Technology has had a profound effect on the way we live and work. As a result, we are spending more time sitting and using computers, which has greatly increased the occurrence of related musculoskeletal disorders. This article reviews a number of techniques for avoiding work-related, repetitive stress injuries and enhancing both the comfort and productivity levels of the workers who adopt them.
The result of all these changes is that we're spending more time at our desks, and more time on our computers - a lot more time. While 90 percent of all U.S. office workers now use computers, 40 percent work on their computers at least four hours a day. But Dr. Alan Hedge warns that the risk of musculoskeletal discomfort increases by using the computer as little as one hour a day. Even worse, the risk of musculoskeletal injury is nine times greater when you spend four hours a day at the computer than it is for a one hour-per-day user. These statistics shed some light on the growing number of work-related office injuries, and the increasing importance of ergonomics in the workplace.
So what exactly is ergonomics? In a broad sense, office ergonomics applies science to workplace design to maximize productivity while reducing operator fatigue and discomfort. While the concept is fairly straightforward, its application is often open to debate. This is why it's important to articulate the real issues facing workers in today's office, and to debunk the misconceptions that typically surround discussions of ergonomics.
While the ability to adjust is a critical component of most ergonomic products, workers may unwittingly adjust themselves into bad postures and positions. Products should be adjustable within a safe operating range to keep un trained users from putting themselves at risk. Since most people know precious little about ergonomics, when workers set up their own work stations, the position of the keyboard, mouse, monitor and copy holder is typically determined by available desk space, in which case the likelihood of an ergonomic workspace is next to nil. Not all products labeled 'ergonomic' are actually good for you. There are currently no laws or governing bodies overseeing the use of the 'ergonomic' label. This means anyone can call any product 'ergonomic'-from toasters to baby pins to steam-proof mirrors. As a result, the term has been overused and watered down. Bottom line, ergonomics in the workplace is serious business, and product claims and functions must be backed up by serious research and testing.
Not all products labeled 'ergonomic' are actually good for you.
There are currently no laws or governing bodies overseeing the use of the 'ergonomic' label. This means anyone can call any product 'ergonomic'-from toasters to baby pins to steam-proof mirrors. As a result, the term has been overused and watered down. Bottom line, ergonomics in the workplace is serious business, and product claims and functions must be backed up by serious research and testing.
So much for the bad news. The good news is that most work-related, repetitive stress injuries are avoid able. By attending to a few basic principles, employers can enhance their employees' comfort and productivity and reduce their risk of MSDs and other costly injuries. Remember these words: 'Ergonomic principles are most effectively applied on a preventive basis. Good design with ergonomics provides the greatest economic benefit for industry.'
Despite the old school of thought on the desirability of fixed postures, the overwhelming evidence today shows that fixed postures are inherently dangerous. 'Any fixed posture, no matter how closely it approaches the optimal, will generate muscle fatigue; therefore, it is important to build in flexibility to allow operators to shift positions easily.' Our bodies were designed to move. In fact movement, more than anything else, provides nourishment for the spine, keeps the joints lubricated and flexible, improves circulation and removes waste products from the muscles. Conversely, when we don't move, the elasticity of our spine and joints is reduced and waste products build up in the muscles, causing fatigue. While constant motion is obviously not the goal, frequent positional changes are vitally important to good health.
Frequent movement and position changes are critical to health and comfort. However, in order to get people moving, they must first know how to operate their chairs. And this is easier said than done. According to a 1995 study, less than two percent of the subjects were able to identify the purpose of the back tension adjustment knob--the most basic of chair controls--on a variety of chairs. The problem is that if the tension spring is set too firm, the chair won't recline and the user will be forced to sit in an upright posture. If the spring is set too loose, the chair will fall back to its most reclined position, where the user may sit for hours at a time. Even if set properly, the tension spring will only provide optimal support in the middle of the recline range.
In addition to proper support, it's important that a task chair provide good body fit. No one would consider wearing a pair of shoes that didn't fit. Yet millions of office workers sit in chairs that are maladjusted to their body size and shape. Not surprisingly, such workers are at high risk of injury. Since office workers come in all shapes and sizes, it's vital that each worker's chair be sized to fit. The most common size adjustment is seat height. Ideally, the seat height should be set so the user's feet rest comfortably on the floor while the upper body is high enough to work comfortably at the desk. But because the height of most desks is fixed, petite users may need to raise the chair to a point where their feet are lifted off the floor. This. puts undue stress on the undersides of the thighs, often causing circulation problems and potential nerve damage. Placing a height-adjustable footrest under the desk solves the problem by giving petite workers proper support for their feet and legs.
