Page 62 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2017

ERGONOMICS
comprehensive office ergonomics pro- gram—with some caveats. The same prin- ciples for workstation adjustment noted above apply (minus the chair adjustment, of course). The monitor should be 2-3 inches below eyes and an arm’s length away, with the keyboard and monitor directly ahead with keyboard adjusted to elbow height. It’s also important to alternate between sitting and standing. Standing all day isn’t healthy, either. When first implemented, the stand- ing component should be incorporated gradually. Footwear during standing is
also critical. If women stand while wearing high heels, nothing healthy has been ac- complished. Alternate between sitting and standing every 30 to 60 minutes.
Stretch breaks that stretch out the mus- cles for 15-30 seconds are extremely ben- eficial. The goal is to stretch in the opposite direction from the static position that you maintain all day as part of your work. A couple of examples include:
■ In general, the fingers work all day in a slightly flexed or bent position, causing shortening of the muscles on the palm side
of your hand and forearm. To stretch these muscles, interlace the fingers and turn palms outward, raising arms up overhead.
■ Because your arms work in front of you all day, the front of the shoulders gets tight. Lace your fingers behind your back and reach back while squeezing the shoulder blades together. This gives a good stretch to the shoulders and activates mus- cles in the upper back that carry a lot of ten- sion with associated decreased circulation.
Movement breaks are another option to combat the negative effects that sitting has on the circulatory system. Movement breaks that cause the muscles to contract and elevate the heart rate, even slightly, are beneficial. Employees should walk at least 10,000 steps per day and get up from their desk every hour. Other movements that accomplish movement goals are wall push- ups, marching in place, toe raises, and front kicks. Use an elastic band to provide resis- tance arm movements, including bending or straightening the elbow, which help to activate the arm muscles and raise heart rate at the same time.
Sound ergonomic setup of your em- ployees’ workstations and movement throughout the day are critical components of your workplace wellness program—es- pecially in the office environment. These two components of wellness will lead to de- creased fatigue, fewer work-related MSDs, and a healthier workplace.
Deborah Lechner, PT, MS, president of ErgoScience (www.ergoscience.com), com- bines an extensive research background with 25-plus years of clinical experience. Under her leadership, ErgoScience continues to use the science of work to improve workplace safety, productivity, and profitability.
REFERENCES
1. http://static.politico.com/3e/68/ b29a1ff04e7d8bc7c8231352ffc5/ibis-study- on-corporate-wellness-programs.pdf
2. https://hbr.org/2010/12/whats-the-hard- return-on-employee-wellness-programs
3. https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromo- tion/pdf/workplace-health-program-definition- and-description.pdf
4. https://ergonomics.ucla.edu/office- ergonomics/4-steps.html
5. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health- topics/topics/ms
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