Creating a Healthy Workplace Office Ergonomics Creating a Healthy Workplace In today’s technology age most workers use a computer at some point during their work day; and oftentimes people use a computer at home as well. Long term computer use can be physically taxing, especially if the workstation is not set up correctly. A wide variety of computer workstations can be found throughout the Franklin & Marshall campus. Today we are going to talk about how to set up a health workstation and ways you can minimize your potential for Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD’s). I mentioned in the email notice for this session, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that ergonomic injuries account for approximately 34% of all lost time work related injuries are related to MSD’s.  More common names for MSD's include repetitive stress injuries, cumulative trauma disorders, tennis elbow, white finger and the most common of all, carpal tunnel syndrome. All those little aches and pains that we right off as “getting older”. Over a long period of time, they become cumulative trauma disorders. Environmental Heath & Safety Department G-4 TPP 65.2.13

What is Ergonomics? ERGO = “work” NOMICS = “rules” or “laws” Ergonomics literally means “the laws of work” First we need to understand what the term Ergonomics is referring to. Literally, Ergo means work and Nomics meaning the natural rules or laws - so Ergonomics is the science of work and a persons natural relationship with that work. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

What is Ergonomics? OSHA defines ergonomics as the science of “designing the job to fit the worker, instead of forcing the worker to fit the job.” designing the job to fit the worker, instead of forcing the worker to fit the job Environmental Heath & Safety Department

What is Ergonomics? Ideally, good ergonomic conditions: Make the job safer by preventing injury and illness Make the job easier by adjusting the job to the worker Make the job more pleasant by reducing physical and mental stress Save money $$$ Makes the job safer easier more pleasant which saves money Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Ergonomic Factors Two Categories of Ergonomic Factors to be considered Environmental conditions – your physical surroundings Physical stressors – how your body reacts to work practices There are two basic categories of factors that we need to consider when we are setting up our workspace. influence how our bodies react to the work we perform. The Environmental conditions that we are being exposed to; our physical surrounding. The Physical stressor – The type of activity we are doing and how that affects your body. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Environmental Factors Environmental factors may affect: Hearing Vision Dim lighting or glares from windows General comfort and health Hard seats or cramped spaces Environmental factors are those that affect your senses….sight, hearing, smell. Just as with any other aspect of life, excessive exposure to these factors can cause damage to your body. Noisy areas or areas with a constant pitch sound can damage your hearing. Dim lighting or the wrong type of lighting can cause additional strain on your eyes, while hard seats and cramped spaces affect your overall comfort and health. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Environmental Factors Causes of these problems are: Excessive noise Improper lighting Temperature extremes Sick Building Syndrome Most of these problems we can control and remedy quite easily. Some, like Sick Building Syndrome are a little more complicated because we can’t always identify the root cause of the problem. Even so, there are things we can do to make the environment healthier. Sick Buildings – poor ventilation, off-gassing of materials, mold For Excessive, or constant noise – We can provide hearing protection, white noise devices For Improper lighting - too bright or too dim – We can change the type of bulbs or install dimmer switches. Since comfort is the key to maximum productivity, too hot or cold conditions can have a dramatic affect on our productivity and general comfort. Of course during weather extremes and during times of energy saving initiatives, we may have to address our comfort level by dressing warmer or using a fan if the temperature is higher than we like the environment. The campus can try to address many of these problems but each of us have to do our part as well. Especially when it comes to some of these ergonomic problems. The college can provide the proper tools, but each of us have to make an effort to change our negative work habits. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Physical Stressors Joints, muscles, nerves, tendons, bones Physical stressors place pressure or stress on parts of the body: Joints, muscles, nerves, tendons, bones Injuries cause by physical stressors are referred to as “Cumulative Trauma Disorders” (CTDs) or “Repetitive Strain Injuries” (RSIs) Physical stressors can place additional stress or specific body parts and how we routinely perform our work will directly affect the stress on those body part. Improper lifting can cause substantial strain on your back, causing pulled muscle or slipped disc. Repetitive movements can cause chronic damage to nerves tendons and joints. These repetitive injuries are called “Cumulative Trauma Disorders or CTD’s, Repetive Strain Injuries RSI’s or MSD’s Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CFDs) Cumulative = occurring gradually over a period of weeks, months, or years Trauma = bodily injury to nerves, tissues, tendons, or joints Disorders =conditions causing physical ailments or abnormal conditions Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Cumulative Trauma Disorders Examples of Cumulative Trauma Disorders include: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Epicondylitis (tennis elbow) Tenosynovitis (trigger finger) Bursitis I have some handouts that discuss the symptoms, causes and home treatments for these disporders Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Risk Factors The main risk factors for office-related CTDs are: Repetition Awkward positions or posture Excessive pressure or force Another risk factor for CTDs would be: Vibration Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Risk Factors: Repetition The majority of CTDs are caused by repetitive motions that would not result in injury if only performed once. Thousands of keystrokes typing Hours of filing, day after day Stamping dozens of papers Frequent lifting Repeated motions with computer mouse Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Risk Factors: Awkward Positions Leaning forward at your desk Typing with wrists at an odd angle Raising shoulders while typing Awkward positions are also one of the leading factors in workplace injuries or discomfort. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Risk Factors: Awkward Positions Reaching to use mouse Twisting neck to look at monitor or phone Awkward positions are also one of the leading factors in workplace injuries or discomfort. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Risk Factors: Excessive Force Typing with too much force or “pounding’ the keys Stamping Lifting heavy boxes of paper or carrying office equipment Using improper grip Environmental Heath & Safety Department

