Office Ergonomics

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OfficeErgonomics

• Greg Rhoades and
• Derrick Marrero

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Definition

• Erg- from Greek meaning work
• Nomas- from Greek meaning natural laws
• Ergonomics is defined as the study of the
  relationship between people and their
  environment- especially the work environment
• The idea behind ergonomics is to adapt the work
  environment to the worker rather than adapt the
  worker to their environment.

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Origin of Ergonomics

• The Alexander Technique was developed in the
  early 20th century before ergonomics became a
  recognized science and has been applied
  throughout this century by people from all walks
  of life. The Technique is an educational method
  which shows people how they are misusing their
  bodies and how their everyday habits of work can
  be harmful. It also teaches people how to avoid
  work habits which create excessive amounts of
  static work and how to reduce the amount of
  unnecessary muscular force they are applying to
  their bodies.

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Origin of Ergonomics

• The Alexander Technique does not involve
  exercises, forms of psychotherapy, or spiritual
  healing techniques. It is also unlike the
  manipulations of bodywork or manual healing
  techniques Rather than looking at the body as a
  set of separate "parts" or pressure points to be
  individually "worked on," a skilled teacher
  guides a student through movement, observing and
  working with whole patterns of coordination,
  which include tension and postural patterns, how
  a student thinks about moving, and active
  movement itself. The student actively
  participates in this process, learning to apply
  his own intelligence to effectively change habits.

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Problem Definition

• In todays society, even the company using sound
  safety and ergonomics principles and practices
  will, eventually, face lawsuits. However, the
  negative effects of such suits can be minimized
  by such safe practices. The desire to be safe is
  universal, but the knowledge to do so must be
  learned. Nine out of ten injurious events
  occurring in the workplace or in public can be
  predicted.
• Over the past twenty years there have been many
  changes in the way jobs are performed in office
  environments. Advances in computer technology
  have made it possible to process, transfer, and
  file information quickly and efficiently.

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Problem Definition

• A significant portion of office work is now
  performed on personal computers. The computer has
  become an important part of many office jobs,
  making it easier for us to be more productive and
  more efficient.
• As office work continues to become more
  specialized, some individuals are finding that
  their bodies have limitations that prevent them
  from meeting job expectations.
• Employers around the country are now becoming
  increasingly aware of the need to evaluate the
  interactions between employees and their machines.

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How this relates to office ergonomics?

• The idea behind office ergonomics is to reduce
  the number of work related accidents and injuries
  to maximize the performance of each worker.
• Allow for each worker to be comfortable in their
  environment and be able to produce efficiently
  the work that is required of them.

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Common problems identified

• Improper chair height.
• Supplies placed out of reach.
• Low padded arm rest.
• Keyboard placed below elbow height.
• Top of monitor not placed at eye level
  disallowing proper head and neck positions.
• Poor posture and insufficient break time to
  relieve stress of working.
• Resting arm on hard surfaces.

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Consequences of these problems

• People may suffer from (clinical)
• lower back pain
• numbness in extremities
• carpal tunnel syndrome- A condition that results
  from compression of the median nerve at the
  wrist.
• CTDs (Cumulative Traumatic Disorders)- injuries
  to the musculoskeltal and nervous systems caused
  by excessively repetitive motions, high force and
  awkward body postures
• tendinitis- inflammation of the tendons
• tenosynovitis- a condition in which the tendon
  and its covering become inflamed.

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Consequences of these Problems

• People may suffer from (administrative)
• Inability to attend work.
• Increase on workers compensation.
• Decrease in productivity.

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Recommendations

• Maintain position 18-28 in. from monitor.
• Keep monitor directly in front of you.
• Keep eyes horizontal with the top of the screen.
• Forearms parallel to the floor.
• Seat back should support lumbar of back.
• Seat height should be adjustable.
• Keep glare at a minimum through the use of
  anti-glare screens and shaded windows.
• Support dangling feet with foot rest.
• Wrists straight and neutral.
• Keep mouse close to you.
• Keep copy at eye level if retyping information.

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Ideas for prevention

• To increase circulation use exercises while in
  the workplace such as
• The body stretch
• Side bends
• Upper body twist
• Shoulder shrugs
• Finger stretch
• Wrist stretch
• Thumb stretch
• Finger squeezes
• These exercises should be used upon arising each
  morning, at the start of a work shift and
  following meal breaks, during work to release
  tension, after prolonged sitting or standing, and
  when you feel stiff.

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Keys for good body Mechanics

• Body mechanics refers to using the human body as
  if it were a machine. Special emphasis is placed
  on
• Minimization of friction/heat while performing.
• Maximization of force per unit of energy through
  taking advantage of leverage and other mechanical
  principles.
• Conceptualizing the body as a machine such that
  the lower extremities serve mobility and support
  functions in the upper extremities serve as
  prehensile and manipulative tools.
• Ideas for good body mechanics
• Bend at the knees.
• Keeps back straight and look forward
• Push rather than pull.
• Distribute the workload.
• Keep feet shoulder width apart.
• Keep objects close to your body.

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Conclusion

• The goal of office ergonomics is to reduce
  injuries caused by physical stress on the body
  but for an ergonomics program to be successful it
  requires your commitment to helping eliminate the
  causes of CTDs.