Ergonomics Hand - Workplace Ergonomics Hand Posture Tips

Ergonomics is the restraint concerned with designing according to the needs of a person in his or her work place. There are custom made ergonomic products that have the intention to help a user with comfort and easy usage of a mouse, keyboard, laptop, chair, or anything else in this nature, which helps avoid repetitive strain injury, also known as RSI.

If recurring strain injury is not addressed immediately, RSI can lead to serious injuries such as paralysis of the hand, arthritis, chronic aching, tendon and nerve damage, and other problems with the joints, cartilage, spine, and ligaments. A work place that is not set up properly can lead to musculoskeletal disorders or MSD and could lead to rotator cuff syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome. Musculoskeletal disorders does not always come from bad posture, or a desk, it can also come from recurring motions and awkward positions. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are normally having difficulty making a fist, weakness in body parts, having a hard time using hands, pain, swelling, soreness, and cold hands.

It is essential to think smart when it comes to designing one's own work place. People with longer limbs could experience higher risks of injury by having congested work place. People should make sure that they have enough room. Also they should remember that standard desk sizes are always not suitable for every person. If the desk of the work place is used by a group of people, then they should look to see if it can be adjusted. People should make sure to organize the desktop in order to access items on their desk without any strain. Also they should be sure to have the frequently used objects closer to avoid having to stretch to grab an item. If their feet do not rest properly on the floor comfortably, they should be sure to adjust their seat. If their feet still do not rest on the floor comfortably, they must be sure to get a footrest. It is also advised by the health experts to use a document holder if they are constantly referring to documents while typing. This will prevent people from constantly having to move their head to look at the paper, and then moving their head to look at the computer.

People should make sure that their monitor is not too close or too far from them. This distance increases the chance of people to sit in an awkward position. Leaning forward to see the computer screen will put strain on their torso and will also strain the eyes. People should make sure their monitor is clean to also prevent eyestrain and make sure the brightness of the monitor is at a comfortable level for them. They also need to make sure the monitor is at a distance of 18-30 inches from them, and also it is at a 90-degree angle. Not having enough lighting at the work place can also causes visual problems. The signs of optical discomfort are burning eyes, eyestrain, itching, and blurry vision. If people have a glare on their monitor, they should be sure to adjust the lights and must avoid any intense lighting at the workplace.

• Janny Raines
• 18/01/2009, 4:59 PM
• 0 Comments