VELLORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT [MEE-308] Project On
ERGONOMICS IN WORKPLACE
Group Member Details PIYUSH RATH (10BME0204) VISHES SENAPATI (10BME0227) YASHWANT CHOUDHARY (10BME0228) ADVAIT MOHAN (11BMA0017) Project submitted to: Prof. G. RAJYALAKSMI Asst. Senior Professor, SMBS
CONTENTS
1. Abstract of the project 2. Literature Survey 3. Problem definition 4. Methodology 5. Ergonomics 6. Importance of ergonomics 7. Musculoskeletal disorder 8. Advantages of ergonomics 9. Ergonomic solutions 10. Workstation review 11. Workstation check list 12. Workstation set-up 13. Result & Discussion 14. Conclusion 15. References
ABSTRACT
The project mainly focuses on the ergonomics related to workplace. Effective and successful "fits" assure high productivity, avoidance of illness and injury risks, and increased satisfaction among the workforce. Although the scope of ergonomics is much broader, the term here refers to assessing those work-related factors that may pose a risk of musculoskeletal disorders and recommendations to alleviate them. Common examples of ergonomic risk factors are found in jobs requiring repetitive, forceful, or prolonged exertions of the hands; frequent or heavy lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying of heavy objects; and prolonged awkward postures. Vibration and cold may add risk to these work conditions. Jobs or working conditions presenting multiple risk factors will have a higher probability of causing a musculoskeletal problem. The level of risk depends on the intensity, frequency, and duration of the exposure to these conditions. Environmental work conditions that affect risk include intensity, frequency and duration of activities. The goal of an ergonomics program in industry is to adapt the workplace to a specific worker, dependent on the job description, required tasks and physical makeup of the employee performing those tasks.
Literature Survey
1. Benefits of Ergonomics and Implementation of Ergonomics Programs in the Office Workstations QAS 515 – Winter 2005 Term Paper - Prepared By: Van Do Summary: Ergonomics programs (interventions) have been adopted by many employers to provide a safe and healthy work environment for employees and therefore maximizing work performances. This paper focusses on addressing the benefits of Ergonomics programs and then how ergonomic programs can be implemented through the example of office workstations. Ergonomic injuries (such as musculoskeletal disorders) can be serious and expensive that affects hundred thousands of workers and cost the US economy billions of dollars every year due to the loss of time from work and treatment. Fortunately, these injuries are preventable when ergonomics is integrated into job training and ergonomic designs for workplace. The benefits of ergonomics programs have been reported to outweigh the cost of implementing ergonomics programs.
2. Ergonomic Principles and Checklists for the Selection of Office Furniture and Equipment National Occupational Health and Safety Commission, November 1991 Summary: The Ergonomics Unit at Worksafe Australia receives frequent requests for advice on the purchase of furniture and equipment for offices. It also advises frequently on remedial action in offices where there are problems such as complaints of musculoskeletal discomfort or excessive glare. In May 1990, the Department of Administrative Services began to draw on the experience of the Unit by involving it in the process of selecting the contractors to supply office chairs to Commonwealth Government departments. This was followed by the Unit's involvement in the selection procedures for contracts for adjustable desks and other equipment such as footrests and document holders. These activities led to the Unit developing a series of checklists for the ergonomic evaluation of office furniture and equipment.
Problem Definition
Often when we imagine the kind of employees who get workplace injuries, we think of those who need to exert a lot of physical energy on the job or of those who work with heavy machinery. It is true that employees in these work environments may be at greater risk for injury, but office workers are also at risk. Many office injuries are caused by the repetitive tasks that put strain on our muscles and joints. Our bones and muscles make up our musculoskeletal system. As strong as this system might be, overuse of the muscles through repeated movements can put stress on your body, causing a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Other names for RSI include Cumulative Trauma Disorder and Repetitive Motion Injury. Unfortunately, many office jobs require that we perform repetitive motions to fulfill our duties. For this reason, RSIs are the most common type of injury found in the office. Tendons are common sites of RSI pain and discomfort, but workers may also experience pain in other areas of the body depending on the tasks performed.
