What does the word ergonomics mean?
Ergonomics is the focus of how humans fit into their environment. One common application is to look at how we spend time throughout our workday.
Are you moving in a safe manner? Do you perform skills that could cause you immediate or future injuries? Is your workspace up to par for what your daily assignments require?
These questions—and more—are a part of ergonomics.
While this has been an ongoing topic for years, it has recently gained momentum.
A common topic circulating is work-life balance. This includes our overall status with employment and life, but also addresses being healthy from a fitness standpoint.
With this considered, companies are changing their culture to focus more on wellness. An important part of this is assessing ergonomics as a preventative measure during employment.
In This Article
Overview of Ergonomics
While ergonomics is a strange word, it does hold quite a bit of weight in the contribution to our daily tasks.
When it comes to your health, you likely know the basics where you try to stay focused. You might seek knowledge and apply methods to your daily routine.
This may include trips to the gym, sleeping habits, food choices, avoiding fragrances, getting regular health checkups, and even setting goals for your overall wellness.
However, we often overlook the importance of ergonomics in the very place where we spend most of our day.
Work-related situations are a common culprit for chronic injuries. Even when you least expect there to be a problem, one can show up.
Ergonomics in this environment is vital to everyday health.
First Things First
Why do we spend so much time at work yet often neglect to see it as a potential health threat?
Many people express that they focus their health needs elsewhere, and they don’t really pay attention to those needs at work.
If your job entails heavy lifting, dealing with machinery, safety issues that must be addressed by the company, you are likely already trained in ergonomics and have guidelines in place.
However, it’s generally said that people “have to be there” or they “have to do the work” and there isn’t much focus on other things. Productivity and time constraints are also often mentioned as reasons that it’s challenging to pay attention to anything other than work topics.
The focus hinges on the task rather than the method in which it’s carried out.
This is a common occurrence in workplaces. It unintentionally discourages assessment of how you’re doing what you do daily.
Unfortunately, this can create short- and long-term problems for your health. There might even become a need for physically healing the body.
It’s up to each of us to be an influencer for safety and an ergonomic friendly work environment. Let’s look at some pointers that you should consider when addressing ergonomics.
Points That Need Your Attention with Ergonomics
Before we dive into what you should look for, it’s important to mention one other idea.
Stretching.
While there are numerous actions, exercises, and choices to make for better body health, stretching is a foundational concept.
Think about when you first wake up in the morning. Most of us love to take a few moments for a stretch break. Or when you have been working too long and rub your neck or back. You might find yourself stretching to relieve some tension.
That’s your body’s way of telling you there’s a need in that area. You should always listen to your body. For comfort, or when we’re fatigued, we stretch.
One benefit of stretching is increased blood flow to your muscles.
Stretching before work is important in many jobs. Rushing in without preparing your body for the daily grind can create injuries.
We’ll focus more on how flexibility pertains to some of the upcoming points.
1) Safety
Safety is the foundation of why we look at ergonomics.
As mentioned, some occupations require increased safety measures and companies are required to seek more focus. However, often what might be considered a low-risk place of employment can still have its hazards.
Each area where you spend time at work should be assessed as part of your ergonomic check. If your employer hasn’t done their due diligence, take responsibility for your own safety.
Worker compensation claims are so common that they have their own department at insurance companies and their own set of laws in many states. That alone tells us attention should be taken during your time at work.
Safety should not only be considered as a plan to keep you from physical injury, but also for ideas that encourage better productivity and efficiency without hindering your wellness.
Let’s look more at specific areas involved with daily tasks. For your own assessment, step through your day piece-by-piece to examine the safety parameters that are in place. Your own and those designed by your employer.
It’s often a problem when time goes by, and guidelines are not changed or updated. Ongoing assessment is needed to ensure that the best safety recommendations are considered.
Focus: No point should be too big or too small for safety attention.
2) Assess Your Space for Correct Workflow
This is a necessary step in developing an appropriate ergonomic assessment and plan. Instead of rush in and begin work, take time to look around at your set-up.
Are there cords, stacks of papers, machinery, spills, etc., that create hazardous situations? It could be a temporary problem or might be there continuously. Especially in this case, the issue must be removed.
Another point to turn your focus is the area where you perform most of your work. Especially if it’s a smaller space, how you move and interact with equipment that you readily use is important. This could include computers, filing cabinets, counters, drawers, tools, etc.
Consider what amount of reaching you do during the day.
Are you able to easily access the areas you need? Can you safely reach everything without contorting your body? Is your leg constantly hitting an object when you move around? Are you walking over hazardous items just to do your job?
All of these are valid questions, but they’re only a sample of what is involved in a full assessment of the flow of your workspace. Safety and efficiency stem from the right questions begin answered.
Focus: The goal is to have an ample, open area to operate in free of challenges.
3) Repetitive Motion
The same type of movement continuously throughout your day creates concern for injury—acute and possibly chronic.
At your workplace, the tasks may require the same repeated motion over and over. Sometimes there’s no way around this.
Often assembly line, packing jobs, or something similar come to mind. However, you should also be mindful of situations such as using a computer mouse, keyboard, or even an adding machine. These are repetitive if you perform them continuously.
Our bodies were made for balance and our muscles are included in this point. They were not designed to perform the same task for hundreds of repetitions or for hours on end. Yet we can’t always control what we subject our bodies to at work.
In this case, taking care of yourself with stretching and fitness is extremely important. Keeping fit is a great start, especially with a focus on the area of your body that is used repetitively.
Another important focus for continued movement is stretching. As mentioned earlier, your body will often cue you when it needs a stretch or a quick break.
Stretching specific areas before, during, and after repetitive motion occupations is very important.
