Office Ergonomics and OSHA

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Office Ergonomics and OSHA

• Cecilia R. Aragon
• IEOR 170
• UC Berkeley
• Spring 2006

2
Acknowledgments

• Jeffrey Chung, Lawrence Berkeley National
  Laboratory ergonomics program manager
• Cathy Rothwell, US Navy ergonomics program manager

3
OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health
Administration

• Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
• Purpose
• setting standards
• conducting workplace inspections to ensure that
  employers are complying with the standards and
  providing a safe and healthful workplace

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Who is Covered by OSHA?

• In general (with some exceptions), all employers
  and their employees in the 50 states, the
  District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

5
Who is Covered by OSHA?

• All employers and employees except
• Self-employed persons
• Farms at which only immediate members of the
  farmer's family are employed
• Working conditions regulated by other federal
  agencies under other federal statutes. This
  category includes most employment in mining,
  nuclear energy and nuclear weapons manufacture,
  and many segments of the transportation
  industries.
• Employees of state and local governments (unless
  covered by an OSHA-approved state program)

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OSHA Standards

• Employers must protect workers on the job.
• Employers have the responsibility to know
  relevant standards and comply.
• Compliance may include providing personal
  protective equipment for employees.
• Employees must also comply with OSHA rules and
  regulations.

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General Duty Clause

• The general duty clause of the OSH Act Section
  5(a)(1) states that each employer "shall furnish
  . . . a place of employment which is free from
  recognized hazards that are causing or are likely
  to cause death or serious physical harm to his
  employees."

8
Federal OSHA Requirements

• Access to Medical and Exposure Records
• Employers must grant employees access to medical
  records and records on employees exposure to
  toxic substances.
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Employers must provide employees at no cost
  personal protective equipment (e.g. protective
  helmets to prevent head injuries in construction
  and cargo handling work, eye protection, hearing
  protection, hard-toed shoes, special goggles,
  etc.)
• Hazard Communication
• Employers must conduct hazard evaluation of the
  products they manufacture or import. If
  hazardous, containers of the material must be
  labeled and accompanied by a material safety data
  sheet (MSDS). Employers must train their
  employees to recognize and avoid material
  hazards.

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Federal OSHA Regulations

• Recordkeeping
• Every employer covered by OSHA who has more than
  10 employees, except for certain low-hazard
  industries such as retail, finance, insurance,
  real estate, and some service industries, must
  maintain OSHA-specified records of job-related
  injuries and illnesses.
• Reporting
• Each employer, regardless of number of employees
  or industry category, must report to the nearest
  OSHA office within 8 hours of any accident that
  results in one or more fatalities or
  hospitalization of three or more employees.
• Posting
• Post prominently the OSHA poster (OSHA 3165)
  informing employees of their rights and
  responsibilities.

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State Programs

• States with OSHA-approved job safety and health
  programs must set standards that are at least as
  effective as the equivalent federal standard.
• Most of the state-plan states adopt standards
  identical to the federal ones.

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Cal/OSHA Responsibilities

• Enforce California laws and regulations
  pertaining to workplace safety and health
• The Cal/OSHA Enforcement Unit conducts
  inspections of California workplaces based on
  worker complaints, accident reports and high
  hazard industries.
• Provide assistance to employers and workers about
  workplace safety and health issues
• The Cal/OSHA Consultation Service provides
  assistance to employers and workers about
  workplace safety and health issues, and develops
  educational materials on workplace safety and
  health topics.

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For More Information

• OSHA
• http//www.osha.gov
• http//www.ehso.com/oshaoverview.php
• Cal/OSHA
• http//www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh1.html
• http//www.dir.ca.gov/occupational_safety.html

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Ergonomics
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What is Ergonomics? ergonomics \,
ûrg-go-'näm-iks

• Ergonomics is derived from two Greek words
• Ergon meaning work
• and
• Nomos meaning principles or laws
• Ergonomics The Science of Work
• Ergonomics is not a new science, although the
  term has become more common lately. The phrase
  was first coined in 1857.

Rothwell
15
Common Definitions
What is Ergonomics? ergonomics \,
ûrg-go-'näm-iks

• Ergonomics is essentially fitting the workplace
  to the worker. The better the fit the higher the
  level of safety and worker efficiency. Fitting
  the Task to the Human Grandjean 1990
• Ergonomics removes barriers to quality,
  productivity and human performance by fitting
  products, tasks, and environments to people.
  ErgoWeb.com

Rothwell
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What are the consequences of poor ergonomics?

