INTRODUCTION TO OFFICE ERGONOMICS
Presented To: Presented By:Dr. A. Bharadwaj Kapil JainMech. Engg. Dept. Gaurav KumarMNIT Jaipur Ayush Mathur
1
Review your Work Area
•We spend most of our day in our work area.
•We don’t want our work area to contribute to ergonomic problems
•Ergonomic Rule #1
Work Comfortably!If most of our work is done in an office continue If most of our work is done outside of an office continue
2
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
Use a good CHAIR
Front edge of seat pan curves down
Five feet for base-most stable
Height adjustable On rollers
Seat pan adjustable horizontally and tilts
Backrest is provides good lower back support
Arms adjustable
3
The position of our head and neck is very important
Place computer monitors directly in front of us.
The right height is person dependent- usually the top
of the screen at eye level (or slightly below for those who
wear bifocals)
The screen should be at least an arms length away (If we can’t see at that distance, get special computer glasses)
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
MONITOR HEIGHT
Raise the monitor if we have to look down at it
4
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
KEYBOARD STYLES
A variety of styles are available. Choose one that is comfortable for us.
5
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
KEYBOARD HOLDER
Keyboard holders should Tilt Provide wrist rests (rest palms not wrist)
Provide space for a mouse
6
Keyboard Trays
Keyboard tray with adjustability (swivels left and right, tilts forward and back, allows for mouse, extends to different heights and positions)
Position so wrists are in neutral posture
7
Neutral Postures Include
Wrist posture Wrists straight, not bent or twisted
8
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
MOUSE HOLDERS
Mouse trays or mouse holders can bring a mouse to a better position
9
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
MOUSE STYLES
Choose a style comfortable for our hand and fingers
10
Workplace Ergonomics
11
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
WORK PLACEMENT
Position equipment so that our body is in a comfortable and natural position most of the time while we are working.
Don’t place things so we have to reach, twist or bend continually
Place work at monitor height or place in path of monitor
Listen to our body. If we cannot focus or often feel tired or uncomfortable, We are probably not working in a good position.
See what we can do to make our work more comfortable for us.
Disclaimer: Wait a minute! Though this position may look comfortable, it
is NOT a comfortable position to work in.
Imagine how our back would feel after typing a few pages in this position!
Do not equate comfortable leisure positions with comfortable work positions!
12
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
Everyone needs a relaxed, neutral position
DO WHAT’S COMFORTABLE FOR OUR BODY!
Wrists straight
Forearms and thighs parallel to the floor
13
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
MOUSE POSITION
NO!
Mouse should be close to the keyboard and the same height or slightly higher
14
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
Phone PLACEMENTShould be different for right and left hander
We should not have to twist and reach across our body every time we answer the phone.
Many people need to spend a lot of time on the phone, and must often do other tasks at the same time
This creates a lot of stress for neck and shoulder muscles
Consider a head set if we spend a lot of time on the phone,
especially if we do other tasks at the same time
15
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
Document PLACEMENT
Place documents so that we don’t need to bend our head to read while
on keyboard
Consider getting a document holder
16
Ergonomic STRESSORS
Environmental conditions
Environmental conditions can influence ergonomic stress.
Lighting NoiseTemperature
….even at a computer station!
17
LIGHTING & MONITOR GLARE Lighting should be
indirect and adequate
Not too much light, or it may cause a glare, headaches and eye fatigue
If there is a glare on our eyes as we work, use anti-glare screens on computers, or adjustable blinds at windows
Ideal is 35-50 foot candles
Ergonomic STRESSORS
18
Office Ergonomics- The right equipment, the right place
GLARE SCREENS
19
Have to Consider the Whole Working Space
20
COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME
can be prevented Accommodate our eyes Use computer eyewear when appropriate Placement of reference material
and monitor distance should be
comfortable for our eyes
Exercise our eyes Periodically focus on object 20 feet away Blink eyes rapidly if they feel dry
Prevent constant glare Keep monitor clean Use:
indirect lighting non-reflective walls and furniture anti-glare screens
21
Noise can be a STRESSOR
If our office is near a noise source, close our door, or wear ear plugs
Besides causing ear damage, constant noise can create extra muscle tension in the body causing fatigue and making it easier for ergonomic injuries to occur.
