Ergonomics

Washington – The Food and Drug Administration has developed a free safety guide on patient lifting devices.

Safety+Health shares – in pictures – how the National Safety Council conducts ergonomics assessments of workers’ desks and chairs to help prevent MSDs.

Whole-body vibration occurs when mechanical energy oscillations are transferred to the body as a whole, commonly through a seat or platform.

Winterthur, Switzerland – A dozen European institutions have teamed up to create robotic technology to help with lifting tasks in the workplace.

Ergonomic disorders affect the soft tissues, specifically the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, blood vessels and spinal discs. These issues can result from job tasks such as working on an assembly line, using heavy equipment or typing on a computer.

According to experts, including the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, little clinical evidence suggests computer keyboard use is a risk factor for developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Although other types of hand strain can result from overuse of a keyboard or mouse, CTS likely is not linked to these actions.

Equipment such as adjustable chairs and ergonomic mouse pads can help prevent strain among workers sitting at a desk. But workers required to stand for long periods of time are subject to strain injuries that cannot be prevented with such equipment.