What is Ergonomics? ____________________ is the study of how the physical health of workers is affected by their workplace Ergonomics deals with; 1. Temperature 2. Air Quality 3. Lighting and Colour 4. Furniture/Equipment Design Ergonomics

What is Ergonomic Design? _____________________ means creating a healthier work area for employees, by applying knowledge of ergonomics to the design of tools, machines, systems, work areas, tasks, and jobs Ergonomic Design

What is an Ergonomist? An ________________ is someone who uses physical characteristics of a work area to make the workplace safe, comfortable, and more productive Ergonomists work with designers and engineers to ensure that a product or service will be used correctly and that it will not cause physical injury to those who use it Ergonomist

The History The need for a ‘good fit’ between humans and their tools was realized early in the development of humanity 16 th Century: work injury complaints began to be documented and Scientific Management (a process designed to improve the job process) became popular

The History WWII prompted further interest in human-machine interaction due to the growing sophistication of military equipment. This included fitting the machine to the size of the soldier

How Ergonomics Relates to the Workplace 1. Decreases risk of injury/illness 2. Enhances worker productivity 3. Improves quality of work life 4. Decreases numbers of days absent 5. Enhances worker retention (keeping employees employed with the company)

What are the Hazards? The 2 most common physical injuries: 1. Overexertion & Back Injuries 2. Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)

Overexertion & Lower-Back Injuries Caused by lifting, carrying & lowering heavy material Material handling is commonly done in organizations and can result in high-risk injuries which are the result of overexertion, poor posture and improper lifting techniques

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) The cause can be traced back to continuous and repetitive actions that produce muscle and/or skeletal strain This results in excessive wear and tear on soft body tissue (tendons, nerves & circulatory system) Usually RSI affect one or more of the following: fingers, wrists, arms, elbows, shoulders, neck, back and sometimes the lower body

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) RSI is becoming the most common occupational disease Examples of RSI include: tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, telephone operator’s elbow, writer’s cramp and postal worker’s shoulder

Examples of Injuries Considered to be RSI The 2 most common forms of RSIs are: 1. Tendonitis 2. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

RSI Risk Factors 1.Spending a large amount of time in continuous computer use 2.Repetitive actions 3.Poorly designed workstations 4.Poor typing skills (i.e. poor hand position, excessive force in striking the keys, etc)

RSI Symptoms 1. Weakness in the limb 2. Tingling/numbness in limb 3. Lack of Endurance (hand tires rapidly) 4. Clumsiness 5. Tightness/general soreness 6. Dull ache, throbbing and/or sharp pain 7. Burning and swelling

ALERT! If you are experiencing RSI related pain, immediately see your doctor. The longer you wait the worse your condition will get.

Workstation Design 4 major components of workstation design are; 1. Layout 2. Control and display panels 3. Seating 4. Lighting

Ergonomic Examples Furniture: chair with back support Accessories: “V” shaped keyboards Workstations: adjustable desk Atmosphere: air filters

A Growing Concern Ergonomic hazards have become a growing concern because they are increasingly being recognized as responsible for; 1. Employee injury, illness and absenteeism 2. Overall employee happiness

Ergonomics and the Internet To see just how big of a growing concern ergonomic hazards have become in today’s society, you need only to look on the Internet. There is a variety of websites dedicated to: New ergonomic products Ergonomic suppliers Ergonomic consulting firms Proper work methods/processes Implementation info Statistics Legal Issues

Websites & Video – Consulting, training & software – Sells products for home & office use – Sells products for home & office use You Tube Video

The End Be sure to keep these notes in your binder, as you will need them to study from for an upcoming quiz.