By
NANCY HATCH WOODWARD
For Best
Practices in HR and HRnext
The folks in Washington can
argue all they want about creating a federal ergonomics
rule, but in the meantime you'll need some commonsense
approaches to help your employees avoid the most common
types of injuries.
Zach Koutsanbreas, a
certified professional ergonomic evaluator (CPEE) and vice
president of Ergoworks Consulting in Gaithersburg,
Maryland, says keeping your employees healthy isn’t very
hard or expensive.
"A lot of the time, it
is not what the employer can do to help the employees, but
instead what the employees can do to help
themselves," Koutsanbreas says.
Water, stretching, and
more water
Take one of the most common
injuries in the office environment: lower back pain.
"If you have someone in a sitting posture for eight
or 10 hours a day, day in and day out, they're going to
have a lot more pressure placed on those discs … than
someone who gets up and down often and moves about,"
Koutsanbreas observes.
Lower back pain can be
easily prevented or treated without a great deal of
expense, he says. "The person who is sitting for long
periods of time should get up and stretch every 45 minutes
or so, certainly no more than an hour. Just stand up and
stretch for a minute or two - it will make a big
difference and relieve the stress and pressure on your
back."
One of the easiest ways to
solve back pain and many other ergonomic problems,
according to Koutsanbreas, is to drink more water.
"That gets people out of their chairs a lot more
during the day," he says. "It’s very simple
and cost effective, and it helps with a lot of other
health issues, too."
Not always carpal tunnel
When most people think
about ergonomic issues, the injury that most quickly comes
to mind is carpal tunnel syndrome. But Koutsanbreas notes
that it is a broad term, often misapplied in describing a
variety of problems.
"Carpal tunnel is
usually going to affect the thumb, index finger, and the
middle finger," he says. "It does not affect
your pinkie or your ring finger; but again, people think
that just about any injury of the hand is called carpal
tunnel."
Other common hand and arm
injuries are tendonitis and deQuervains.
Tendonitis, as the name
implies, is an irritation or inflammation of the tendons.
It is usually felt in the hands, elbow, or shoulders.
"There may be a little bit of soreness or general
tiredness," says Koutsanbreas. "It’s very
common, and people just need to rest that area of their
bodies for a couple of days or so, and then they are
usually fine.
"DeQuervains, on the
other hand, is an inflammation of two of the three tendons
in the thumb. This injury can cause pain and fatigue, and
it is typically associated with typing activities that
involve the thumb. Often, though, the culprit is the type
of input device the person is using, particularly the type
of computer mouse being used. Someone who is data
processing and using the mouse all day long can often get
deQuervains."
More simple solutions
Simple and inexpensive
changes can help all of these conditions. "Try to
work in neutral postures and positions," suggests
Koutsanbreas. "Most people think you have to go out
and buy special chairs or equipment to handle these types
of injuries, but really it can be taken care of with a
simple repositioning of how you work.
"What you want to do
is work at angles that are less stressful on the joints
and wrists. The most common type of this position is what
we call ‘neutral wrist.’ That is, when you approach
the keyboard, whether you are typing or mousing, make sure
you have a good bend in your elbow. Your arm should not be
fully extended, and your forearm and the palm of your hand
should be close to parallel to the ground. Don't have your
wrist or fingers pointing toward the ceiling."
Another simple technique
that Koutsanbreas suggests is giving your hand and wrist a
good massage occasionally. Just take your other hand and
gently massage from your elbow all the way down your arm
to your wrist. Then massage each of your fingers and the
palm of your hand.
Standing up and shaking
your hands is also a good idea. Relax your hands and make
them completely limp. Then let them flop all around as you
shake them for a good 15 to 20 seconds. Rest, then repeat
again for another 15 to 20 seconds.
Trigger finger
One other injury common
among heavy mouse users is "trigger finger,"
according to Koutsanbreas. "When you keep click,
click, clicking, the tendon sheath gets irritated and
inflamed or even ripped, and the finger starts to stick
and doesn’t quite slide the way it should," he
says.
"In this case, try to
stop all that clicking or, if that is not possible, use
short-cut keys on your keyboard and also look for another
type of mouse which will give you more options than just
using your one finger. There are so many types out there
now - it’s not hard to find one that fits your hand size
and your activity better."
One more tip
Don’t use stress balls or
vice grips. People tend to squeeze them too tightly. This
is the type of motion that can put you at even greater
risk for a carpal tunnel injury.
If none of these tips help,
it may be worthwhile to bring in an ergonomics specialist
who can view your employees at work and make suggestions.
Usually, though, it doesn’t have to cost and arm and a
leg to heal a thumb or finger.
Want more news and
information on ergonomics? Visit ErgoNext.
This article was furnished by HRnext.com,
Your Source for for practical answers to HR
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