Ergonomics In The Workplace Essay Research Paper

Ergonomics In The Workplace Essay, Research Paper

Ouch! My Back Hurts!

Ergonomics and Occupational Health and Safety

Ouch! My back hurts! In today’s demanding workplace there are more workers complaining about back aches, neck strains, and shoulder stiffness than ever before. What are the causes of these injuries. How can they be prevented. The principles of ergonomics can be employed by management to reduce the numerous cumulative musculoskeletal injuries present in the work environment. The term ergonomics derives from the Greek words “ergo” (meaning work) and “nomos” (meaning laws). It involves the interaction between humans and their working environments. A successful work station can be designed if employers “fit the job to the worker.” Designers must recognize the different physical and mental qualities of each worker, and create a work environment capable of satisfying their needs. This includes specifying certain tools and equipment, controlling environmental factors, and maintaining a healthy work organization. By fitting the work to the characteristics of the workers, health and safety in the workplace will expand upon current laws such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. (WOR, 1992. pg. 52)

What are cumulative musculoskeletal injuries. Musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) are disorders of the bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and other soft tissue. Although many injuries occur during one specific event, the majority of musculoskeletal injuries are cumulative, occurring over a period of time. Cumulative MSIs have increased ever since the transition from the industrial revolution to the computer age. New technologies have led to workplace restructuring, forcing many workers to work under unsafe conditions. Unfortunately, MSI programs have not been able to keep up with new innovations. This leaves all workers prone to injury. Another problem with MSIs is that too few workers report their injuries. Some workers are unaware of cumulative MSIs, and fail to realize they may be experiencing a slowly developing injury. Others fail to report to or bother employers because of job scarcity or other economic reasons. Workers and supervisors must be aware that continuing to work with pain will only contribute to MSIs. The right decision would be to seek medical treatment as soon as MSI symptoms materialize. Some symptoms of cumulative MSIs include pain, fatigue, and swelling in the affected area. The longer a person works with any of the symptoms, the greater the risk of permanent damage. It is also important that the worker contact the Joint Health and Safety Committee, so that they may modify the workplace to eliminate the problem. Once the symptoms have been identified, the worker should visit a physician. Treatments include elastic bandages and neck braces, cortisone injections, exercise or massage, and surgery. The treatment prescribed most often by doctors is rest. However, if a worker receives adequate rest, and then returns to the same job, then he/she will most likely re-injure the same body part. Therefore, it is essential to modify the workplace or jobs so that suffering similar injuries can be avoided. Some serious MSIs include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and white finger disease. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when swelling transpires within the carpal tunnel, the passage that allows blood vessels, tendons, and the median nerve to all run to the hand. Workers at risk include those who use their wrist in awkward movements, repetitively. Tendonitis develops when awkward postures cause small tears in tendons. Since tendons do not have any blood supply, they heal very slowly. Thus, if tears become repetitive and do not get the chance to heal, severe inflammation can develop. Tendonitis is most commonly seen in hand, wrist and shoulder injuries, as well as foot injuries. Finally, white finger diseases occur when blood vessels and nerves in the hand become constricted due to prolonged exposure to cold and vibration. The loss of blood flow to the fingers causes them to turn white and feel numb. These three cumulative MSIs can result from a poorly designed workplace. Overall, this description of cumulative MSIs will help people understand the seriousness and importance of designing a safe work environment.

(WOR, 1992. pg. 6-12, pg. 25-27)

Ergonomics can prevent high risk factors associated with cumulative MSIs. The two categories of risk factors include job demands and workplace components. Job demands involve the risks that the body is exposed to when performing work. There are three types of job demands, posture, force, and repetition. Each demand can lead to various cumulative MSIs. The first job demand is posture. Posture is the position workers assume to do a task. When employees have a hard time adjusting to the work environment, they usually develop awkward and static postures. Awkward postures occur when the job requires the body to bend or twist away from a neutral position. When workers are forced into these positions, the ligaments and the muscles must work harder and lose their ability to protect joints underneath. Muscles will tire making it difficult to move joints. Static postures require the body to hold the same position for a long period of time. When workers are in a constant state, blood circulation decreases, and this results in lack of nutrients in the muscles.