|
n
a Friday night, across the dinner table full of guests, Beckie watched
as Ben rubbed his forehead.
"Another headache?" she asked.
"Yes. Work. What can you do? It's just so busy," he replied.
As an office manager in a busy medical clinic, he just assumed the
headaches were from the daily bumps and grinds of work.
Jill was listening from across the table. "Well, actually, there can be other
causes for a headache than stress."
"Really?" Ben asked. "What do you mean?"
"I was getting headaches, as well as some shoulder and neck stiffness.
I thought it was all stress too until our company hired a couple ergonomists,"
Jill replied.
"Ergo-what? What's that?" asked Ben.
"Ergonomist," laughed Jill. "Ergonomics is the science
of matching the work (or job) to the worker. They study the human
body and how it moves. They can relate how the motions and things
we need to do at work affect our body."
Katie leaned in and laughed. "I don't move at all in my job.
I can never figure out why I sit all day at work and still feel so
tired!! It's one of the great mysteries of the office? and I
don't mean that container that's hiding in the back of the lunchroom
fridge."
"Ha ha. I will ask our ergonomists for their suggestions. You
never know what can help!" replied Jill.
On Monday, all of the dinner guests received the following e-mail.
-----
Original Message ----
From: Jill@company.ca
Subject: Oh, those aching?!
I talked to Andy and Maggie, our ergonomists. Here's what they had
to say. Hope it helps!
Jill
PS/ Beckie, thanks for the great dinner party last Friday!
----
Forwarded Message ----
From: Andy@company.ca, Maggie@company.ca
Subject: Office Ergonomics
![](/web/20071120075455im_/http://www.canadian-health-network.ca/customtools/images/spacer.gif) |
Hi
Jill,
As promised, here are some tips for your friends. While it is
hard to know exactly what is causing the headaches and stiffness
without actually seeing their workstations and how they work
at them, here is a list of the more common "culprits".
Ergonomics is not really a mystery once you are aware of all
the bits and parts and how they go together.
In general, a workstation that matches a worker's shape, size
and capabilities is essential. Prevention is the key. A poorly
designed workstation (such as a desk, chair and computer) may
pose undue physical stress on the worker for many reasons. These
factors include awkward posture, use of force, repetitive movements,
or a combination of these variables.
If work continues for a
long time with these factors, they may cause injuries of the
wrists, back, neck, shoulders and elbows in particular, but
sometimes affect other muscles, joints, and nerves in general.
The term Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) is used
to cover all these conditions. (Oh, and for some reason, many
people use "carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS" to mean
any and all possible WMSDs associated with computer work. This
is not the case, and in fact, carpal tunnel syndrome is a relatively
rare medical condition involving a channel in your wrist).
Our top ten tips are:
- Squint at the Screen? Glare on computer monitor
/ screen is a major factor for headaches and stiffness.
Not only do we squint, sometimes we will actually sit in
an awkward position (often without knowing it) so we don't
see the glare. The monitor is both a source of light, and
it acts like a mirror. Set up the monitor so there is no
reflection from lights (both on the desk and above your
head), or from windows. Check out this
picture for some hints.
- Computer Glasses? You have heard of reading glasses,
but in some cases people need glasses specifically for use at
the computer. Often the computer screen is farther away than
where you would hold a book to read, but not far enough away
for the "long distance" vision part of your glasses.
Having task-specific computer
glasses may help reduce eye strain or ask your optometrist
for more information.
- In a Slump? Posture is extremely important. Try to be
a "fly on the wall" and pay attention to how you sit
and do other work tasks. Do you hold the phone between your
ear and shoulder? Do you slump to one side when carrying the
laptop bag? Maybe you sit in a slouch? All of these postures
can put strain on your back, neck and shoulder muscles, and
can give some people headaches as well. Sit
up straight (we ergonomists call it "good body position"),
get a headset for your phone, clean out the laptop bag (lighten
your load!) or get a backpack version and use both shoulder
straps!
- Check your Chair! An adjustable chair that is set
up for YOU is a must. If you can, get an adjustable desk
too. It is important because if you are sitting with your
arms elevated, for example, you are putting stress on your
arms, shoulders, back, etc. Learn
how to adjust your chair.
- Sit? Don't forget to Stretch! People who sit most of
the day at a computer or desk often complain about being stiff
and sore. It actually takes effort for the body to "hold"
itself in one position for a long time. Stretching
is very important, as well as getting up and moving around.
Take a "walk" to the printer more often! For continuous
work at a computer, a work break of 5 to 10 minutes per hour
is generally recommended (you don't have to be gabbing at the
coffee machine either! You can do other types of work during
this time, just be sure the other tasks allow you to move around
and use "other" muscles.)
-
Mind that Mouse! While it is a handy gadget, a computer
mouse can cause all sorts of pains and aches. Be sure your mouse
is positioned in the right place for you - this may not be beside
the keyboard! Try in front of the keyboard instead (this helps
keep your arm close to your body which can reduce strain on
the arm and back). Click here to see
what we mean. Or, use the shortcut and function keys on
the keyboard instead of the mouse whenever possible.
- Don't use the Force. You can be assertive with your co-workers
if you really have to, but try not to use force with your keyboard
or when doing other fine work. Excessive force is generally
not a good idea. Most often force is a problem for workers who
have to lift or place objects, but even sticky keyboards can
make you use more effort than you need to. Be sure your equipment
is in good working order, and type lightly!
- Panic and Pace. Sure, sometimes things have to be done
quickly, but in general too fast a pace of work does not allow
the body time to recover between repetitive or forceful movements.
Fast pace can increase the risk of developing an injury. Both
management and employees should determine what is a good "pace"
for your office. Together, figure out what are reasonable work
quotas, schedules, goals or timelines.
- Watch those Wrists. Wrist rests can be both a blessing
and a curse. There is a lot of debate around the use of wrist
rests actually. On one side of the debate, it is known that
leaning the wrists on a wrist rest or the edge of the desk for
long periods can put a lot of pressure on the undersides of
the wrists. This may cause conditions such as carpal tunnel
syndrome (CTS) to develop. On the other hand, evidence shows
that wrist rests can ease tension in the neck and shoulders,
thus lessening the risk for musculoskeletal injury in such jobs.
The most important point is that workstations should be well
designed overall and more specifically that each station matches
the person working at it. What works for one person may not
work for others.
-
And sure, there's stress too. Stress can come from many
sources. Sometimes it's a deadline; sometimes it's more long
lasting. There are ways that a workplace can help. Check
out the tips.
That's
our top 10. Hope it helps! If your friends have any questions, they can
try asking their health and safety, or human resources departments at
work for more information.
Information is also available on the Internet. Resources are listed below.
Maggie and Andy
Other Resources:
Association of
Canadian Ergonomists
Comfortable
computer work (PDF format)
Ergonomics:
human factors
Office
ergonomics: remembering the basics (PDF format)
In Print:
Office
Ergonomics Safety Guide
|
---- End of Message ----
|