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What is ergonomics? Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker. In the workplace, ergonomic principles are used to make alterations to a job so that it conforms to the person doing that job, rather than to force the person to fit the job. Redesigning various job functions to match a person's stature will reduce stress on the body and eliminate many potential injuries associated with the overuse of muscles, unnatural postures, and repetitive motions.
The ergonomic approach is based largely on the assumption that work activities which involve less force, repetition, vibration, weight, and forms of static or constrained postures are less likely to cause injuries and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The goal of an ergonomics safety program is to eliminate potential sources of problems (risk factors) and to make safe work practices a natural result of tool and workstation design without depending on specific worker capabilities or work techniques.
Achieving an ergonomically sound workplace does not have to be difficult or expensive. Often, through careful analysis, you will find simple solutions to reduce or eliminate ergonomic risk factors that could result in MSDs. This may involve evaluating and redesigning tasks, workstations, tools, lighting, and equipment to fit workers’ physical capabilities and limitations. By analyzing workers’ motions and positions as they do their jobs, it is possible to identify tasks that create stress on the body.
Scope
Technological advances, which result in more specialized tasks and increased repetition are often major causes of ergonomic problems. Consequently, workers' hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, backs, and legs may be subjected to thousands of repetitive twisting, forceful, or flexing motions during a typical workday. When this occurs on the job, the stress on those body parts builds up over time and results in MSDs.
The goal of a workplace ergonomics program is to reduce or eliminate the risk factors that lead to MSDs. Identifying these risk factors in your workplace is the first step toward making changes that will improve the safety and health of all workers.
Regulatory citation
General Industry Safety Orders:
- Title 8, CCR 5110 — Ergonomics, repetitive motion injuries
Key definitions
- Awkward postures: mean the position your body is in and affects muscle groups that are involved in physical activity. Awkward postures include repeated or prolonged reaching, twisting, bending, kneeling, squatting, working overhead with your hands or arms, or holding fixed positions.
- Contact stress: means pressing the body against a hard or sharp edge can result in placing too much pressure on nerves, tendons, and blood vessels. For example, using the palm of your hand as a hammer can increase your risk of suffering an MSD.
- Fixed posture: means prolonged muscle contraction without movement such as maintaining an unsupported posture or prolonged gripping of a tool.
- Forceful exertion: means the amount of physical effort required to perform a task, such as heavy lifting or pushing/pulling, or to maintain control of equipment or tools. The amount of force depends on the type of grip, the weight of an object, body posture, the type of activity, and the duration of the task.
- Musculoskeletal disorders (MDS): are injuries and disorders of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and cartilage) and nervous system of the upper and lower limbs, neck, and lower back that are caused, precipitated or exacerbated by sudden exertion or prolonged exposure to physical factors such as repetition, force, vibration, or awkward posture.
- Repetition: is doing the same motions over and over again places stress on the muscles and tendons. The severity of risk depends on how often the action is repeated, the speed of movement, the number of muscles involved, and the required force.
- Sprain: means overstretching or overexerting a ligament resulting in a tear or rupture of the ligament.
- Strain: means overstretching or overexerting a muscle or tendon.
Summary of requirements
An employer who has an effective ergonomics program that reduces or eliminates ergonomic risk factors in the workplace will likely see lower injury rates as MSD incidences go down and an increase of productivity because performing the job is now easier and more comfortable for workers.
Employers should:
- Assess their workplace for any ergonomic risk factors.
- Develop a written ergonomic program.
- Work with employees to recognize, reduce, eliminate ergonomic risk factors.
- Design workstations and processes to fit the worker.
- Eliminate awkward, forceful, and uncomfortable positions.
- Reduce or modify work that requires heavy lifting, twisting movements, and awkward material handling.
- Train employees to recognize ergonomic risks and how to report injuries, illnesses, and risk factors.