• Why are we hearing about ergonomics now? Are
  there new hazards at work? No!
• Consequences of poor workplace design were first
  documented in the 17th century.
• Have you ever heard of these?
• Historic Occupational Disorders - house-maids
  knee, washer womans thumb, writers cramp,
  data-processing disease, clergymans knee, nuns
  bursitis, weavers bottom, dustmans shoulder,
  tailors ankle

Rothwell
17
Do these historic occupational disorders still
exist? Yes!

• They are part of a broad category of injuries and
  disorders called Musculoskeletal Disorders
  (MSDs). MSDs are not usually caused by acute
  trauma, but occur slowly over time due to
  repetitive injuries to the soft tissues (muscles,
  tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage) and
  nervous system.
• MSDs can happen to anyone from office workers and
  industrial employees to athletes and hobbyists.

Before Improved
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Do these historic occupational disorders still
exist? Yes!

• Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs)
  are MSDs that are caused or made worse by work
  methods and environment. They occur when the
  physical capabilities of the worker do not match
  the physical requirements of the job.
• Common MSDs
• Tendonitis, Epicondylitis (Tennis or Golfers
  Elbow), Bursitis, Trigger Finger, Carpal Tunnel
  Syndrome, Back Strain

Rothwell
Before Improved
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What are aliases for WMSDs?

• Work-related MSDs go by many other names
• Repetitive Strain or Stress Injury (RSI)
• Repetitive Motion Injury (RMI)
• Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD)
• Overuse Syndrome
• Activity-related Pain Syndrome

Ergonomics can help prevent MSDs that are caused
or aggravated by working conditions
Rothwell
20
MSDs

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
• Tendonitis and Tenosynovitis
• Trigger Finger
• Epicondylitis
• De Quervains Tenosynovitis
• Wrist Ganglion Cyst

Chung
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Tendonitis

• Normal tendon glides smoothly in a tendon sheath
• When under pressure, the capillary flow to the
  sheath is temporarily interrupted.
• When blood supply returns, swelling occurs.

Chung
22
Double Crush Syndromes

• Multiple points of pressure will have cumulative
  effects on axonal flow.

Chung
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Carpal Tunnel, Inside of Wrist

• Inside view of right wrist
• Yellow nerve crosses under flexor retinaculum
• Nerve has to share the space with nine tendons
  and tendon sheaths.

Chung
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Median Nerve (Carpal Tunnel)
Chung
25
Cubital Tunnel, or Funny Bone

• The ulnar nerve passes by the inside of the elbow
  through a fibrous tunnel.
• Swelling can put pressure on the ulnar nerve.
• Symptoms are felt at the elbow and into the
  little finger.
• This is called CubitalTunnel Syndrome.

Chung
26
Should Employers Care About Ergonomics?

Average 2003 cost for LBNL computer-related
workers compensation claims 23,745.
Chung
27
Office Ergonomics
USER
TASKS
EQUIPMENT

• Enhance comfort
• Increased productivity
• Improve job satisfaction and morale
• Reduced musculoskeletal discomfort,work
  injuries/illnesses

ENVIRONMENT
WORK CULTURE
Chung
28
Designing for the Worker

• Anthropometrics
• branch of ergonomics that deals with the
  measurement of body dimensions
• anthropometric data is used in the design of
  equipment and products to make them fit the
  height and reach of most of the potential
  population
• Gaussian distribution, design to 5
• Consider range of size, age, and physical ability
  when designing
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

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Adjustability

• Anthropometrics - designing for middle 50?
• American airplanes vs. the Russian Sukhoi

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Ergonomic Risk Factors

• Awkward positions
• Static postures
• Repetitive motion
• Forceful exertion
• Contact pressure

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At Risk Thresholds

• Per OSHA, certain situations create MSD risks
• Performing same motion pattern every few seconds
  for gt 2 hours continuously or 4 hours daily.
• Maintaining non-neutral (unsupported,
  static/fixed or awkward posture gt one (1) hour
  continuously or four (4) hours daily.
• Forceful hand exertions gt two (2) hours daily.
• Unassisted frequent or heavy lifting
• Boredom and monotony

Do you have these risks?
Chung
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Warning Signs

• Watch for

• Tingling or numbness in hands
• Pain sharp, dull or burning sensation
• Stiffness, reduced range of motion in arms,
  wrists
• Clumsiness, loss of grip strength or coordination
• Visual fatigue, watery eyes, dryness.

