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Why should your work area be ergonomic?

It’s common for injury and illness to happen at work. Both can cost you and your employer time and money. They can also affect how well you do your job.

Most on-the-job injuries are caused by:

  • Falls.
  • Repetitive movements.
  • The way you sit or stand (posture).
  • Bending over, lifting heavy objects, or using pressure or force.
  • Working with vibrating tools.

Office ergonomics can help you be more comfortable at work. It can help lower stress and injury caused by awkward positions and repetitive tasks. It focuses on how things are set up in your office work space, such as:

  • Your workstation set-up, how you sit, and how long you stay in one position.
  • How you do a certain task, the kinds of movements you make, and whether you make the same movements over and over.
  • Your work area, including light, noise, and temperature.
  • The tools you use to do your job and whether they are set up to fit your needs.

 

Ergo Assessment

Ergonomic Needs Assessment

Assessing the needs of staff accommodations for their work space to prevent injuries moving forward. Use this form below to help determine what may have taken place.

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EDMP Ergonomic Form

Employees should refer themselves to EDMP if they need an accommodation for their workstation. Simply fill out the form below and EDMP will be in contact with HR or the department Supervisor.

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Kinds of Injuries

Most injuries that happen at work are caused by physical stress and strain, such as sitting in the same position for a long time, making repetitive movements, and overuse. These injuries can cause stress and strain on your muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, blood vessels, and spine.

Symptoms can include pain in your:

  • Back.
  • Hand, wrist, or arms.
  • Neck and shoulders.

You could also be at risk for problems such as tendinopathy and bursitis. These are caused by overuse and repetitive movements. Over time, these kinds of movements can make you feel bad. They can cause long-term health problems. And they use up your sick time.

You may be at greater risk for injuries at work if you have other health problems, such as arthritis or emotional stress.

Injury Prevention

Here are a few ways you can prevent injuries at work:

  • Try to place your work in front of you and sit tall while you work.
  • Try not to put too much stress on one area of your body, such as your lower back or arms.
  • Change your position often.
  • Turn with your whole body instead of twisting to face your work.
  • Take breaks to stretch or get out of your chair every 20 to 40 minutes. If you can, switch to another task.

Resources

Educational guide for workplace injuries

This book is an educational guide to help workers and employers recognize the signs and symptoms of MSI and understand the potential health effects of these injuries. It also helps employers and workers to identify the factors that place workers at risk for MSI, such as force, repetition, work posture, and local contact stress.

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How to make your workstation fit you

The guide includes recommendations for layout and lighting, good posture, and organization of the work day and space to reduce the likelihood of injury. It also provides a checklist for assessing your computer workstation, as well as desk exercises to reduce muscle and eye strain.

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Preventing Musculoskeletal Injury

This book provides guidance to help employers and joint committees prevent MSI in the workplace. It discusses a seven-step prevention process: consultation, education, risk identification, risk assessment, risk control, training, and evaluation.

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Lifting at the workplace (short video)

Lifting is a common task in many workplaces. This animated video illustrates the risk associated with lifting and suggests ways to reduce this risk.

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