Ergonomics

RSS

Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic? The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries offers tips on how to best set up a safe and efficient workstation.

With shelter-in-place orders in effect throughout much of the United States because of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people are working remotely. This presents unique challenges and safety concerns.

Good ergonomics isn’t limited to the office: The same practices that can help avoid aches and pains at your desk can be applied to your drive to and from work, the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety says.

Lifting objects or manually handling materials puts workers at risk for back injuries. More than 111,000 such injuries requiring days away from work were recorded in 2017, according to Injury Facts, an online database created by the National Safety Council.

Whether it’s a work computer, a home laptop or our ever-present smartphones, chances are you stare at some type of screen for hours each day.

Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. workforce is older than 65, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2020, 1 in 4 American workers will be older than 55.

If you work in an office, chances are good that you sit for a large part of the day. This puts you at risk for ergonomics-related problems.

From boxes of paper near the printer to large packages in the mailroom, office settings contain a number of objects – some quite heavy – that require manual lifting. Are you following safe lifting practices?

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders – also referred to as repetitive motion or repetitive strain injuries – are a group of painful conditions that affect the muscles, tendons and nerves. According to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, workers can develop an MSD from bending, gripping, straightening, holding, twisting, or reaching with their arms and hands.

Are you lifting objects correctly? If not, you could be at risk for an ergonomics-related injury, such as a sprain or strain, back injury, or repetitive-motion injury.