Chung
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Three Stages of CTDs

• Stage One
• aches and tiredness during working hours
• symptoms settle overnight or days off work
• no reduction in work performance
• condition may persist for weeks or months and is
  reversible

• Stage Two
• symptoms start early in work shift and dont
  settle overnight
• sleep may be disturbed
• capacity to perform repetitive work is
  reduced
• condition usually persists for months

Chung
34
Three Stages of CTDs

• Stage Three
• symptoms persist even at rest
• pain occurs with non-repetitive movements of
  affected area
• sleep is disturbed
• person unable to perform even light duties and
  has difficulties with other manual tasks

Chung
35
Workstation Setup Neutral Posture
1. Use a good chair and sit back 2. Top of
monitor 2-3" (5-8 cm) above eyes 3. No glare on
screen 4. Sit at arms length 5. Feet on floor
or footrest 6. Use a document holder 7.
Wrists flat and straight 8. Arms and elbows
close to body 9. Center monitor and keyboard in
front of you 10. Use a negative tilt keyboard
tray 11. Use a stable work surface 12. Take
frequent micro-breaks

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Workstation Setup Neutral Posture

• Other Office Items
• Telephones
• Staplers
• Staple removers
• Letter openers
• Hole punches
• Pens for writing tasks

Work within your normal range of motion
Chung
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Sitting Risk Factors

• Neutral Posture
• Slumped Posture

Chung
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Posture and Spinal Stress
lbs 660 550 440 330 220 110
Load on 3rd Lumbar Disc in 155-pound male
Chung
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Reaching/Range of Motion Factors

• Elbow
• Arm/Wrist
• Shoulder
• Back

• Elbows in
• Face the object you are reaching for.

Chung
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Watch the Hand Movements
DON'T rest your wrists on the desktop
DO let your wrists float
Chung
41
Watch the Hand Movements
SAFER
Chung
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Contact Pressure
Soft tissue compression (muscles, nerves blood
vessels)
Chung
43
Ergo Accessories - Chair

• Features
• Height
• Seat pan
• Backrest height
• Backrest tilt
• Armrest height
• Armrest width
• (chairs may have none, some, or all of these).

Chung
44
Ergo Chairs Accessories

• Features/Adjustments
• Height
• Seat pan (width/depth)
• Backrest height
• Backrest tilt
• Backrest tension
• Armrests
• Casters

Chung
45
Monitor Accessories

• Screen height at eye level (exception bifocals
  and trifocal lens wearers).
• Screen distance about arms length away.
• Room lighting -avoid backlight, shadows or
  reflective glare.

Chung
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Keyboards and Accessories
Voice-activated
Chung
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Input Devices - Pointing Devices
Chung
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Telephone Use

• Phone evaluation reach, placement, call
  frequency vs. duration, multi-tasking, etc.
• Cradle with neck/shoulder
• Cordless unit / motorized unit

Chung
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Document Holders
Place hardcopy beside or in front of monitor to
reduce neck twisting.
Chung
50
Notebooks, Laptops, Etc.

• Laptops can cause
• Awkward arm position
• Neck flexion to view the screen
• Neck pain from carrying/transporting laptops
• Fixes
• Use docking station and external input devices.
• Acquire portable devices and accessories.

Chung
51
Writing

• Carefully choose your pen - ink pens are easier
  to write with than ball point pens use pens with
  pads and/or good grip.
• Keep forearm supported, but avoid sharp desk
  edges use padded edge protector use slant
  board.
• Keep your wrist in neutral position.
• Avoid flexion/extension movements at the wrist or
  side-to-side.
• Relax the pinch use pen expanders or wider pens.
• Use a light touch reduce writing force.
• Relax the thumb avoid stretching it in awkward
  positions.

Chung
52
Potential At-Risk Condition(s)?

• Guidelines Shoulders relaxed/arms close to body
  side safe reaching distance for mouse neutral
  sitting

• Right hand on mouse even when not actively
  mousing (median nerve).
• Left lean supporting body weight with arm spine
  out of natural alignment
• Ulnar nerve compression (non-mousing elbow)
• Static muscle loading right shoulder abduction,
  wrist extension, flexed left arm

Chung
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Potential At-Risk Condition(s)?
Chung
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Potential At-Risk Condition(s)?
Chung
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Ergonomic Hazards - Before
Chung
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Ergonomic Controls - After
Chung
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Ergonomic Hazards - Before
Chung
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Ergonomic Controls - After
Chung
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Computer Workstation Considerations
Individual Issues
Chung
60
Computer Workstation

• Order of adjustments is important
• Adjust chair first
• Then adjust keyboard
• Finally, adjust monitor
• No single right way to sit