About Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study of humans in relation to their work and working surroundings.

This broad science involves the application of psychological as well as physiological
principles to the design of buildings, machinery, vehicles, packaging, implements and
anything else with which people come into contact.

Ergonomics removes barriers to quality, productivity, and safe human performance by
fitting products, tasks and environments to people.

What is the purpose of ergonomics in the workplace? The goals of ergonomics are to:

Decrease risk of injury/illness
Enhance worker productivity
Improve quality of work life

Chairs
Well adjusted chairs improve body position and circulation, reduce muscular effort
and decrease pressure on the worker's back. Chairs should swivel, have five wheels
for stability, breathable fabric on the seat, a rounded front edge and have
adjustable height and backrest for lumbar support. Adjust the seat tilt so that you
are comfortable when you are using the keyboard. Usually this will be close to
horizontal but tilted slightly forwards.
If this places an uncomfortable strain on the leg muscles or if the feet do not reach
the floor then a footrest should be used. Adjust the backrest so that it supports
the lower back when you are sitting upright.

Keyboard Placement
Place the keyboard in a position that allows the forearms to be close to the
horizontal and the wrists to be straight. That is, with the hand in line with the
forearm. If this causes the elbows to be held far out from the side of the body
then re-check the work surface height.

Screen placement
Set the eye to screen distance at the distance that permits you to most easily
focus on the screen. Usually this will be within an arm's length. Set the height
of the monitor so that the top of the screen is below eye level and the bottom
of the screen can be read without a marked inclination of the head. Usually
this means that the centre of the screen will need to be near shoulder height.

Desk-top layout
Place all controls and task materials within a comfortable reach of both hands
so that there is no unnecessary twisting of any part of the body.

Document holder
Place this close to the monitor screen in the position that causes the least twisting
or inclination of the head.

Posture and environment
Change posture at frequent intervals to minimise fatigue. Avoid awkward postures
at the extremes of the joint range, especially the wrists. Take frequent short rest
breaks rather than infrequent longer ones. Avoid sharp increases in work rate.
Changes should be gradual enough to ensure that the workload does not result
in excessive fatigue. After prolonged absences from work the overall duration of
periods of keyboard work should be increased gradually if conditions permit.

Using a Mouse
A well designed mouse should not cause undue pressure on the wrist and forearm
muscles. A large bulky mouse may keep the wrist continuously bent at an
uncomfortable angle. Pressure can be reduced by releasing the mouse at frequent
intervals, by selecting a slim-line, low-profile mouse or one designed to position the
wrist and hand to allow maximum circulation.

Keyboard and telephone operations
Lightweight adjustable headsets with a volume control should be provided for staff
on continuous keyboard/telephone operation. For continuous, traffic dependent
telephone operations a manual call facility should also be provided.

Use of laptop/notebook computers
Where possible and practical it is advisable that all of the principles outlined
above be applied when working with these types of computers. In particular
you should try and avoid awkward body postures and ensure that frequent
short breaks are taken to minimise the onset of fatigue.

Ergonomics Today Magazine

"Poor Office Habits May Impact Pain and Productivity But Workers Aren’t Ready to
Change "

March 31, 2004

According to a recent British survey, today’s high-tech office environments, intended to improve
productivity, may be having the opposite effect on workers. Workspaces touting the latest
technological advancements are keeping workers at their desks for longer stretches at a time,
leading to work environments that are increasing the risks of pain and stress while reducing
productivity. And the same survey indicates that workers may not be inclined to do anything
to fix the problems themselves.
When more than 2000 British workers were asked questions regarding their current office
work habits for a survey by NEC-Mitsubishi and British firm Open Ergonomics, 35 percent
of the respondents stated that they experienced back or neck pain because of the way they
sit at their desks. Forty percent said they were bothered by their own desk clutter which was
also keeping them from being productive, and 30 percent of respondents indicated that they
may be forfeiting rest and break time by eating at their desks or sending email rather than
engaging in face-to-face conversation with co-workers.
Overall, say the survey’s sponsors, the numbers add up to 67 percent of British office workers
spending more time at their desks than they did just two years ago. And even when workers
perceived a situation as preventable, most indicated that they “couldn’t be bothered to do
anything about it.”
The results are indicative of a situation some people are deeming “Irritable Desk Syndrome”
or IDS, a general apathy towards changing desk-bound behaviors. While a large portion of the
respondents in the survey admitted that they could change several of their work habits, most
indicated that they just chose not to.
Over half of the survey’s respondents said that they could take more regular breaks away from
their desks, giving their bodies recovery time from awkward postures, by either taking lunches
elsewhere or not relying as heavily on electronic correspondence with office colleagues. Survey
sponsors also noted that healthier desk setups that incorporated ergonomic elements could add
to productivity and reduce discomfort or risk of injury.
Recommendations from the study include paying more attention to the way a desk area is set
up in order to reduce health risks, taking breaks away from the desk to improve concentration
and for overall health, and organizing the desk space as well as adding personal touches to the
office to remind office workers of their life away from work.

-- Jeanie Croasmun

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