Computer Ergonomics for Work or Home
Children your home office computer and ergonomics
The Workplace and Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs)
Repetitive Motion Syndrome (RMS) or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
OSHA Regulations and Frequent Violations
There's been a lot of talk in recent years about ergonomics. Ergonomics is the study of the relationship between people and their work environment, and it's very important to your health and safety. Good ergonomics adapt the job to fit the person rather than forcing the person to fit the job. An ergonomic workplace designs tasks and tools to fit individual capabilities and limitations so people can do their jobs without being injured.
Ergonomics has emerged as a hot issue because it shows us the link between certain types of injuries and the way people perform their jobs. We now realize that the body can only stay in awkward or unnatural positions for just so long without paying a price.
The study of ergonomics-both in general and in terms of specific tasks and motions-has helped to identify what types of positions and movements can cause physical pain and injury as well as ways to prevent these problems.
Today, we're going to talk about ergonomics and learn more about how to avoid the poor ergonomics that put our bodies at risk. I hope you'll take this discussion very seriously. After all, ergonomics affects each of us personally. We're the ones who get aches and pains when tasks or tools have poor ergonomic design.
In addition, you are the only one who knows when you are experiencing pain and strain. And you're the one who's best able to determine what tasks, tools, and positions cause those symptoms. By being alert to problems, you help us identify injury causes-and solutions. That means you play an essential role in helping our company create a workplace in which you can work productively and comfortably.
Poor ergonomics leads to a number of serious physical problems. Often, we brush off the symptoms that could help us identify problems in an early stage. But that's the worst possible thing to do. With the types of physical problems we're discussing today, it's important to deal with them as early as possible. If you wait until the pain is too much to bear, you may already have permanent damage.
Working with a video display terminal (VDT) and a keyboard can be productive, rewarding and a lot of fun. Unfortunately, prolonged postures, coupled with high levels of concentration and the occasional frustration of things going less than perfectly, can lead to physical problems. Basic understanding in the way you "interface" with your computer can help prevent common health-related VDT and keyboard problems. A little knowledge of the principles of ergonomics, how people interact safely and efficiently with machines and their work environment, can save a lot of discomfort and maximize both productivity and enjoyment.
Visibility: You must be able to see what you are doing easily to avoid eye strain and neck pain. Have adequate amounts of light. Florescent lights are not very good, the so called "natural spectra" florescent lights are not quite as bad, incandescent lighting is better and indirect natural (sun) light is best. Reduce glare as much as possible, not only on your screen but also on the rest of your work area including the keyboard. Hoods, drapes, glare screens and changing the lights can do wonders. Use the control knobs on the monitor, they can help you. Don't be afraid to fiddle around with the tilt and height positions of the monitor. Rearrange things until you can see well and it feels comfortable for you.
Chairs: As with visibility factors, experiment with chair height and/or tilt. Try different chairs. Keep trying until you get it the way your body likes.
Keyboards: Be sure to get the height right to prevent too much bend at the wrist and allow the forearm to have some support. The arms should hang loose to prevent the shoulder muscles from cramping. Many keyboards can tilt; unfortunately, most of them tilt the wrong way. If any thing the keyboard should tilt to help the wrist stay straight, which is to say raising the space bar end and lowering the "" (the F1, F2 etc.) end. Tilting the key board the other way, (space bar lower and "" row higher) can predispose you to carpel tunnel syndrome.
Mouse: The continual clicking and small, precise motions involved in mouse use are a repetitive action that can be a health hazard. A few basic rules can help make handling this convenient input devise safer and more comfortable
Hold the mouse loosely: "White knuckling" the mouse creates too much tension. Use a light touch when you click. Use you whole arm and shoulder to move the mouse, not just your wrist. Don't rest your forearm on the desk while you move the mouse. Do not lift your "pinkie", use all of your fingers to lightly hold the mouse. Keep your wrist relaxed and neutral, not bent. The click button should be about the same height as your keyboard. Avoid prolonged postures. Rotate your shoulders, gently shake your hands and fingers four or five times per hour. Left handers should use a "left handed" mouse, or configure the mouse to work best with their different (mirror image) hand shape.
Desks: Make enough space so that you have room to work, especially if your pushing your mouse around. Use a paper holder to keep letters or books semi-vertical and at eye level. Your work space should be set up so that you need not twist your neck. Documents should be positioned at the same height and next to the VDT, especially if a lot of time is to be spent at these tasks. Make your work space user friendly.
VDT: Keep your distance. Electromagnetic radiations follows the inverse square rule, which is to say the further away you are from the source, the weaker they get and they do so quickly. You can protect yourself with space. I recommend you stay at least 75 centimeters (30 inches) from your terminal and at least one meter (40 inches) from other terminals.
VDT: Keep it fixed. X-ray and other radiation production increases dramatically when the VDT is damaged, improperly maintained, or just plain worn out. PCBs are sometimes released by very old VDT models (i.e. built before 1970).
Before your child start logging hours working and playing games on your family/home office computer. If you have not already, you need to as a parent to brush up on the basics of workstation ergonomics.
Your family/home office computer usually is not setup for children. Parents who adjust this setting for young children and teach them good posture as they mature may prevent health problems in the future. Such difficulties may include vision problems, headaches, carpal tunnel, and back pain.
