Ergonomic Tips (09/01)
Occupational health in the United States
by John R. Chait D.C., drchait@home.com
Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.
Work-related
musculoskeletal disorders result when there is a mismatch between the
physical capacity of workers and the demands of the job. Each year
thousands of workers in the United States report work
related injuries such as tendonitis, epicondylitis, carpal tunnel
syndrome, and back injuries. Many of these are caused or aggravated by
work related stressors such as such as lifting, reaching, pulling,
pushing, bending and working in awkward postures. Many of these injuries
are treated successfully with Chiropractic care. Companies,
both large and small, have developed ergonomic programs that use a
logical approach to identify and solve their ergonomic problems. While
helpful, outside consultants or experts are not necessary. The majority
of ergonomic problems can be satisfactorily addressed by low cost
interventions utilizing in-house resources and proper use of equipment.
Over the past 20 years ergonomic injuries have gained recognition as a
major factor in occupational health. About one-third of all work related
injuries and illnesses stem from over exertion and/or repetitive motion.
Cost to the United States in direct work's comp costs range as high as
or exceeding $20 billion. Several high profile studies have been
conducted over the last few years by respected scientists from the
National Academy of Sciences,
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and others.
Here are a few key ways to determine if there are ergonomic problems at the workplace:
Observe operations to see if any of the previously listed risk factors
are present, such as heavy lifting or repetitive motions.
Analyze injury records to see if higher injury rates occur within certain departments or job classifications.
Be aware of common problems within industry or job classifications. If other companies in the same industry have ergonomic-related problems, then it is possible these potential problems of concern.
Also, be aware that if every body does their part, a lot of ergonomic injuries can and will be prevented. :
Copyright 2001. This article is from the September 2001 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For further information about our group, email: admin@spcug.org/ Web: http://www.spcug.org/
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