and things interact safely and most efficiently. Ergonomics is also called human-factors analysis or human-factors engineering. Ergonomic design facilitates harmony between the person and person's work environment by addressing individual needs and characteristics, and by positioning the body so there is less stress and strain on it while performing required tasks. When adjusting office furnishings and equipment, focus on the optimal "fit" between work environment and individual work style.

Since a poorly-designed workstation can slow staff down, increase their stress, and contribute to chronic conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, it is important each person organizes workspace to keep twists, turns and uncomfortable movements to an absolute minimum. Be sure that they have enough desk space to comfortably accommodate the materials and equipment that are part of their jobs; i.e., books, papers, calculators, and computers, and keep the items they use most frequently use closer to them.

Failure to pay attention to ergonomic issues can result in a wide array of workplace injuries, some permanently debilitating. Examples of injuries include:

Potential strains and sprains?A poorly-designed workstation can result in twists, turns and uncomfortable movements. Ensure that there is enough desk space to comfortably accommodate the materials and equipment that are part of the job: books, papers, calculators, computers and printers.
Injuries sustained while lifting and stretching?Lifting heavy objects can cause serious injuries, but failing to lift objects of any weight properly can result in injury. Workers need to be taught the proper methods for lifting and stretching whether it's a service recipient, a carton of books or furniture.
Repetitive injury due to improperly adjusted computer workstations, chairs and desks?Individuals can sustain repetitive injuries by working at computer workstations that are not properly adjusted. Repetitive injuries are particularly chronic problems that could result in permanent disability.

Workstations

Guidelines for Workstations

Ensure that workstations are adjusted to meet the needs of the user.
Provide for adequate leg-room of 3-to-6 inches from the top of the user's thigh to the desk surface.
Cut back on office noise by covering noisy printers and turning down ringers on phones, fax machines, network servers and people's personal wireless devices.
Glare and intense lighting are not always easy to eliminate and can cause eyestrain and headaches. Sometimes turning off the overhead fluorescent lighting and providing surface lighting will help, or move the computer monitor to another location to avoid direct glare from windows or overhead lighting or try an anti-glare screen.

The body should be in the following position when using a computer:

Wrists straight
Forearms supported
Back supported
Forearms parallel to the floor
Thighs parallel to the floor
Feet on the floor or a foot rest
Top of monitor at or slightly below eye level

The height of the work surface is an important aspect of a good ergonomic workstation. The computer work surface should adhere to the following guidelines:

The proper height for a computer work surface is about 3 or 4 inches lower than the average writing desk.
The work surface should be positioned so that the user's forearms are parallel to the floor. The user's elbow should make an angle of between 90 and 110 degrees.
The work surface should be positioned so that the user's forearms are supported a minimum of 6 inches.
The work surface should be positioned so that the user's wrists can be straight and neutral. Wrists bent in any direction (up, down, left, or right) may lead to discomfort and eventually injury.

Guidelines for Chair Adjustment

Workers should adjust chair height should allow their forearms to be parallel to the floor, feet to be flat on the floor or on a footrest, and thighs to be parallel to the floor.
Back supports should be adjusted so that the curve of the back of the seat is in the curve of the lower back. Provide a towel or a lumbar pad if the chair does not provide adequate support.
The chair's backrest should be adjusted for seat pan clearance. The worker should be able to place 2 or 3 fingers between the back of his/her knees and the front edge of the seat.

Position the computer monitor according to these guidelines:

Place the monitor directly in front of the user.
Don't position the monitor where the user would have to twist his/her neck.

Lifting and Stretching

Although a typical office job may not involve lifting large or especially heavy objects, it's important that workers follow the principles of safe lifting. Small, light loads (i.e., stacks of files, boxes of computer paper, books) can wreak havoc on their backs, necks, and shoulders if they use their bodies incorrectly when they lift them. Backs are especially vulnerable; most back injuries result from improper lifting.

Posture

Posture affects which muscle groups are active during physical activity. Awkward postures can make work tasks more physically demanding by increasing the exertion required from smaller muscle groups and preventing the stronger, larger muscle groups from working at maximum efficiency. The increased exertion from the weaker, smaller muscle groups impairs blood flow and increases the rate of fatigue.

Encourage a midrange, comfortable posture by ensuring that materials, tools, and equipment for all work activities (excluding lifting tasks) are kept in the "general safety zone" (between the hips and shoulders and close to the body). Lifting tasks should be performed within the ?lifting safety zone? (between the knuckles and mid-chest and close to the body). Recovery periods (i.e., muscle-relaxation breaks) can help prevent the accumulation of fatigue and injury to muscles and their associated structures. Try to break up work with frequent, short recovery periods. Even recovery periods as short as a few seconds on a regular basis are helpful.

Modifying work practices

Pay close attention to how the work is being performed. Our bodies are stronger, more efficient, and less injury prone when we work in midrange postures. Maintaining midrange working postures simply means sitting or standing upright and not bending the joints into extreme positions. This can be done by trying to keep the neck, back, arms, and wrists within a range of neutral positions. Employees should be encouraged to be comfortable, to change positions, and to stretch when working.

Guidelines for Safe Lifting

Instruct workers to take a balanced stance, feet placed shoulder-width apart.
When lifting something from the floor, have them squat close to the load.
Educate workers to keep their backs in its neutral or straight position. Have them tuck in their chins so heads and necks continue the straight back line.
Show workers how to grip the object with their whole hands, rather than only with their fingers.
Have them practice drawing the object close to their bodies, holding their elbows close to their bodies to keep the load and your body weight centered.
Tell workers to lift by straightening their legs. Have them practice under supervision letting their leg muscles, not back muscles, do the work. Tell them to tighten stomach muscles to help support the back and maintain a neutral back position as they lift.
Instruct workers never to twist when lifting. When turning with a load, show them how to turn their whole body, feet first.
Tell workers never carry a load that blocks their vision.
To set something down, workers will use the same body mechanics designed for lifting.

Lifting From a Seated Position

Bending from a seated position and then straightening up places tremendous strain on a staff member's back. An unstable chair could slip out from under the person. Instead, have the person stand and move the chair out of the way, then squat and stand whenever retrieving something from the floor.
If a volunteer or employee is doing a lot of twisting while lifting, try to rearrange the space to avoid this.
Staff members who have to twist under a load are more likely to suffer back injury.
Rotate staff members through tasks so that periods of standing alternate with moving or sitting.
Provide stools or footrests for stationary jobs.
Store materials at knee level whenever possible instead of on the floor. Make shelves shallower (12-18") so employees and volunteers do not have to reach forward to lift the object. Break up loads so each weighs less.
If a staff member must carry a heavy object some distance, consider storing it closer, requesting a table to rest it on, or provide a hand truck or cart to transport it.