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Human Factors
Predictors
When companies purchase office furniture, they tend to buy from one
manufacturer. The products they buy tend to serve three specific groups:
the general employee population, management, and executives. Among these
purchases you will find large numbers of various equipment at very
specific cost levels. Thus choices for each group are focused more on
let's say color rather than size, accessories / options, or features. So
when I am called into a client's office to address repetitive stress
difficulties, many of the complaints and injuries are similar. So I would
like to share a few of what I call predictors to aid you in your
purchasing decision making process and ultimately reduce the likelihood of
work related injuries. Predictor #1 drop keyboard tray without an attached mouse
platform This is one of the most common mistakes I see today. Computer
users are forced to work at different heights / levels. This constant arm
extension to operate a pointing device tends to create for many workers
not only hand/arm stiffness and soreness, but neck and shoulder
difficulties. For anyone who uses a keyboard more than 4 hours each day;
the minimal cost for the mouse platform will pay for itself if just one
RSI is prevented. Predictor #2 one chair fits all I am sure quantity purchases
save money but one chair doesn't fit all. Before finalizing that seating
purchase; survey your employees. Most ergonomic seating will satisfy the
needs of what is called the 95th percentile. Men and women in a range of
average heights and weights. Individuals who are shorter ( maybe only
5'1"), taller, or heavier (weighs in excess of 300lbs) than the "average"
will be more susceptible to back, neck, and shoulder difficulties in the
future. And don't forget workers who have existing physical difficulties:
car accident related injuries, disabilities, etc.. These individuals may
require seating on a case by case situation. Predictor #3 do you use yours? In Almost every analysis I see
employees responding yes to back, shoulder, and neck problems on our Risk
Assessment software. When visiting individual employee's work space I will
often observe either no document holder is present or it's buried under a
pile of papers and folders. When an employee doesn't use a document
holder; that employee is forced to bend over, lean forward to view their
paperwork. In doing so; when the head (which weighs between 8 - 10 lbs) is
moved forward just one inch - the weight / force of the head is doubled.
Move the head forward another inch, the weight / forces acting upon the
neck, shoulders, and back double again. All that extra weight and force
adds up placing unnecessary stress on an individuals neck, shoulders, and
back. Ergonomic intervention doesn't translate into huge expenditures. One
of the simplest, inexpensive, and overlooked accessories is the document
holder. Predictor #4 rock a baby Do you use a phone in your job? What a
silly question; of course you do. But how do you use it? Phone cradling is
like walking. Everywhere you look in your office; people are doing it. But
if you spend more than 2 hours each day on a phone you should consider a
phone head set. If you are working on a computer, on your desk, especially
if your driving, a head set frees up your hands. But also important it
allows your body to remain in a neutral position. Squeezing a phone
between your head and shoulders puts a lot of kinks in both your blood and
nerve supply system and muscleskeletal structure. Remember just like a
water hose; if you get a kink along the path you don't get any water. And
everything stops working Predictor #5 daily marathon Let us suppose: one key on your
keyboard requires 8 ounces of force to depress. Let's say you type 40
words per minute (that translates into 12,000 keystrokes in just one hour)
You'll have moved the equivalent weight of a few small cars with your
keyboard activity. Tip: go into your keyboard control panel to reduce the
amount of pressure required to strike a key and you'll minimize the amount
of key "banging". You'll also lighten the load. Every athlete you see on
television warms up before competing. Computer users perform physical
activity 8 hours a day - 5 days each week ,50 fifty weeks each year. This
daily physical activity involves their fingers, hands, wrist, arms,
shoulders, back and neck. Computer users should prepare themselves with
Power Putty and exercises such as those featured in Office Athlete {break
software} to meet the physical challenges of their work day. Lack of
physical strength and preparedness leads only to more and extensive
physical ailments. Power Putty is the one product we supply in our
training programs. For more information you can contact Duane at 708-508-6471. His email
address is mailto:DuaneP@rsinomore.comTheir
web site address is http://www.rsinomore.com/ | ||
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