Ergonomic Safety

What is ergonomic safety and why is it important

Ergonomics looks at your work environment and how your body is affected by the positions and situations you are put in. Many jobs require sitting for extended periods of time or heavy lifting, all of which require ergonomic safety.

Believe it or not, ergonomics can make your job easier and keep you safer. Musculoskeletal disorders develop because of repetitive stress and strain to the body system. This occurs most often at the desk as sitting in front of the computer and concentrating on computer tasks for extended periods of time can be damaging to the body if it is not allowed to rest in a proper configuration during these tasks.

• Position your equipment. Your monitor should be placed directly in front of you, with the top no higher than eye level. The keyboard should be directly in front of the monitor, so you don't have to frequently turn your head and neck. The keyboard and mouse should be close enough to prevent excessive reaching, which strains the shoulders and arms.
• Adjust your head. Watch your head position and try to keep the weight of your head directly above its base of support (neck). Don't "crane" your head and neck forward.
• Check your arms. During computer work, ensure that you adjust your chair height so that your forearms are comfortably resting on the desk and your elbows are roughly at right angles. Make sure the weight of your arms is supported at all times. If your arms are not supported, the muscles of your neck and shoulders will be sore by the end of the day.
• Avoid eye strain. You should rest your eyes periodically or several seconds by looking at objects at a distance to give your eyes a break. Make sure your monitor is not too close. It should be at least an arm's length away. Take steps to control screen glare, and make sure that the monitor is not placed in front of a window or a bright background.

• Vary your tasks. Alternate your tasks, so that you are trying to avoid the same movements for prolonged periods using the same part(s) of your body.
• Co-operate with arrangements your employer introduces to reduce risks. This may be through systems or equipment in place for you to use or a system of reporting accidents, near misses or symptoms of ill health.
• Get proper tools. Talking on the phone with the phone receiver jammed between the neck and ear is a bad practice. Ask about using a headset if you frequently have long calls.