There are simple ways to help yourself! But the good news is …. There are simple ways to help yourself! Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Prevention Strategies Avoid leaning forward at your desk Maintain natural “s” curve of your spine Support lower back Keep feet supported on floor or use a foot rest Ideally you should be sitting in a very comfortable, leaning back, relaxed position. Almost as if you are sitting in a living room chair talking to a friend. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Prevention Strategies The elbows should be at a comfortable angle while "hanging" at the sides from the shoulders. The shoulders should remain relaxed in a lowered position while typing. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Prevention Strategies Avoid typing with wrists at an odd angles keep them in the neutral position, not bent up or down, or side-to- side Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Neutral Wrist Position Keyboard positioned at elbow height and flat Avoid contact stress while typing Use proper posture and keying technique Your arms should float over the keyboard as if playing the piano The keyboard should be located at elbow height and rest FLAT on the desk. The feet on the keyboard should always be retracted. A positive angle towards the user should be avoided, although a negative tilt away from the user is permissible. The employee should float over the keys without coming into contact with any possible sources of contact stress. It helps to move the keyboard as close to the edge of the work surface or keyboard tray as possible to avoid the sharp edges. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Prevention Strategies The keyboard should be slightly lower than normal desk height. If it is not low enough, try raising your chair height. Prevent your legs from dangling by using a footrest. Keep "home row" of keys at elbow level. Adjust your chair! Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Neutral Posture for Computer Use Position the monitor directly in front of you and about an arm’s length away. The top row of characters on the screen should be no higher than seated eye height Adjust the seat height so upper arms hang vertically, close to the body, elbows bent about 90 degrees, shoulders relaxed and wrists straight Use a document holder close to the monitor Adjust the back rest to provide firm support to the small of the back Mouse should be next to the keyboard, both at a height equivalent to your seated elbow height This diagram shows the neutral seated postures and how it relates to setting up your computer. Please feel free to reproduce this slide and distribute it. We will cover how to set up a computer workstation later. For now let’s focus on the neutral seated posture. There are three very important right angles in this diagram- the knees, hips, and elbows. It’s important to note that the computer workstation is aligned directly in front of the user. Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up. First, you should always have a person’s feet resting comfortably on the floor. If the workstation is adjustable, adjust the chair until the person’s feet are resting on the floor. If the workstation is not adjustable they will need a foot rest. Working our way up- the computer user’s thighs should be parallel to the floor and the hips should be at a height equal to or slightly higher than the knees. The lumbar support should be positioned to support the lumbar area of the back (located in the small of the back above the waistband). The user’s arms should be comfortably at his/her sides with the elbows at a 90 degree angle. The wrists should be completely flat to encourage blood flow and nerve conduction. The keyboard and the mouse should be located at a height equivalent to the user’s seated elbow height to allow the user to float naturally over the keys. The monitor should be located about an arm’s length away from the user with the top row of text equal to or 20 degrees below the user’s seated eye height. Monitor height and distance is different if the user is wearing bifocals. Knees comfortably bent with feet resting on the floor. If the chair is raised so the keyboard height equals elbow height, use a foot rest to encourage sitting fully back on the chair The seat pan supports the thighs but does not contact the back of the knees Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Prevention Strategies Do not pound the keys. Use a light touch. Use two hands to perform double key operations like Ctrl-C or Alt-F instead of twisting one hand to do it. Position frequently used equipment so that you don’t have to reach for it. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Prevention Strategies Place monitor in front of you, not off at an angle. Take lots of breaks to stretch and relax. Hold mouse lightly. Keep your hands and arms warm. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Prevention Strategies Pay attention to the signals your body provides you. If your neck hurts at work, examine your body position to try to figure out what might be causing the soreness. Are you holding your neck at an awkward angle while you type or talk on the phone? Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Vision Related Work Habits 20/20 Rule Blink/refocus eyes regularly Keep monitor screen clean Regular vision care 20/20 rule is to refocus your eyes for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. Most dry/itchy eyes are a result of dust on the computer monitor. Regular vision care can help reduce eye strain. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Prevention Strategies If you are experiencing symptoms of CTDs… Tingling or numbness in the hands or fingers Pain in fingers, hands wrists, or even shooting up into the arms or forearms Loss of strength or coordination in the hands Numbness or discomfort in the hands that wakes you up at night.... SEE A DOCTOR! Environmental Heath & Safety Department

