November 25, 2005—As Missouri employers and employees prepare for the new state workers compensation law to go into effect in January, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) suggests that employers and employees in Missouri and elsewhere look at reducing workplace musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) to help reduce workers compensation costs.
MSDs, often a result of repetitive motion, are the single largest occupational safety and health problem in the US, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
ASSE urges all employers to develop and implement effective ergonomic systems as part of their overall safety and health efforts in the workplace.
An initial investment in ergonomic programs removes barriers to quality, productivity, and human performance by fitting products, tasks, and environments to people. This also reduces costs and can save companies millions. These systems can also apply to the home office.
ASSE recommends the following tips aimed at increasing safety and comfort in the workplace:
- A chair should have a five-point star base for stability, an adjustable backrest (angle, height, and depth) that provides lumbar support and an adjustable seat pan (height, forward and backward, and tilt angle). Armrests should be padded, adjustable up and down, in and out, and swivel. The edge of the seat pan should be at least four inches from the soft tissue area behind the knee. The chair should adjust in height to allow a greater than 90-degree angle between the trunk and the thigh.
- A document holder that is the same height and distance from the user as the display screen should be provided when the primary task is data entry.
- Keyboards should be detachable and adjustable to allow straight/parallel hand-forearm posture.
- A desk or tabletop should allow legroom for posture adjustments for the seated worker while also providing a 90-degree angle of the elbow and the work surface. The same is also true regarding the elbow angle for the sit/stand and the standing user.
- For lighting and glare the characters on the computer screen should be brighter than the screen background. Bright light sources in the peripheral field of the computer screen should be avoided. The computer screen should be positioned to avoid glare. By adjusting the window shades and moving or tilting the terminal can help avoid glare and screen reflections.
- For posture, the head should be tilted 15 forward or less to maintain a vertical position. The elbows should be kept close to the body or supported. The lumbar curve of the back should be maintained. Feet should never be allowed to dangle and should always be supported.
- Dry eye can occur because people tend to blink less when viewing monitors. Due to this, fatigue can also set in.
For home office tips or more information, visit ASSE.
