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Introduction to Ergonomics How many times have you used a new piece of equipment or started a new job and thought: “what a bad design, if I’d designed this I would have… changed the shape of the handle… made the seat more adjustable…. or.. it would be more efficient if I did this in a different order..etc” Essentially this is ergonomics. It means taking account of people in the way we design and organise our lives. It can relate to everything we do, here are just a few examples of how ergonomics effects our daily lives: (Click on an example to view more information)
The Dangers of Poor Ergonomics When we use equipment that has not been adjusted properly to suit us, or work unsafely or inefficiently, we are vulnerable to injury. These injuries are often called work related upper limb disorders (formally known as RSI). Examples of work related upper limb disorders include neck pain when sitting incorrectly or for too long at a computer; wrist and forearm pain after fitting electrical components non stop; or shoulder pain due to painting ceilings all weekend. Other injuries might include back strain from lifting heavy items off the floor, and accidents arising from slipping, tripping and falling in badly designed spaces. The most common factors associated with injury are repetitive monotonous work, especially involving twisting, e.g. using a screwdriver all day. Having to use a lot of continuous muscle effort to do a job e.g. lifting heavy boxes or stacking newspapers. Keeping still for long periods of time e.g. standing checking machinery, or sitting still at a computer all day. These factors tend to be cumulative in combination and over time. The risks increase if there are additional factors such as lack of fitness or training for the job, poor working environment, time constraints, or poor organisational/ supervisory support.
Ergonomics At The Physiotherapy Centre As physiotherapists we are not only interested in treating your condition, but also in preventing it reoccurring. Therefore if we feel that something you are doing, or some equipment you are using is to blame we will offer advice for the future. Mostly this is very straightforward, e.g. assessing your driving posture in your car in the car park, giving information on how to use and carry your laptop better, or advising how to better lift your baby out of its pram. However sometimes it is more useful to assess your individual issues at home or work. In this case two of the physiotherapists Clare Windsor and Yves De Vos are available to do site visits. If you are an employee and you think you would benefit from this service at work, please speak to your physiotherapist and your manager. Alternatively, if as a manger you feel an ergonomic assessment would be useful for your company or for individual employees, please not do hesitate to contact us for further information. |
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