Focus: Even if you don’t immediately feel soreness or an injury, repetitive motion causes issues over time. Think “wear and tear.”
4) Prolonged Sitting Posture
Anyone who spends most of their day sitting at work will tell you it brings challenges.
Some points to consider are sitting posture, placement of your arms and legs, and onset of fatigue.
It’s important to focus on what position your entire body is in while you’re sitting.
Start at your head and continue downward to ensure that your posture has no issues.
Depending on the direction of your gaze, make sure your neck is not tucked or in a position where it’s constantly tilted upward. A neutral posture is best.
Don’t keep your shoulders in a shrugged position, or too low and hanging. This is based on the position of your arms on a table or counter. Try to make sure the surface is a height where you can comfortably rest your arms to maintain optimal neck and shoulder position.
Your back should be upright and preferably have a lumbar roll for support. Also consider your upper trunk. Try to keep from slouching forward with rounded shoulders or positioning too far from the surface you’re working on.
Also, don’t discount the importance of leg placement. You want to be sure your legs aren’t propped too far forward putting pressure on your spine and pelvis. Nor should they be dangling without support.
Chair height may need to be adjusted for correct placement of arms and legs. If this is the case, you can place a stool under your feet. If your legs are splayed because your work surface is too low, you should build it up to allow for better sitting posture.
Finally, assess where the front edge of the chair seat hits the back of your legs. About two-thirds of the distance between your hip and knee is a good goal. Try not to have the chair seat resting right behind your knees nor too near your hips.
Focus: A general rule is to sit with your hips at 90 degrees and your knees at 90 degrees.
5) Prolonged Standing Posture
Just as with sitting, spending most of your work shift standing can be uncomfortable.
We looked at how upper body should be assessed in sitting. This goes for standing posture as well.
Try and make sure your neck and shoulders are positioned in a neutral manner. This can be challenging with many occupations that have lower counters, computers, equipment, etc.
Raised tables can help with this. But if not an option, then spend time every hour stretching your neck, shoulders, and back.
In standing, consider your back posture and the placement of your legs.
Just as with sitting, upright trunk posture is important. Try not to slouch your shoulders or stand with your trunk in an extreme position. (Hyperextension, rounded forward, side-leaning, etc.)
Protecting your spine, hips, knees, and ankles is key. The song you sang as a kid is true. The knee bone is connected to the hip bone!
Consider the surface you’re standing on, type of shoes you’re wearing, and even if there is a need for bracing for support. Sometimes this is necessary for your knee or ankle.
Another point to mention is not to stand with your knees extended or locked. Try to keep a slight bend at your knees during your shift.
Standing on a thin, foam mat and wearing supportive shoes are helpful tips.
Focus: It’s easy to have poor standing posture when you’re trying to “prop” for a rest break. Think weight shifting or moving in a small circle instead to relieve standing pressure.
6) Body Mechanics
Body mechanics involve how you move when using your body. But it is also the posture for positioning. We have already discussed sitting and standing.
Here, we will look at the specifics with movement and your body mechanics as they pertain to ergonomics.
The aspects involved are anatomical and biomechanical in nature. Your movements begin with what type of mechanics you have. It’s good to challenge yourself to take correct action.
At your place of employment, body mechanics are especially important. There should be a focus on how your work area is arranged and what is expected of you based on your job description.
Some types of movement that cause issues are lifting, reaching, squatting, kneeling, carrying objects, etc.
A focus on your preparation, posture, and performance count toward your body mechanics when completing a task. Balance is also important. All areas should be considered for safety and technique.
A general rule is to maintain a strong center of gravity. This helps discourage incorrect reaching, leaning, and other movements.
In addition, pay attention to lifting and carrying methods and don’t rush to complete any task. Keep an item close to you when carrying and lift by bending your hips and knees. Never bend only at your waist.
It’s also good to consider placement of your arms, legs, head, and neck when performing any movement.
Always plan ahead and assess a situation to ensure you have everything you need before attempting a task.
It’s also important not to overlook the effect that muscle fatigue has on body mechanics.
Focus: One movement is not always the reason for injury. Days, weeks, months, or even years can attribute to an injury. Every choice counts
7) Regular Movement from Stationary Positions
Depending on your job description, it’s not always possible to move around during your shift. However, it’s important to move your body from a stationary position every 30 minutes. At most, try not to stay static longer than an hour.
You need movement to encourage blood flow, muscle usage, and decrease pressure spots. It’s also good to move your joints regularly.
Even if it’s just a quick change in position before returning to work, it’s better than staying still. If possible, walk, do some stretches, or even jump in place a few times. Changing from the typical position is necessary.
Just as when you sleep at night and roll to change position, a variety is preferred during the day.
You might even feel symptoms of your body needing a change. Take note of stiffness, muscle soreness, fatigue, aching, or pressure build up when sitting or standing still. These are signs that your body is asking for a change in position.
To keep from feeling worse at the end of the day, make a point to alter your position. In addition, as we have seen, difficulties over time add up. What may seem minimal now can become a problem if unaddressed.
Focus: Plan movement every 30 minutes but listen to your body as well. You will know when there is a need to change position.
Final Thoughts About Ergonomics in the Workplace
It’s no secret that work can be stressful, time consuming, and tiring. But it’s also a place for injury if you don’t pay attention to ergonomics and safety points.
We addressed a variety of areas that you should focus on to keep from having injuries and to help stay proactive for proper body mechanics. Positioning, stretching, and correct movements are necessary information to abide by.
Even if your employer hasn’t assessed your workstation, methods, or techniques, make sure you do. Be your own advocate.
It’s important to stay educated and focused on ergonomics during your workflow to increase safety and decrease injury.
It leads to better health and greater overall wellness.