METHODOLOGY
1. Identifying the project objective and the problem definition This includes the basic details required for understanding the project and its need. Further the various problems faced are also determined. 2. Collecting necessary documents for literature survey Literature survey has been always useful to identify the recent advancements in any field. It also provides adequate solutions to work upon. 3. Analyzing the various problems faced in the workplace due to ergonomic factors There are numerous problems faced due to various factors. The task is to identify the major problems and its causes. 4. Discussing the possible solutions so as to reduce the risk of injury The final objective is to provide a proper solution to all the problems so to improve the working conditions in view of ergonomics.
Ergonomics Ergonomics is designing a job to fit the worker so the work is safer and more efficient. Implementing ergonomic solutions can make employees more comfortable and increase productivity.
Importance of ergonomics Ergonomics is important because when you’re doing a job and your body is stressed by an awkward posture, extreme temperature, or repeated movement your musculoskeletal system is affected. Your body may begin to have symptoms such as fatigue, discomfort, and pain, which can be the first signs of a muscolo skeletal disorder.
Musculoskeletal disorder Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are conditions that affect your body’s muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. MSDs can develop over time or can occur immediately due to overload.
Advantages of ergonomics 1. Increased savings • Fewer injuries • More productive and sustainable employees • Fewer workers’ compensation claims 2. Fewer employees experiencing pain • Implementing ergonomic improvements can reduce the risk factors that lead to discomfort. 3. Increased productivity • Ergonomic improvements can reduce the primary risk factors for MSDs, so workers are more efficient, productive, and have greater job satisfaction. 4. Increased morale • Attention to ergonomics can make employees feel valued because they know their employer is making their workplace safer. 5. Reduced absenteeism • Ergonomics leads to healthy and pain-free workers who are more likely to be engaged and productive.
Ergonomic Solutions STRESSED
BETTER
Bent awkward posture
Relaxed posture with less pressure on the back
Bent posture
Extension handle allows for natural posture
Seat is too small and provides minimal support
Higher back seat with lumbar support and more support under legs
Manual screw driver with bent wrist
Powered in-line screw driver allows for straight wrist
No neck support or padding under body
Creeper gets worker off floor and provides neck and shoulders support
Direct costs are those directly associated with the claim and include: • • •
Medical treatment Prescription costs Insurance premiums
Indirect costs associated with the injury can include: • • • •
Overtime due to staff coverage during absence of injured worker Replacement worker costs Advertising and recruiting if employee doesn’t return to work Orientation and training costs
Primary risk factors The following are factors for developing an MSD. •
Force
•
Heaving lifting
•
Push or pull
•
Carrying
•
Gripping
•
Awkward or prolonged postures
•
Repetitive activities
•
Overhead work
•
Contact stress
•
Vibration
•
Extreme temperatures
When is the work likely to result in an injury? •
When it’s performed frequently
•
When it’s performed for a long period of time
•
When the work is intense
Backrest tilt 93-113°
Low cost measures for the office Adjust your computer workstation to fit your body.
16-29” 15°
Adjust your chair before starting your shift and again after lunch. Your body changes throughout the day and so should your environment.
Height of backrest
15-20” 3-6”
25-30” to floor
Sturdy 5prong base
•
Arrange your workstation so that items you frequently use are within close reach.
•
Use books to raise your computer monitor if necessary so you’re looking at the top third of the screen.
•
Place a pillow behind your back to create lumbar support if the back on your work chair won’t adjust.
•
•
Awkward position
• • •
Natural position
Place the document holder right next to the monitor so only your eyes move and not your head. Avoid holding the phone with your neck. This places a lot of stress on your neck muscles. Tape gauze around your pen to reduce your gripping pressure. Move your computer monitor away from the window or tape cardboard around it to reduce the glare, which can lead to eyestrain.
Risk reduction techniques • •
Job rotation Cross train workers so they can rotate jobs throughout the day. Change tasks often within your own job (Example: type for an hour and then file for an hour).
• • •
Job hazard analysis Break each job up into smaller or different tasks. Determine the risk factors for each task. Determine how each task affects risk factors for the total job.
•
Select appropriate tools By attaching a handle extension, bending can be eliminated from many jobs.
• •
Participatory ergonomics Enlist workers to brainstorm better ways to do their work. Have trained workers teach new staff.
• •
Ergonomics training Educate staff on the risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders, and how ergonomics can make their work easier, more efficient, and safer. Train staff to identify job tasks that may present a risk and determine better ways to complete those tasks.
