October is National Ergonomics Month
In acknowledging October as National Ergonomics Month, State Fund would like to offer the following ergonomic tips:
Pinch grip versus power grip. When using many types of hand tools we are often forced to use what is known as a pinch grip, similar to the way we hold a pen or pencil. The same type of grip may be used to pick up a large book or even a heavy file folder in the office. A certain level of effort (force) must be generated in order to perform this task, yet the use of a pinch grip can be both inefficient and damaging, due to the excessive fatigue and strain it places on muscles and tendons in the fingers and hands. Improving hand position to more of a power grip—a handshake position where the entire hand, rather than just the fingers, exerts the necessary force for the task—is often an excellent way to decrease fatigue and improve both stamina and efficiency. Using alternative hand tools, such as pliers with bent or oversized handles can improve grip position and wrist posture. Other tasks, such as picking up heavy file folders or books can be done with two hands, rather than a single hand pinch grip.
Low back. No matter what kind of work we do, away from work activities are often quite similar for each of us. Routine tasks such as picking up small children, pulling groceries from the trunk of the car, taking out the garbage, working in the yard, all place the low back at a certain degree of risk. Since low back injuries are usually cumulative in nature, there is often no way to trace them to a single cause. Some good strategies to help protect your low back include:
- Build a bridge. Place one hand on a supporting surface, such as a counter, when bending to perform one-handed lifts. This will relieve your low back from having to support the weight of your upper body.
- Use a golfer’s lift. Just as a golfer typically extends one leg into the air behind him when bending to pick his ball out of the cup, anyone can use this technique when lifting small items off the ground, like picking up a newspaper. This position moves the moment arm in your low back into neutral, relieving the low back of much of the stress it would normally encounter in this awkward, bent over posture.
- Stay within your limits. Know how much is too much for you, and get help when needed.
Computer use is static work. A lack of motion to any part of the body increases static forces in that area, which results in decreased blood flow and potentially a lack of oxygen to cells in the affected area. Our bodies were designed for movement, not for sitting motionless in front of a computer screen for hours at a time. Some ways to address this issue:
- Take frequent micro breaks—30-60 seconds each—up to four per hour. Studies have shown this not only can eliminate the effects of static loading but can actually improve productivity by up to 15%.
- Stand up and stretch whenever possible. Particularly valuable are stretches which affect the neck, shoulders, and low back, all of which are being opposed by gravity throughout the day at a computer workstation.
- If possible, periodically work in some alternate tasks to counterbalance your computer work. This might include getting up to get a file or resource document, making your own photo copies instead of giving that task to someone else, sending a FAX, and going to talk to a colleague rather than e-mailing them.
- Take a vision break every 15 minutes or so. We tend to stare when looking at a computer monitor, so the eyes need a break too. Simply changing the focal range of what you’re looking at will give you significant visual relief. Try looking out the window or at a picture on the wall across the room for five to ten seconds. That’s all you need to re-energize the eyes.
Related Links
|
