Ergonomics are easier than ever

General Article
September 19, 2002

Environmental Health & Safety sports new Internet site, plans survey, opens expanded office showroom

Mercy Walcoff Budiansky, the center's ergonomics specialist, adjusts the height of a desk chair during an evaluation. PHOTO BY TODD McNAUGHT

By BRAD BROBERG

There's nothing new about ergonomics and Environmental Health & Safety's emphasis on it. But faculty and staff now have more and better ways to take advantage of resources to reduce fatigue, discomfort and the likelihood of injury in the workplace.

The center's ergonomics showroom has expanded and moved from Met East to the Aloha Building, a more convenient location for most faculty and staff.

The center's Internet site now includes a set of pages dedicated to ergonomics information: http://www.fhcrc.org/admin/facilities/ehs/ergonomics/index.htm.

The center is preparing to survey all jobs for potential ergonomics hazards as required by the new state ergonomics rule (see related story).

Several dozen faculty and staff have volunteered to participate in a statewide ergonomics study to investigate musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, shoulder, arms and hands in the workplace. If you are interested in participating, call SHARP at 1-888-66 SHARP for more information.

Ergonomics is the science and practice of designing jobs or workplaces to match the limitations and capabilities of the human body. The practice of good ergonomics prevents injuries, increases productivity and boosts morale.

Mercy Walcoff Budiansky, ergonomics specialist and training-program manager, said she's particularly pleased about the new Internet pages.

Convenient education

"I would love for people to use the Web site," she said. "They can look at it at their convenience and educate themselves about this science."

The Internet pages describe the center's ergonomics program, provide pictures of proper ergonomics setup and discuss signs, symptoms and treatment of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

However, that doesn't mean Walcoff Budiansky wants the Internet to replace one-on-one evaluations with faculty and staff at their work stations. Rather, she sees the site enhancing the value of her evaluations and recommendations.

"I want employees to have a good understanding of why I'm recommending what I'm recommending because all the good ergonomics equipment in the world is not going to solve their problems if they don't use it correctly," she said. "Using the Web site will help them remember what I recommended and why."

While faculty and staff can schedule one-on-one evaluations with Walcoff Budiansky on their own, the person's supervisor must approve any recommendation she makes for new equipment.

Even so, Walcoff Budiansky said, new equipment - such as chairs, document holders and track balls - will not necessarily fix discomfort.

"Not everybody needs every piece of equipment," she said. "It depends on the work they do and their body type."

Often, the remedy is a matter of properly arranging and adjusting existing tools and furniture, maintaining good posture and establishing breaks from repetitive tasks.

Those wondering how a workstation should look can contact Walcoff Budiansky to arrange a visit to the new ergonomics showroom. The showroom, which formerly contained only chairs, now boasts a complete workstation outfitted with accessories that faculty and staff can try out.

And it still houses surplus chairs. Faculty and staff can obtain a surplus chair through Walcoff Budiansky if their departments are unable to purchase a new one, if she recommends a different chair and if a chair is available that fits her recommendation.

Walcoff Budiansky said that the key to avoiding workplace-related physical strains and stresses is to identify them as soon as they are discovered.

"Early detection is what leads to prevention," she said. "Our goal is to make employees aware of what constitutes a risk to their health. If you're feeling pain, let us know."

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Are you in a caution zone?

Look for survey to help center comply with state rule

By BARBARA BERG

This fall, the center takes its first steps toward complying with a new state policy to protect workers from muscular strain and repetitive-stress injury.

Adopted by the state's Department of Labor and Industry in May 2000, the rule has an extended phase-in period. Businesses with employees at highest risk for injury began implementation of new policies in July, while businesses with lower risk, such as the center, have until next July to comply.

The policy requires companies to identify jobs that are at risk for what are known as workplace-related musculoskeletal disorders , which include carpal-tunnel syndrome, back strain and tendonitis. The rule defines these jobs as "caution zone jobs."

To identify such jobs at the center, Environmental Health & Safety will mail a caution-zone checklist to faculty and staff in October. All are required to complete and return the checklist. The information received will help Environmental Health & Safety identify whether an individual is in a caution-zone job.

Ergonomics specialist Mercy Walcoff Budiansky said that while many center jobs may involve repetitive motions such as intensive keying or pipetting, such activities must be performed with little or no variation for more than two hours each day to be designated as "caution zones" under the new rule.

"The checklist will contain explicit information about the types of activities, and their duration, that constitute caution zones," she said. "While only caution-zone activities must be identified under the new rule, we recognize some employees may experience job-related discomfort even if their activities don't fit into the parameters of a caution zone. They should still come to us for help."

Those who work in caution-zone jobs and their supervisors will be required to go through ergonomics education designed to minimize the risk of injury.

"Just as center employees who work with blood or blood products must go through a bloodborne-pathogens education program, individuals at risk for musculoskeletal injuries will need to attend ergonomics-awareness training," Walcoff Budiansky said.

Caution-zone jobs will be evaluated to determine whether their risk factors reach hazard levels that pose a significant risk to the worker. Walcoff Budiansky said it is unlikely that many center jobs fall into this category. If such hazards are discovered, Environmental Health & Safety will work with affected staff and supervisors to reduce exposure to the risks.

The center's long-standing recognition of ergonomics issues makes it well-prepared to comply with the state's new rule.

"The rule and our program are separate, but they overlap," Walcoff Budiansky said. "Our program will help us comply with the rule, because it is a mature and well-established program."

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