Tag Archives: workstation ergonomics

Ergonomic Training Programs – What Is Ergonomics?

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To really understand what ergonomic training programs are, one first has to to comprehend the concept of “ergonomics” itself. Even though this topic affects human activity in the home, as well, the average ergonomic training program focuses on workplace issues.

In a working environment, efficiency becomes ultimately important. Increasingly, firms now realize that when people are comfortable within their working environment, they feel happier. But, the benefits of ergonomics training do not stop there.

The physical comfort and personal satisfaction which ergonomic environments can stimulate, will also result in a higher quality of production for the firm itself.

In this way, ergonomic training programs tend to benefit basically ALL of its participants with equally important rewards. Ergonomic chairs, tables, and assorted workplace equipment, furniture, and tools can be customized to more conveniently suit the needs of human beings.

Even from a health perspective, the best ergonomic training programs will effectively address both short-term and long-term safety of workers, especially those who perform repetitive physical routines.

Task repetition has been shown to cause minor physical stress in joints and muscles. Thus, without the benefit of an expertly prepared ergonomic environment, the performer tends to develop health complications which impair overall efficiency — not to mention mood or outlook towards task completion.

Qualified ergonomic training programs will explain the actual “laws” which govern biomechanics, and thus allow human beings to perform at their highest potentials. Ergonomics involves nearly EVERYTHING in an office setting from the mouse on your computer to the air ventilation systems which affect breathing inside of your building.

Want to find out more about ergonomic training programs that better suit YOUR work environment? One of the great sources of information about ergonomics training is “NIOSH,” the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

 

– for more information schedule a FREE assessment today of your business. office ergonomic assessment, workstation ergonomic assessment, workstation ergonomics, ergonomics in the workplace

Industrial Ergonomics and ergonomic program design

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When designing ergonomic programs for the industrial scale, a good thing to note is the general effect it will have on a large amount of people and how it would be scaled over time. It is common knowledge that no two people are the same, but designing ergonomic solutions for a big population should still be good enough to satisfy the majority, at the very least. Most work stations today are designed to fit the user. They are adaptive to a variety of body heights, sizes, weights and reaches whether sitting or standing. Recent studies have shown that such programs produce the highest consumer satisfaction.

A useful principle in Work Station Design is to consider the tallest Employee and the Employee with the shortest reach. Obviously it is impossible to shorten an Employee’s height or lengthen an Employee’s reach. But platforms can be designed and implemented to raise shorter employees to the proper work height. Either sitting or standing, the Employee should be comfortable at his work station at all times of the day. The arms should rest at the Employees sides and the Employees back/neck should be kept straight; therefore, the work level must be waist-high.

Standing in one place for prolonged periods has proven to be very hazardous and may lead to a host of other minor injuries. Some of which include: vertebral damage, fatigue, Varicose veins, back stress, and pooling of blood in legs. Sit/stand work stations should be considered. If an Employee has to stand, providing something to lean on so the Employee will have the opportunity to rest. Also, providing a heavy rubber pad to stand on will help relieve neck, shoulder, back, and leg stress.

In several parts of North America, some large companies have begun establishing ergonomic departments on-site, to specifically tackle these common problems in the work space first hand. This not only personalizes the experience for workers, it also delivers the best emergency response in the shortest possible time. Statistics have shown consistently that offices with ergonomic staff are less like likely to have serious accidents resulting from poor ergonomic design.

Also, with casual observation of work stations, each of these injury prone positions can be eliminated. Almost anytime an Employee in an office has to raise a foot off the floor to reach a moving or stationary object, they are hyper-extending and are in an injury prone position. So creating barriers in work stations that eliminate unnecessary movements and puts workers at risk of accidents is always a good idea.

 

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