But What About Headaches? Many office-related headaches are caused by eyestrain. Dry eyes Monitor glare Tired/strained eye muscles Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Eyestrain Position monitor at a comfortable distance Avoid glare Adjust VDT brightness and contrast Keep screen clear of dust Look up and away every few minutes or so! Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Ergonomic Products There are a variety of ergonomic products available on the market, including: Keyboards Wrist rests Mouse pads Chairs Adjustable desks Glare screens Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Other Equipment Head sets Recommended when on the phone for extended periods of time, receive frequent calls. Important for people who write or use the computer while talking on the phone. Telephone headsets are recommended for employees who are on the phone for extended periods of time or receive frequent calls. They are important for people who write or use the computer while talking on the phone. These people tend to cradle the phone with an awkward neck posture. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Other Equipment Sit to stand workstations Allows for macro changes in posture Minimizes fatigue or discomfort associated with continuous sitting or standing Can be beneficial for those with back pain Alternating between sitting and standing can decrease fatigue and discomfort at the end of the day by reducing static muscle loading and promoting blood circulation and muscle movement. Sit to stand workstations are also good for employees with back problems. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Proper Lifting Lifting improperly can result in Muscle strains Ligament sprains Vertebral disk herniations Abdominal hernias Alternating between sitting and standing can decrease fatigue and discomfort at the end of the day by reducing static muscle loading and promoting blood circulation and muscle movement. Sit to stand workstations are also good for employees with back problems. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Proper Lifting Plan ahead Clear pathway to ensure safe path Is the load to heavy to carry by yourself? Get help. Alternating between sitting and standing can decrease fatigue and discomfort at the end of the day by reducing static muscle loading and promoting blood circulation and muscle movement. Sit to stand workstations are also good for employees with back problems. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Proper Lifting Keep your feet shoulder-width apart Squat down – bend at knees and hips Keep back straight, chest out, shoulders back Hold load close to body, close to center of mass Use feet to change direction; do not twist body Alternating between sitting and standing can decrease fatigue and discomfort at the end of the day by reducing static muscle loading and promoting blood circulation and muscle movement. Sit to stand workstations are also good for employees with back problems. Environmental Heath & Safety Department

Additional Resources … OSHA - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/resources.html CDC/NIOSH – http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/ Mayo Clinic – http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/office-ergonomics/MY01460 Environmental Heath & Safety Department