Workplace Ergonomics, Ergonomics Assessment, Ergonomics Training
In the past, most businesses have strived for high production at low cost. This strategy resulted in the highest profit for a company. When in reality to many businesses, this was only a mirage. This was because the “lower cost” of the business usually resulted in a “higher cost” for the employees. This lower cost for businesses may have meant lower quality workplace items, lower salaries, less benefits, etc. These lower costs created an upset workplace environment for the employees. This upset has help found a new branch of science called Ergonomics. “Ergonomics is a relatively new branch of science which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 1999, but relies on research carried out in many other older established scientific areas, such as engineering, physiology, and psychology.” (http://www.ergonomics.org.uk/ergonomics.htm). Once it became clear that businesses needed to take into account the human environment factors that faced their employees it resulted in the discipline of ergonomics.
There exist many different things in the workplace that add to stress and injuries. They range from lifting heavy boxes to typing too much on the keyboard. However, the focus on this paper will be on the principals of ergonomics in the office and computer environment. Exactly, what is ergonomics? “Ergonomics, or Human Factors as it is known in North America, is a branch of science that aims to learn about human abilities and limitations and then apply that knowledge to improve people’s interaction with products, systems and environments.”
(http://www.ergonomics.org.uk/ergonomics.htm). “The word, ergonomics, is derived from the greek words ergos meaning “work” and nomos mean...
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...signed job, supported by a well-designed workplace and proper tools, allows the worker to avoid unnecessary motion of the neck, shoulders and upper limbs. Meaning the actual performance of the tasks depends on individuals. Make sure to always observe the workplace. If it looks like it’s an unfit workplace and you can easily get injured. Walk away. There is nothing better than to make sure that your job and health are okay when it comes to the workplace. Great ergonomics means great Workplace.
STEIN, F., SODERBACK, I., CUTLER, S., LARSON, B., 2006. Occupational therapy and ergonomics. Applying ergonomic principals to everyday occupation in the home and at work. London: Whurr Publishers.
Health care workers experience adverse effects from occupational stress. This type of stress is detrimental to the workers, patients, and the hospital itself. To respond to this ongoing problem, stress felt by workers should be reported, and treatment should be provided by the hospital. This will help reduce or ultimately eliminate occupational stress by deducing the sources that are causing or contributing to the stress, and by offering treatment options, it will alleviate the burden felt by workers. Hospital policy should enstate a mandatory session where they can discuss signs of occupational stress and the available treatment options. This will go a long way towards creating positive work environments, and interactions. This hospital policy,
A statement or idea of how a particular envisioned concept is supposed to be guided. The theoretical foundation for occupational therapy comes from sciences like anatomy and physiology, for example (Sladyk, 2015). When working with a client, rather young, middle aged or elderly, a practitioner will most likely use a Frame of Reference model. However, to successfully cater to the needs of the individual sometimes multiple models will be required. Addressed models such as the biomechanical and neurodevelopmental are two completely different models yet work very well together to achieve one common goal: to improve the well-being of the
In the dental field; assistants, dental hygienists, dentists, etc. many employees and employers suffer from ergonomic issues. Ergonomics has always been stressed to be perfected since dental hygiene has been around. Ergonomics is big in any career setting, but as for dental professionals it seems to be a little bit more elevated. The dental field has long struggled with many issues regarding ergonomical positioning and ergonomical inventions and these things have just recently started to come to life. Whether dental hygienists like it or not, ergonomics is still an issue and without correcting certain things in the dental operatory and figuring out new ways of positioning oneself, it will continue to be an issue. There are many disorders, musculoskeletal,
Workplace injuries are primarily responsible for a large number of workers being absent at work and disability. The occurrence of workplace injury varies from the occupation and the industry of the worker. There are many risk factors that are associated with workplace injuries such as age, experience, shift work, consumption of alcohol, fatigue etc. (Swaen et al. 2002).
Horrey, William J., Wickens, Christopher D., Spring 2006. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. vol. 48 no. 1. pg. 196-205
Workplace safety is a commonly used phrase that many do not consider until an accident occurs within the workplace. Throughout the U.S., workplace injuries occur on a daily basis. This has been an issue in the workforce for many years and is still an ongoing issue. Are there laws that protect employees from an unsafe work environment; what is the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA); and how did the labor unions affect the law? In this paper these following questions will be addressed, as well as the background and driving force of OSHA.
What is ergonomics? Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker. When there is a mismatch between the physical requirements of the job and the physical capacity of the worker, work-related musculoskeletal disorders can result. Workers who must repeat the same motion throughout their workday, work in an awkward position use a great deal of force to perform, repeatedly lift heavy objects or face a combination of these risk factors are most likely to develop work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
Wisner, Alain. The Etienne Grandjean Memorial Lecture: Situated Cognition and Action-Implications for Ergonomics Work Analysis and Anthropotechnology. Ergonomics, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1995, Vol. 38, No.8, Pgs. 1542-1557.
Occupational stress is strongly associated with health complains more than financial or family problems. Psychological demanding jobs that allow the workers little control on the process of work increase risks of cardiovascular disease, job stress also increases the risk of back and upper musculoskeletal disorders. The article shows that the employees who have high stress levels have a substantial health service utilization.
Matthews, G., & Campbell, S. (2009). Sustained performance under overload: personality and individual differences in stress and coping. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 10(5), 417-422. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Human beings are at times lazy, they always look for the easy way to everything, so they use shortcuts in all parts of their life including their professional one. But, when employees take shortcuts while accomplishing their tasks, especially when working with chemicals or complex machinery, often they put themselves at risk of being injured or dying. Further, a worker’s personal and professional life are linked, so if he or she is stressed, it might affect their ability to concentrate, which causes
Everyday, there are workers who come home from their jobs with a high amount of health issues. Headaches, aching muscles, exhaustion, and many more health issues have workers wondering why this is happening. All of these symptoms can be linked to stress in the workplace. Job stress has become more of a problem than ever before. Numerous studies show that job stress is the major source of stress for American adults and that it has escalated progressively over the past few decades (“Workplace Stress,” 2004). Stress has become more common and costly in the workplace not only for the workers, but also the companies. What is considered stress in the workplace? Many companies everyday are dealing with issues related to stress in the workplace. For example, the Blackpool Fylde and Wyre NSH Trust Foundation Hospital noticed there were issues with stress when people began calling out sick. Their consultant for occupational health began to see a pattern of worker stress that might be the case. With stress being such a big issue in the workplace, are there ways a company can decrease the amount of stress?
In Today’s world, the composition and how work is done has massively changed and is still continuing to change. Work is now more complex, more team base, depends greatly on technological and social skills and lastly more mobile and does not depend on geography. Companies are also opting for ways to help their employees perform their duties effectively so that huge profits are realized in the long term .The changes in the workplaces include Reduction in the structure of the hierarchy ,breakdown in the organization boundaries , improved and better management tactics and perspectives and lastly better workplace condition and health to the employees. (Frank Ackerman, Neva R. Goodwin, Laurie Dougherty, Kevin Gallagher, 2001)