four simple ergonomic steps to a more productive workplace

7/27/2019 Four Simple Ergonomic Steps to a More Productive Workplace

1/6

Four Simple Ergonomic Steps to a More Productive

WorkplacePaying attention to ergonomics pays off by removing barriers to productiv ity.

Aug. 8, 2013James Anderson

Four Simple Ergonomic Steps to a More Productive Workplace

Step 1 - Review Tasks for Risk Factors

Step 2 - Control Risk Factors

Step 3 - Understand How to Make the Workspace Ergonomic

Step 4 - Use Workstation Design Principles to Improve Ergonomics

Workplace ergonomics is getting a lot of attention nationwide in response to a sharp increase inmusculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome. These occupational injuries often meanrepeated surgery, intractable pain, inability to work, time off for the affected employee and ultimately,higher costs for the employer.

Factors such as work surfaces at the wrong height, uncomfortable chairs, shelves and bins that aretoo high or out of reach and awkward hand tools all contribute to increased risk of musculoskeletalinjuries and negatively can impact productivity.

See Also: Environmental and Workplace Health Regulations & Standards

Paying attention to ergonomics means removing barriers to work productivity. There is a wealth of

options available to adjust the workspace to meet employees' ergonomic needs, and selecting theright options can help employees reap significant bottom line rewards. Comfortable employees stayat their desks or workstations longer, and complete more work in a given shift. Employers who payattention to these four simple steps are well on their way to gaining these rewards.

By adapting tasks, workstations, tools and equipment to f it the worker, ergonomics seeks to reducephysical stress on a worker's body and eliminate many potentially serious, disabling work-relatedmusculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). If work tasks and equipment do not include ergonomic principlesin their design, workers may experience physical stress, strain and overexertion, including exposureto vibration, awkward postures, forceful exertions, repetitive motion and heavy lifting.


2/6


3/6

Force Exerting excessive force can cause a variety of injuries.

Repetition Excessive repetition of movements can irritate tendons and increase pressure onnerves.

Awkward postures Positions that stretch physical limits can compress nerves and irritate tendons.

Static postures Positions that a worker must hold for long periods of time can restrict blood flowand damage muscles.

Quick motions Increased speed or acceleration when bending and twisting can increase theamount of force exerted on the body.

Compression or contact stress Grasping sharp edges like tool handles can concentrate force onsmall areas of the body, reduce blood f low and nerve transmission and damage tendons and tendonsheaths.

Recovery time Inadequate recovery time due to overtime, lack of breaks and failure to vary taskscan leave insufficient time for tissue repair.

Vibration Excessive vibration from tools can decrease blood flow, damage nerves and contributeto muscle fatigue. Whole body vibration can affect skeletal muscles and cause low-back pain.

Cold temperatures Working in cold temperatures can adversely affect a worker's coordinationand manual dexterity and cause a worker to use more force than necessary to perform a task.

Step 2 - Control Risk Factors

Engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment (PPE) are the threekey ways to control the risks identified earlier. Examine each of these optionsto see how each maybe used to control risks.

Engineering controls to improve ergonomic risks may include changing the way parts and materials

are transported; changing the process to reduce how workers are exposed to risk factors; movingparts around to make it easier for workers to reach them; or changing work station layout, tooldesign or access and assembly sequence.


4/6

Figure 2 - Contro lling Risk Factors

Of equal impact are administrative controls; adjusting work practices and policies to reduce riskfactors. Examples include rest breaks, job rotation or training to identify signs of ergonomic stress.

Finally, PPE may be considered, including wrist supports, back belts or vibration attenuation gloves.However, it should be noted that although PPE may reduce the duration, frequency or intensity ofexposure to risk, its effectiveness in injury reduction is considered inconclusive by NIOSH. Figure 2is an illustration of the general ways of reducing the risk factors identified in Step 1.


5/6

Step 3 - Understand How to Make the Workspace Ergonomic

With any task, selecting the proper tool is crucial. The key is to understand the work process and

employees' safety needs. After identifying the likely risk factors in an operation, develop a safer workenvironment by carefully selecting the tools and workstations workers will use. Start the process byasking these questions:

Does the work process involve handling heavy, bulky or awkward products?

Is there a high product mix, with many product changeovers per day?

Will workstations be integrated with material flow with racks or conveyors, for example?

Is there frequent job rotation, with employees from different shifts or departments sharing a workarea?

Will employees work alone, back-to-back or in teams?

Does a workstation need to include power tools, computer equipment, supplemental lighting or

storage space?

Figure 3 Reach Zones

Issues frequently encountered by employees include work surfaces that are the wrong size or at thewrong height, uncomfortable chairs, shelves and bins that are too high or out of reach and awkwardhand tools.

To counter these issues, it is important that employees easily can rearrange workstation elements.

Regardless of physical characteristics or the tasks performed, employees should be able to makeadjustments to work surface height and chair seat height, or change the elevation of work shelvesand work surfaces to increase worker comfort and productivity.

Step 4 - Use Workstation Design Principles to Improve Ergonomics

The most important principle to keep in mind is that work is handled most efficiently when kept withinareas defined as "primary reach zones." These are the horizontal and vertical areas that a workercan reach with minimal arm, head or trunk movement. Moving away from these primary zonesrequires more movement and ultimately, more time.


6/6

Ergonomic solutions help keep most work tasks focused within these reach zones. Figure 3illustrates this concept, with work taking place within a 24-inch radius; everything else should beconsidered storage. Figure 4 pictures workers within these horizontal and vertical work zones.

Figure4 - Horizontal and Vertical Reach Zones

To minimize stress and strain for seated employees, the workstation should be at the proper heightto support the particular task being performed. Precision work usually requires a higher worksurface, while heavier work demands a lower work surface. Generally speaking, a 30.5-inch worksurface height will accommodate 99.5 percent of all male and 99.9 percent of all female workers.

But what if different shifts are using the same bench or what if different tasks are being performed onthe same bench? If so, consider an adjustable-height workstation. With such a bench, users canadjust the bench height with the simple turn of a crank or with a motor drive, and the work surfacecan move between approximately 27 and 38 inches. This would accommodate the height of thewidest range of workers, from about 5 feet to 6 feet 8 inches.

Other considerations for a workstation include convenient reach and accessibility to accessories, likehand tools, small parts, nuts and bolts, a comfortable and adjustable chair, a foot rest and properlighting.

A final consideration, and one that is becoming more and more important, is the location of computermonitors. It is important that monitors can be adjustable up or down to be at the employee's eyelevel. With the increased use of flat panel monitors, employers are finding swing arms a useful toolfor properly positioning monitors to avoid strain. The use of a negative-tilt keyboard tray also isrecommended for reducing wrist strain.

James Anderson is the vertical markets and national accounts manager for StanleyWorkplace Solutions. He has over 25 years of experience in the industry and is an expert onergonomic workspace solutions.

four simple ergonomic steps to a more productive workplace

Documents