Office Ergonomics Mary Loughlin, OTR/L,CHT, CEAS OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration November 2000 Federal OSHA published the Final Ergonomics Program Standard in the Federal Register. Effective date of this Ergonomics Program Standard was January 16, 2001. This OSHA Ergonomics Standard was repealed by Congress March 2001. April 5, 2002 OSHA announced a comprehensive plan to reduce ergonomic injuries with VOLUNTARY guidelines. 2014 OSHA Resources Industry Specific Guidelines- poultry processing, retail grocery stores, nursing homes, shipyard employment, meatpacking plants, foundries Ergonomic Etools- highly illustrated web based training tool for: COMPUTER WORKSTATIONS, baggage handling, beverage delivery, electrical contractors, grocery warehousing, printing industry, sewing OSHA Regulations (Standards29) CFR VDT Workstation Checklist 1910.900 App D-2D Refer to 3 page OSHA etools 33 item checklist handout as a resource for evaluating a computer workstation www.osha.gov/sltc/etools/computerworkstations/ Risk Factors for Developing MSDs taken from OSHA voluntary guidelines Awkward posture High hand force High repetitive motion Repeated impact/contact Stress Vibration 1
Computer Workstation OSHA Checklist 1. Head and neck to be upright 2. Head, neck and trunk to face forward 3. Trunk to be perpendicular to floor 4. Shoulders and upper arms to be about perpendicular to floor and relaxed 5. Upper arms and elbows close to body 6. Forearms, wrists and hands to be straight 7. Wrists and hands to be straight 8. Thighs to be about parallel to floor and lower legs about perpendicular to floor 9. Feet to rest flat on floor or supported by a stable footrest 10. VDT tasks organized in a way that allows employee to vary VDT tasks with other work activities, or to take micro breaks or recovery pauses while at VDT workstation Source OSHA Regulations (Standards-29 CFR), VDT Workstation checklist-1910.900 App D-2D Seating-OSHA checklist 11. Backrest provides support for lower back 12. Seat width and depth accommodate specific employee 13. Seat front does not press against back of employees knees and lower legs 14. Seat has cushioning and is rounded/has waterfall front (no sharp edge) 15. Armrests support both forearms and do not interfere with movement Keyboard/input device OSHA Checklist 16. Keyboard/input device platform is stable enough and large enough to hold keyboard and input device 17. Input device is located right next to keyboard so it can be operated without reaching 18. Input device is easy to activate and shape/size fits hand of specific employee 19. Wrists and hands do not rest on sharp or hard edge Many keyboard choices NIOSH resources/publications Maintain good wrist posture Alternative Keyboards www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/97-148.pdf 2
What type of mouse is best? Monitor-OSHA checklist 20. Top line of screen is at or just below eye level so worker is able to read it without bending head or neck down or back 21. Workers with bifocals/trifocals should be able to read the screen with neutral neck and head posture 22. Monitor distance allows employee to read screen without leaning head, neck or trunk forward or backward 23. Monitor position is directly in front of the worker 24. No glare is present on the screen which might cause the worker to assume awkward posture Work Area-OSHA checklist 25. Thighs have clearance space between chair and VDT table/keyboard platform 26. Legs and feet have clearance space under VDT table so employee can get close enough to keyboard/input device Accessories OSHA checklist 27. Document holder, if provided, is stable and large enough to hold documents used 28. Document holder, if provided, is placed at about same height and distance as monitor screen so that there is little head movement when worker looks from the document to the screen 29. Wrist rest, if provided, is padded and free of sharp and square edges 30. Wrist rest, if provided, allows worker to keep forearms, wrists and hands straight and parallel to ground 31. Telephone can be used with head upright (not bent) and shoulders relaxed (not elevated) if employee does VDT task at same time 3
General-OSHA checklist 32. Workstation and equipment have sufficient adjustability so that the employee is able to be in a safe working posture and to make occasional changes in posture while performing VDT tasks. 33. VDT workstation, equipment and accessories are maintained in serviceable condition and function properly. Reach Zones Primary reach zone 0-140 inches from body for frequently accesses objects Secondary reach zone 14-24 inches from body for infrequently used objects In some cases placing supplies at a distance requiring a short walkw might be preferred. What should a workstation ergonomics evaluation report include? Details of client s s job Client s s subjective information/diagnosis What was observed? What risk factors are present? Suggested solutions to improve work ergonomics, client comfort and productivity 4
Common Solutions Products Positioning adjustments Posture awareness training Preventative stretching program Mini breaks Task alternation References/helpful websites OSHA www.osha.gov NIOSH www.cdc.gov/niosh American Industrial Hygiene Association www.aiha.org Institute of Industrial Engineers www.iienet.org Human Factors and Ergonomics Society www.hfes.org American Society of Safety Engineers www.asse.org Additional References Porter, Ronald W., PT, Musculoskeletal Disorders and Ergonomics Workshop Manual, Back School of Atlanta, 2002. Thank you! 5