ERGONOMICS

ERGONOMICS

Why Improving the Ergonomic Environment

Is Important to the Individual:

• Increases comfort and decreases fatigue

• Decreases risk of injury

• Prevents long-term impact– 55% of repetitive task injuries involved the injury of

the wrist. (NIOSH, July 1997)

– By the time many people get help for a CTD injury, they have often sustained permanent damage.

– Injuries affect a person’s private life as well as their ability to work.


Is Important to the Company:

• Lowers direct costs– Fewer worker compensation claims

• California Worker’s Compensation Institute reports that upper extremity MSD claims average $21,453 each. (CWCI 1993)

• The precise cost of MSD’s to US industry is unknown, however, experts quote between $13 and $20 billion annually.

– Potential lower legal costs• According to the November 13, 2000 OSHA ruling, the

employer is responsible for MSD’s of a person who types more than four hours a day without a break. It remains to be seen what the legal implications are to the ruling.


Is Important to the Company:

• Lowers indirect costs– Lower employee absenteeism

• The median time away from work as a result of an MSD is eighteen days. (NIOSH, 1997)

• When one insurance company with nearly 800 workers moved into new, ergonomically designed quarters, absenteeism decreased from 4.4% to 1.6%.

• The #1 cause of absenteeism from work is back pain and #2 is the common cold. (Atlanta Journal, 1990)

– Improved worker morale• Only half of the employees planning to leave their current

employer are satisfied with their physical environment compared with 75% who plan to remain. (“Competing for Talent,” The Hay Group, Inc., 1998)


Is Important to the Company:– Increased productivity and returns

• Multiple studies have shown increases in efficiency (up to 25%) and accuracy in typing when workstations were improved to meet ergonomic standards. (NIOSH, 1997)

• An insurance company purchased ergonomic furniture at a cost of $4.20 per square foot and realized a net return-per-square foot of $189. Productivity processing paperwork increased 137%, with a 9% decrease in errors or defective claims. Nearly 3/4 of the customers felt they had received improved service. (Managing Office Technology, November, 1993)

• Good ergonomic seating can improve an employee’s productivity by 4% - 6% of their annual salary. Therefore, if an employee earns $20,000 per year, the productivity increase is $1,000 per year. The chair pays for itself within six months. (Springer, “Reports from the Field”)

– Lower employee turnover• The cost of employee turnover is high. The replacement cost for a

worker paid $50,000 per year is $75,000. (“Competing for Talent,” The Hay Group, Inc., 1998)

Many Parts of the Body Can Be Affected…A Risk of Injury Can Be Reduced Using:

• A workstation that adjusts to support the individual during all their work tasks.

• Proper body positioning.

Body Parts Commonly Affected:

• Paying attention to the principles of ergonomics can decrease the occurrence of strain in:– The Neck– The Shoulders– The Arms

• Forearm, Wrist and Hand

– The Back & Legs– The Eyes

THE NECK

•Position what you are looking at rather than moving your head.

•Maintain a natural position.

•Locate monitor directly in front of user.

•Keep head straight - do not sit with head twisted to the left or the right.

•Adjust monitor so top of screen is at eye level or slightly below.

•Keep head balanced over shoulders: do not tilt head up or down.

Additional tips:•Use a stand to keep copy upright and as close to the same height as screen as possible.

•Frequent telephone users should wear headsets.

The NeckHow to do it:

What to do:

Helping the Neck Area

Products that offer help include:

Standard Monitor Lift Flat Panel Monitor Arm

THE SHOULDERS

The Shoulders

•Minimize extended reaches.

•Locate keyboard and mouse low and close so that the elbows will fall naturally below the shoulders and close to the body.

•Keep shoulders relaxed, down and back.

How to do it:

What to do:

•Keep upper arm perpendicular to floor. Keep shoulders from supporting weight of an outstretched arm.

•Use palm rest and chair arms to support weight of arms during pauses in typing.

Additional tips:

•Use back of chair to support upper spine. This keeps the shoulders from falling forward.

•Maintain a good posture.

•Keep important items close at hand.•Select a chair with simple, easy-to-reach and grip adjustments

Helping the Shoulders


Articulating keyboard/mouse arms

A good, ergonomic chair with adjustable arms and back. All levers should be adjustable from the seated position.

A simple, intuitive chair with controls that are easy to reach.