Here's a checklist for children's postures:
Chairs should offer strong support for backs.
Kids' heads should balance evenly on their necks, in-stead of tilting to one side.
Feet should rest firmly on the ground (or on a sturdy box, if children are small).
Children should bend their knees at no less than a 90-degree angle so that blood circulate, properly.
Elbows should bend at a 90- to 110-degree angle, with forearms slightly below a horizontal level.
Upper arms should stay close to children's bodies.
Wrists and hands need to be level with forearms.
If a school's computer equipment does not accommodate students of different sizes, tell your children to:
Sit on a book if the chair is not high enough.
Place a rolled-up jacket behind their back for support.
Keep their hands relatively flat.
Tell the teacher about any discomfort
Parents of young students may want to check out the school's computer area or ask the teacher to check children's computer posture, as necessary.
Probably the most talked-about physical problem resulting from poor ergonomics is Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs). CTDs are the fastest-growing occupational illness. CTDs develop over long periods of time. They're painful, sometimes even crippling, conditions that affect nerves, tendons, tendon sheaths, and muscles, especially in the arms, hands, and wrists.
CTDs are sometimes called Repetitive Motion Syndrome (RMS), because repetitive motions are one common cause of the problem. Other causes include forceful exertion, vibration, and awkward positions or movements. The longer you expose your body to any of these situations, the more likely you are to develop a painful problem.
One of the most common CTSs is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The carpal tunnel is a passageway in the wrist. When the nerve that runs through that tunnel gets pinched, it can cause tingling, numbness, and pain in the hand, wrist, and even the arm. It can also reduce the strength and mobility of your hand and could, in the worst cases, lead to permanent nerve damage and even partial paralysis.
Other CTDs primarily affect the tendons, especially at or near the joints. One common problem is tendonitis, an inflammation that results from using the wrist or shoulder too much or in ways that they're not meant to go. If the condition is bad enough, the tendon fibers may even fray or tear.
The longer CTDs are ignored, the worse they get. In addition, if you let them go long enough, they may not be able to be "cured." Failing to take early action may force you to live with the pain and with limited use of your hand or arm forever. So pay attention to how your arm, neck, shoulder, hand, wrist, and fingers feel. Let me know immediately if you experience:
Pain or aches
Numbness or tingling
Stiffness
Burning
Swelling
Weakness
Another type of ergonomic problem relates to vibration. Repeated, prolonged exposure to vibration may cause Raynaud's syndrome, or white finger. That means the skin and muscles aren't getting enough oxygen from the blood.
It may take months or even years for your fingers and hands to feel the effects of working with vibrating tools. But once the symptoms get really bad, it can be too late. In the worst cases, the tissue in the fingers can die or you might lose the use of your hand.
So if you work with pneumatic tools, grinders, chain saws, or other tools that vibrate, you have to be very alert. If you work with these tools when it's cold or if you smoke, you're particularly at risk. Here are the symptoms to watch out for:
Tingling
Numbness
Pain
Fingers turning white and losing feeling
Loss of finger dexterity
OSHA has been studying ergonomics very closely for a number of years. While the agency has not yet issued a regulation on this problem, it has issued ergonomic guidelines for meatpacking plants (OSHA 3123), where CTDs are very common. These guidelines are also useful for many other kinds of industries.
Just because OSHA doesn't have an ergonomics regulation doesn't mean that OSHA inspectors ignore it. In fact, the agency has cited many companies for ergonomic violations in recent years, and big penalties are not uncommon.
OSHA has issued these citations for violations of the General Duty Clause of the Occupational and Safety Act of 1970 that created OSHA. That clause (Section 5) states clearly that "each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to its employees."
Since poor ergonomics are now recognized as a hazard, OSHA believes they definitely qualify as violations of its regulations.
As I mentioned before, the study of ergonomics has identified a number of tasks and positions that are most likely to lead to cumulative trauma disorders and other physical problems.
Among the risk factors for cumulative trauma disorders of the arm and hand are:
Repetitive activities-making the same motion, over and over. The longer you repeat the same movement, the greater the risk.
Forceful exertions, particularly with the hands. The combination of repetitive motion and force-such as pushing on a tool over and over-is a particular risk.
Staying in the same position, whether sitting or standing, for an extended time.
Awkward body postures, such as reaching above your shoulders or behind your back or twisting your wrists to perform tasks.
Continued physical contact between hands or arms and a work surface or surface edge.
Excessive power tool vibration.
Hand tools that either don't fit the job or don't fit the hand.
Poor ergonomics can also injure the back. Among the factors that raise the risks of back injury are:
Bending continually from the waist
Lifting from below the knees or above the shoulders
Twisting at the waist, especially while lifting
Lifting or moving objects that are too heavy or awkward
Sitting for long periods of time, especially if you have poor posture.
In general, poor ergonomics means forcing your body into unnatural movements and positions. When you do that, your body uses pain, aches, numbness, etc., to tell you there's a problem. It's crucial that you be alert to those symptoms. Because if you just keep doing what you're doing, your body will finally send signals so strong that you can't ignore them-and you may have to live with the results for the rest of your life.