Ergonomic STRESSORS
22
Temperature
People are more prone to ergonomic injuries in cold environments. Muscles and other tissues are more tense, because of decreased circulation.
Dress appropriately
Do some warm up exercises, such as stretching our hands, to loosen our finger muscles before keyboarding.
Ergonomic STRESSORS
23
FORCE can be a stressor
A task can require a moderate amount of force to be applied to very small muscles
Examples: Dragging and dropping with the mouse Gripping the sides of the mouse or phone tightly Pounding on the keyboard Grasping thick file folders Stapling or stamping Opening 3-ring binder Lifting heavy manuals with one hand
Ergonomic STRESSORS
24
MECHANICAL CONTACT STRESS
A hard or sharp surface or object pressing into the soft tissues, the tendons, nerves
and blood vessels.Examples:
Resting wrists on the desk edge while typing or using mouse
Leaning elbows on hard chair or armrests or work surfaces
Sitting in chair that places pressure on the backs of the thighs
Ergonomic STRESSORS
25
Noise can be a STRESSOR
If we work near a constant noise source, such as generators or fans, close your door, or wear ear plugs.
Besides causing ear damage, constant noise can create extra muscle tension in the body causing fatigue and making it easier for ergonomic injuries to occur.
Ergonomic STRESSORS
26
Noise can be a STRESSOR If we use equipment which makes loud noise, wear
ear plugs. EH&S can help us find some which are comfortable and appropriate
Use of most power equipment, machinery, lawn mowers, and blowers should require ear plugs.
x
Ergonomic STRESSORS
27
Individual work routine and habit
Fortunately, most STRESSORS can be minimized
or eliminated by individual habits and work routine.
The solution to most ergonomic problems is to work comfortably
and avoid a few common ergonomic pitfalls.
Solutions
28
Avoid REPETITION
Performing the same or similar motions repeatedly for extended periods without time for rest and recovery
can lead to discomfort or trauma.
Examples: Keyboarding, mousing, and 10-keying Flipping through files & paperwork Extended reading or writing Punching or stapling Pruning or clipping Painting Hammering
Solutions
29
AVOID LONG DURATION OF SAME TASK
The length of time spent at a task without breaks, shifts in position, or stretches is more important than the actual task.
The longer the uninterrupted duration of a task, the more potential for discomfort or injuryOur bodies are designed to do work. But the result on the body of doing a repetitive task for 2 hours verses 6
hours straight is very different.
Solutions
30
STRETCHES & BREAKSSolutions
Static positions are our enemy!
Whenever we think of it, change position
Small frequent stretches go a long way in preventing MSD’s.
31
Avoid BAD POSTURES
Bad postures are a primary cause of ergonomic injuries
Everyone has seen these….
Propping a phone on shoulder
Slouching over a computer
Solutions
32
Avoid AWKARD POSITIONS
Awkward positions bend the joints in a way that they are more likely to become injured.
Examples: Reaching up and over Slouching or leaning forward in the chair Leaning forward or bending over work Holding heavy items in position Lifting, pushing pulling Turning head side to side to view the monitor Cradling the phone between the ear and shoulder Typing with bent wrists
AWKWARD
POSITIONS createSTRESS
Solutions
33
Evaluate this office
34
High risk for wrist
Monitor Too close Height is good
Keyboard On table top (too
high) Wrist are extended
Other Cat?
35
Evaluate this office
36
HELP!!!
Monitor Not bad
Keyboard and mouse Way low Arm is extended out Worker slouched
Risk for wrist, arm, neck and back
37
References
OFFICE ERGONOMICS HAND BOOK, Fifth Edition, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc.
Office Ergonomics-Karl H.E. Kroemer Research Paper-Health and Performance
Consequences of Office Ergonomic Interventions Among Computer Workers-Michelle M. Robertson
38
Suggestion & Comments…
39