Comprehensive ergonomics program A comprehensive ergonomics program can save your company money. It must include several elements. • • • • •
Worker involvement – workers must be involved in all aspects of the ergonomics program. Management commitment – leaders must make employee health and safety a priority. Training – employees need to be trained to understand ergonomics — why it’s important and what is expected of them. Sustainability – your program should become part of your safety committee/safety meetings. Evaluation – maintain company statistics on annual MDS claims, direct and indirect costs, and number and outcomes of completed job analysis. This will help build your case when you present an issue to management and staff.
WORKSTATION REVIEW
WORKSTATION CHECK LIST
Is the workstation adjusted so that your wrist is in a neutral position, i.e., not bent up or down? If documents are referred to, is there an adequate document holder? If telephone duties are performed, is a headset, phone rest, or speakerphone used? Are your most frequently used items within easy reach? Is the top of your monitor parallel to your eyes? Is your monitor screen placed in such a way that light from windows and overhead lighting does not cause glare? If not, are glare screens used? 7. Are you able to operate the pointing device without extended, long duration, or repetitive reaching? 8. Is your pointing device (e.g. mouse) on the same plane as the keyboard and in a comfortable position? 9. Is the seat height adjustable so that the entire sole of your foot rests on the floor or footrest, and the back of the knee is slightly higher than the seat of the chair? 10. Are the lighting levels in your workspace comfortable? 11. Is your workspace free from excessive heat, cold, vibration, and noise? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Proper Work Surface Setup 1. The work surface should be installed/adjusted to be approximately 25” - 34” high for seated work 2. 3.
4. 5. 6. 7.
and to fit a range of operator sizes. The space beneath the work surface should have sufficient room above your legs to allow for a range of body postures. The knee well should be 30” by 19” deep. The work surface should have adequate space for equipment (monitor, telephone, stapler, tape dispenser) to be located close to the user to minimize bending, flexing, or twisting of arms, wrists, or hands. A matte finish on the work surface is ideal to reduce light reflection. The keyboard and mouse should be placed together on a platform that is at least 28” wide, directly in front of you and directly beneath the monitor. The keyboard and mouse platform should easily move side to side, up and down, in and out, and lock securely in place. The height of the keyboard/mouse platform should allow your hands to rest lightly on keyboard or mouse with your forearms using the chair armrests for support.
Common Computer Workstation and Work Habit Recommendations
1. Avoid Awkward Neck Positions A. Avoid trapping the phone between your ear and shoulder. Doing so takes your neck out of an upright position and requires tension in the neck/shoulder muscles to shrug your shoulder. Possible solutions: o Hold the phone with your hand o Use a headset B. Assure you are not tipping your head up to see the monitor, a common problem for bifocal users.
Head Tipped Up – Incorrect
Upright head position-Correct
Possible solutions: o Lower the monitor o Raise your chair. Be sure to adjust keyboard and mouse height to maintain them at elbow height o Lower contents on the computer screen so you no longer have to tip your head up to see them C. Avoid sustained bending of your neck when viewing documents used for computer work or during deskwork.
Head Bent Down – Incorrect
Upright Head Position with Inclined Copy - Correct
Possible solutions: o Use a document holder for items needed when on the computer o Incline items on your desk when writing. A 3-ring binder can serve as a reading board D. Avoid extreme turning of the neck to view who is next to or behind you.
Extreme Turn of Head – Incorrect
Turning chair - Correct
Possible solutions: o Get in the habit of turning your entire body instead of just your neck o Mount a mirror in front of you so you can view what is behind you without turning. 2. Keep wrists straight A. Assure keyboard remains flat for straight (neutral) wrist positions. Lower flippers on back side of the keyboard.
Keyboard Legs Up, Wrists Bent–Incorrect
Keyboard flat, Wrists Straight - Correct
B. Work with keyboard and input device (mouse, trackball, touchpad) at your elbow height for straight (neutral) wrist positions.
Keyboard below Elbow Height – Incorrect
Keyboard at Elbow Height– Correct
Mouse below Elbow Height – Incorrect
Mouse at Elbow Height - Correct
C.
Use two hands when lifting large medical records, books, or binders. Use of two hands allows you to control your wrist position and requires less grip force.
D.
Avoid side to side wrist movement when using the keyboard and input device. Side movement of the wrist increases if you rest your wrist firmly on a wrist rest. Allow your arm to move to the location needed instead of keeping your arm in a fixed position and deviating your wrist to the side.
