Prevention of Ergonomic Related Disorders

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Prevention of Ergonomic Related Disorders

• Duffy-Rath Physical Therapy, P.C.

Our mission is the prevention of musculoskeletal
and

lifestyle-related disorders and disability
through education, training and research.
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What is Ergonomics?

• The science of fitting workplace conditions and
  job demands to the capabilities of employees
  (U.S. Dept.of Health)
• Ergonomic principles are used to improve the
  fit between the worker and the workplace.
• A persons capabilities, physical attributes and
  work habits must be recognized to improve
  ergonomic factors in the workplace.

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Employee Company / Culture Based Issues

• Posture / joint positioning
• Flexibility, strength, endurance
• Pre-existing conditions or illnesses
• Work and home habits
• Knowledge, Attitude willingness to change
• Reporting habits OSHA states late reporting is a
  main cause of long term disability

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What is the interplay between these employee or
company based issues and actual physical demand
risk factors?
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Physical Demands Based Ergonomic Risk Factors

• OSHA
• Repetitions, awkward/static positions, force,
  contact stress, vibration, temperature

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Reporting Symptoms

• Most people dont ask for help until
• Pain is severe or spreading, has been there a
  long time, or function is interfered with
• But, most had warning signals before more serious
  problems developed
• Often companies and physicians at two extremes
  either take a wait and see approach or put
  employee on limitations too soon

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Early Reporting Opportunities

• Encourage early reporting to
• Learn about job / employee interface
• Look for direct cause and effect between symptoms
  and task (if any) - may be ergo risk, work habit
  or other
• Educate and train find alternate technique
  (temporary or permanent)

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Early Reporting Opportunities

• For example
• Risk awkward positions or high reps
• Key to control keep body in neutral
• First educate on what neutral is
• Practice task in awkward position and then in
  neutral
• Outcome instead of learning to be disabled,
  employee develops self-efficacy

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Example how neutral effects stress on the
muscle-tendon complex
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Micro-breaks to stretch high use muscles / tendons
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Summary

• In addition to proactively assessing ergo risk
  and implementing controls
• Encourage early reporting
• Determine if employee based issues are root cause
  or contribute
• Educate train

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Summary

• Focus training on what they can control
• Educate everyone on basic MS function, risk,
  warning signals and proaction
• Then customize this general information
• For supervisors management, focus on importance
  of early reporting and supporting proactive
  solutions

Empower employees to take earliest possible
action and help themselves before warning
progresses to disorder