THE RELEVANCE OF ERGONOMICS IN THE WORKPLACE

THE RELEVANCE OF ERGONOMICS TO THE WORKPLACE.

Hello there, this is Goke Akingbade (your Safety Guide) welcoming you into the year 2014.                 Today we will be discussing about a very important topic as regards workplace safety and health. This article is about Ergonomics. Ergonomics is a system of designing workstations, work practices and workflow to match the abilities of the worker. It is important that your organization consider implementing an ergonomics program which will reduce the risk factors that your employees might be exposed to as a result of the kind of work they do.                                                                                                                                              Ergonomics can simply be defined as the science of fitting the job to the individual worker, also bearing in mind his work environment.                                                                                                                                                When there is no correlation between the physical requirements of the job and the physical capacity of the worker, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can result.

WHO IS AT RISK?

Workers who must repeat the same motions throughout their workday, who must do their work in an awkward position, who must utilize a great amount of force to perform their jobs, who must repeatedly lift heavy objects or who face a combination of these risk factors are most likely to develop MSDs.               The level of risk depends on three things:                                                                                                    1. The length of time a worker is exposed to the conditions.                                                                        2. The frequency of the worker’s exposure.                                                                                                  3. The level of exposure.

WHAT ARE MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS (MSDs):                                                                                                                                            MSDs are a group of conditions that involve the muscles, nerves, tendons and supporting structures such as intervertebral discs. They represent a wide range of disorders, which can differ in severity from mild periodic symptoms to severe chronic and debilitating conditions. Examples include:

• carpal tunnel syndrome                                                                                                                                                     • tenosynovitis                                                                                                                                              • tension neck syndrome                                                                                                                             •low back pain             

Contributing factors are aspects of the work task that can lead to injuries, MSD symptoms and fatigue and so on. These factors may be present in one or more tasks that workers must engage in to perform their jobs. The contributing factors that you and your workers should be mindful of are:                                             (A) Awkward postures.                                                                                                                                (B) Forceful exertion                                                                                                                                                    (C) Repetitive motions.  (D)Vibration.                                                                                                           (E) Pressure points (e.g. local contact stress)

If the lighting in a workplace is too dark or too bright, it can lead to workers assuming awkward postures to accomplish work task, and a reduction in the quality of the product.                                                            In addition, extreme high temperatures can increase the rate at which the body will fatigue. Exposure of the hands and feet to cold temperatures can decrease blood flow, muscle strength, and manual dexterity. These conditions can also cause excessive grip force to be applied to tool handles or objects. MSD can be prevented by simple and inexpensive changes in the workplace. Adjusting the height of working surfaces, varying the tasks for workers and encouraging short rest breaks can reduce risk. Reducing the size of items that workers carry or making provision for a lifting equipment will also assist workers.                                                                                                                                                   

Lastly, the work environment, within which the worker and job exist, may also contain exposures to risk factors. The more reason why it is crucial that your organization develops and implements  an ergonomics program for the safety and health of its employees, this will lead to overall promotion of a safe and healthful workplace.