Excess Reaching/Wrist Deviation – Incorrect
Wrist Deviation with Mouse – Incorrect
Move Arm/Straight Wrist - Correct
Move Arm/Straight Wrist - Correct
3. Reduce input device use (e.g. mouse) A. Use arrow keys when possible instead of the mouse. B. Use enter key instead of clicking mouse when dialogue boxes are highlighted. C. Learn and use short cut keys for commonly used functions. For a listing of short cut keys for a given program, open the program then search “help” for shortcut keys. D. Alternate mouse use between right and left hands.
4. Reduce hand tension A. Avoid resting palms of hands on a wrist rest when typing. It is fine to rest the palms between typing movements, but not recommended when actively typing. Resting when typing results in excessive reaching with the fingers to reach the keys and this increases tension in the hands.
Planting Wrists Results in Excess Reaching with Fingers Incorrect
Instead, allow the wrists to remain straight with hands curved. Reaching the keys is done through small movements at the shoulders to move the hand over the key to be struck. Curved Hand Position - Correct
B. Type quietly. Many individuals press the keyboard keys with more force than necessary. The louder you’re typing, the harder you are pressing. Try to type quietly and be soft on the keys. C. Slow typing speed slightly. Increased typing speed requires increased hand tension. By slowing your typing speed even 5-10%, you can greatly lessen hand tension. D. Lighten and release grip on mouse. Check your grip on the mouse and try to lighten. When not actively using the mouse, remove your hand from it to release tension in your hand.
Tight Grip on Mouse – Incorrect
Relaxed Hold on Mouse - Correct
E. Lighten your grip on writing pens and pencils. Use of wider diameter pens and/or pencil grips tends to lighten grip. Use of Rollerball or very fine felt tip pens encourages use of lighter grip when writing. F. Microbreaks interrupt hand tension. Micro breaks are 30-60 second breaks that allow the body to rest from activity. Gentle stretching of the neck, shoulder or forearms can be done in conjunction with micro breaks. Taken on a regular basis (every 30-60 minutes) micro breaks can prevent build up of neck, shoulder, forearm and hand tension. G. Focus on normal breathing patterns to reduce muscle tension.
5. Preventing Eye Fatigue A. Control glare on the computer monitor. o When possible, orient the computer monitor perpendicular to any outside room windows. If this is not possible, control window light through use of window coverings. o Avoid tipping the monitor excessively since this may cause glare from overhead lights. Instead, raise the monitor from the base. o Assure task lighting does not reflect into the monitor as a source of glare. o Use a glare screen if glare cannot be avoided. B. Avoid having a bright light source behind or directly over the monitor. o Avoid placing monitor in front of an outside window. If this is not possible, control window light through the use of window coverings. o Avoid placing monitor directly over a bright light source. If this is not possible, control the amount of light through the use of existing light switches and/or asking to have lighting diminished. C. Assure contents on monitor are easily seen. o Adjust distance from monitor to avoid straining to see contents o Modify text size as needed o Modify screen contrast/color as needed D. Avoid extended periods of constant computer work. Include a change in eye focus distance with regular micro breaks. o Focus on distant items to change eye muscle position. Shut or cover eyes to allow eye muscles to rest
CONCLUSION It is very important when an ergonomics assessment performed for each employee using the various criteria listed in this report. These criteria are used during the evaluation in order to find out the area or practices that need improvements. Results from the assessments and recommendations should be presented to the employees so he/she can be aware of her habits and how she/he can improve them in order to prevent work related injuries. Each individual body is different in terms of size, shape and capability. Each of us uses different tools and movements and sits, stands and moves in different positions in the course of a day. So any effort to make our workplace really ergonomic – to adapt jobs to people and not force people to fit their jobs – must involve every single person in the workplace. Periodic evaluation of effectiveness is also an important success factor in implementing the ergonomics program. Survey should be done with employees to evaluate the effectiveness and or problems of the ergonomics program. Based on the evaluation, further training, modification will be performed for continuous improvements. In conclusion, the benefits of ergonomics programs are beneficial to both employers and employees. They do not only protect employees from work related injuries but also save employees from injuries related cost. Depending on the working environment, there are many ways that ergonomics principles can be applied to improve the working conditions. Tools and information are available to achieve a successful ergonomics program.
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17. Repetitive Strain Injuries in the Workplace Women and Work Research and Education Society Health and Welfare Canada, Health Promotion Directorate, 1991