Products that minimize extended reaches:

CPU holders OrchestraBackpack storage

Helping the Shoulders

Clamps Trolleys

THE ARMS

The Forearm, Wrists, and Hands How to do

it:What to do:

•Tilt keyboard platform so the keyboard sits parallel to floor or slightly negative to encourage straight wrists.

•Locate keyboard and mouse low enough so that the forearm and upper arm form a 90-degree angle or slightly greater. Position the mouse close to the keyboard in distance and height.

•Keep forearms parallel to the floor.

•Use palm rest as a guide to keep wrists straight. Do not rest wrists on the palm rest while typing.

•Keep wrists and hands straight.

•Do not rest wrists on hard or sharp edges.

•Use generously Radiused armpads.Soft pads are preferred.

Helping the Forearm, Wrists and Hands


Articulating keyboard/mouse arms

Bulldog Soft Pad Armrests

When an ergonomic keyboard arm with multiple adjustments is not necessary*...

*According to Occupational Medicine State-of-the-Art Reviews, Hanley & Belfus, volume 14, no. 1, incidence of repetitive stress disorders increase dramatically when the user types over four hours straight per day.

• Lowers keyboard surface

• Provides a stable surface - attached at two ends

• Slim profile

• Easy to use - works just like a drawer

• Available with negative tilt option

• Gets the keyboard off the work surface

• Gives an executive look

The Backpack Drawer is a great solution!

THE BACK AND LEGS

The Back

•Use chair to support lower back by adjusting the lumbar support where comfortable. Use a chair with good back contours and a supportive seat cushion that remains soft and doesn’t compress into the seat pad below.

•Maintain natural curve in lower back (lumbar area). Decrease pressure on the pelvis bones.

How to do it:

What to do:•Use chair back to support upper back. Control tension adjustment, locking or forward tilt features if necessary.

•Maintain upright posture such that the chair supports you during daily tasks

•Use chair with proper or adjustable seat depth such that a distance of 3 fingers will fit between the seat edge and the user’s calf. The seat cushion should have a waterfall on the front edge and should not have any hard edges. Adjust seat height so feet rest comfortably on the floor.

•Avoid pressure on the back of the leg and on the back of the thigh and under the knee for better circulation.

Helping the Back


Adjustableseat depth

Adjustablebackrest

Bulldog Parachute

Features that help include:

RPM

THE EYES

The EyesHow to do it:

What to do:•Select a monitor distance based on what is comfortable for the eyes - usually about two feet.

•Reduce eye strain.

•Provide adequate lighting for documents.

•Try to position monitor perpendicular to light source.

•Tilt or locate monitor in a position that minimizes glare.

•Position monitor at correct distance from eyes.

•Use task lighting to light enhance readability of documents without causing glare

Helping the Eyes


Armed lamps

Desktop lamps Monitor lifts Flat panel monitors

PUTTING ERGONOMICS

TO WORK

Improving Office Ergonomics

•Select a monitor distance based on what is comfortable for the eyes -

usually about two feet. Adjust monitor so top of screen is at eye

level or slightly below.

•Tilt keyboard platform so the keyboard sits parallel to floor or

slightly negative to encourage straight wrists.

•Locate keyboard and mouse low enough so that the elbows will fall

naturally below the shoulders close to the body.

•Use palm rest as a guide to keep wrists straight. Don’t rest wrists on

hard or sharp edges.

•Locate keyboard and mouse low enough so that the forearm and

upper arm form a 90 degree angle or slightly greater.

•Locate monitor in a position that minimizes glare or provide glare

filter. Light source should be perpendicular to monitor.

•Locate monitor directly in front of user.

•Use task lighting to light documents at the same light level

as computer screen.•Tilt or locate monitor in a

position that minimizes glare.

•Use palm rest and chair arms to support weight of arms during

pauses in typing.

•Use a stand to keep copy close to monitor and at same height and

distance as screen.

•Frequent telephone users should wear headsets.

•Use chair back to support upper back. Control tension adjustment, locking or

forward tilt features if necessary.

•Use chair to support lower back by adjusting the lumbar support where

comfortable.

•Use chair with proper or adjustable seat, depth such that

a distance of 3 fingers will fit between seat edge and user’s calf. Adjust seat height so feet rest comfortably on the floor.

Retrofit

Surf mouse and palm rest

Lumbar

Footrest

Surf board/sleeve


In Conclusion

• Adhering to ergonomic principles is important for the health of the individual and the company.

• Minimizing risk factors is the best way to minimize injury

• Knoll products can help to minimize risk factors.

Documents

ERGONOMICS