Workstations

RSS

With the holiday season underway, workers may be feeling festive and want to show it in the workplace. Follow these tips to help prevent injuries while decorating.

Jobs that require frequent standing can lead to a number of health-related problems, including sore feet, leg swelling, muscle fatigue, low back pain, and stiffness in the neck and shoulders.

Extension cords can be found in many types of workplaces, from offices and warehouses to retail stores and construction jobsites. Unfortunately, they’re often misused.

Does your job require you to stand for long periods? Or maybe you spend hours lifting and pushing heavy materials. Perhaps you’re in an office environment and sit at a desk for hours while typing on a computer most of the day. These situations are all considered risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders.

Inspections are an important part of any workplace safety and health management system. Described in a video from the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Division of Labor and Industry as the practice of “identifying unsafe conditions through observations and testing of the work environment,” inspections can cover housekeeping, emergency alarms, electrical hazards, machine guarding and chemical hazards.

Use of compact fluorescent lightbulbs can save money, conserve energy, reduce waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. However, CFLs contain mercury – a potent neurotoxin that, in small amounts, can cause serious health problems. At room temperature, mercury is a liquid and can readily evaporate into the air.

“Our bodies are very good at giving us warning signs when something needs to change,” NSC says. “We just need to be willing to listen and take action.”

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.

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.