How to Train in Office Ergonomics

With good ergonomics training, your employees won't have to fear their office chair.

Office ergonomics is a topic that is often overlooked in otherwise strong safety training programs. Injuries due to bad ergonomics, however, include tendinitis, bursitis and other injuries that might require long periods of recuperation or even surgery. These constitute some of the most common workplace injuries and cause many hours of missed work and expense for both the company and employee. Proper and effective training on safe office ergonomics can help prevent costly and painful injuries by making employees aware of the possibility of repetitive motion injuries.

Instructions

1. Explain to all class participants that they will be doing a bit of exercise. Have them, at their seats, either sit or stand and go through the physical motions of their jobs. Let them repeat these same motions for one or two minutes, then ask them to sit back down.

2. Ask how many of them felt any stiffness or soreness from those movements. A few might say they felt some soreness, but many will say their bodies are used to it. Explain that office ergonomics studies how bodies move during work, and how those movements can be made less painful. Even though they might feel no pain or discomfort from those movements now, after many more repetitions they might begin to have soreness or even injury.

3. Explain RMI (repetitive motion injury), defined by WebMD.com as microscopic tears in the body tissue that are not permitted to heal because of constant irritation. The most common types of RMI are tendinitis and bursitis. The employee might feel numbness or tingling, or have difficulty moving a body part. RMIs can be serious, requiring surgery, or can become permanent. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common form of RMI.

4. Demonstrate how simple changes based on good office ergonomics can help stop RMIs by sitting at a desk and pretending to look at a computer screen on the right side of the desk. Now pretend to type on a keyboard slightly to your left, so that your neck is craning to see the screen. Ask the class participants where the RMI is likely to develop (in the neck, from twisting your head constantly). Show them that by simply moving the computer screen or keyboard, your back and head can be in line, thus keeping the injury to a minimum.

5. Ask the class participants to think about any part of their bodies that might ache after work, and what actions they perform at work that might cause those pains. Explain that it is not just repetitive movements that can cause RMIs, but also cold temperatures, vibrations, badly designed tools or the force used to do a task. Ask them to brainstorm with the person sitting next to them for ways that they can change their work setup or practices so they are not exposing themselves to potential RMIs.

6. Write the contact information for the safety manager or ergonomics specialist, if your company has a person in one of those positions. If not, employees should bring their concerns to their supervisor or the human resources department. If your audience participants have any potential issues that relate to their workplace ergonomics, it's critical that they report it right away so that steps can be taken to help them.

Tips & Warnings

• You might consider a slideshow to point out the various types of RMIs and how ergonomics can help.

• If you have a personal example of an RMI that you don't mind sharing with the group, it can be a powerful help for others to feel more comfortable reporting RMI problems.

• If your workplace has an ergonomics program that provides ergonomically healthy work accessories, you might bring some of these to show. Examples could include floor risers to help with proper sitting positions and ergonomic keyboards.

References

• WebMD: Repetitive Motion Injuries
• WebMD: Office Ergonomics--Common Office Injuries