General Controls to avoid Causes of Ergonomic disorders :

Keep in mind the following body postures when you arrange your work components and purchase new equipments:

1) Do not bent or twist your head and neck. Keep them vertical and in-line with the spine to avoid Ergonomic Causes.

2) Maintain a straight torso. It should not be twisted, especially when lifting or bending.

3) Whether in standing or sitting postures, keep your torso vertical or within 20 to 30 degrees of vertical.

4) Avoid reaching your elbows frequently to your side, in front, or above your head. Keep them close to your body.

5) Your forearms should be placed approximately parallel to the floor.

6) Do not rotate your forearm repeatedly, especially when your wrist is bent. Try to maintain a neutral forearm posture whenever possible.

7) Your wrists should be kept straight and in-line with your forearms. Do not bent them up or down or to either side.

8) Your thighs should be placed approximately parallel to the floor and your hips slightly higher than your knees.

9) Your feet should be placed firmly on the floor and your legs approximately perpendicular to the floor.

10) Your keyboard and mouse should be placed close together at about the same height to minimize reaching.

11) If you use a fully adjustable chair, it supports your body fully so that you can change your body postures frequently to avoid Ergonomic Causes.

Ergonomic causes: Repetition

Most of the jobs that we do on the computer are highly repetitive in nature. We may perform the same motions repeatedly at a fast pace and with little variation. The recovery time for the muscles and tendons become insufficient when your motions are isolated and repeated frequently for prolonged periods. The risk of Ergonomic Causes is more if you combine repetitive tasks with factors such as awkward postures and force.

1) Computers require little task variation. Old typing activities, such as adding paper or mechanically advancing pages, have been reduced or eliminated. Now, users can stay in their chairs and type/perform mouse work for prolonged hours. A proficient typist can easily perform more than 18,000 keystrokes per hour in such conditions. Such kind of repetitive motions can cause tendon and tendon sheath injuries, especially if the wrist is bent during the activity.

2) The same is the case while using a pointing device such as a mouse. Here, the risk of Ergonomic Causes is greater because the concentration is only on a few fingers of a single hand.

3) Most of the computer operators usually remain in essentially the same posture for an entire shift. This forces a few isolated muscles to repeatedly activate to accomplish a task such as holding the head up or focusing on a computer screen.

4) A poorly designed workstation (Workatation Ergonomics) may force the user to repeatedly reach to use a mouse or answer the phone. This can fatigue the muscles of the shoulder and irritate the tendons.

By properly arranging the workstation and its components, you can reduce repetition. Ideally, a mouse that is placed close to the keyboard should minimize repetitive reaching. However, for jobs like data entry operation, even the best-designed workstation cannot eliminate all highly repetitive motions. Hence, it is extremely important to maintain good posture by providing adequate adjustability at the workstation. All hand jobs should be performed with the wrist in a straight, neutral posture to allow the tendons to slide easily without interference. The following work process suggestions may also help reduce repetition.

1) Task Rotation or Job Enlargement - Doing the same job for prolonged hours in front of the computer is monotonous as well as tiring. If your job involves a variety of other tasks too along with the computer job, manage your time and mix the tasks so that you don’t have to strain yourself from doing the same job for long time. Other non-computer tasks such as photocopying, phone work, filing papers, cleaning up, etc. can be done taking short breaks.

2) Micro Breaks or Rest Pauses – You need to make it a habit to take short rest pauses while doing computer tasks. It is recommended to take short breaks frequently to avoid any kind of Ergonomic Causes. You can look at a farther distance, stretch your arms and feet, get up from your chair, or walk for sometime every hour taking a five-minute break. By taking such brief rest pauses, you are giving ample time for your muscles and tendons to recover.