Ergonomics Ergo – Work Nomos – Low Interaction man– work/environment Physical, psychological och organizational conditions Ewa Gustafsson Occupational and Environmental Medicin, Göteborg

Physical ergonomics Temperature Lighting Sound level Postures/Movements Manual handling Interaction Human– task/tool Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Why ergonomics? Optimize health Avoid illhealth/disorders Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Why do we get pain? We use the body in a way it is not built or trained for Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Work demands and level of tolerance

Load Negative eller positive? (Winkel, 1989) Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Laboratory workers High prevalence of complaints (pipette use) Neck, shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, thumb Tendon, nerve, muscle, vascular cirkulation, joint, bursa Tiredness, tingling/numbness, burning sensation, aching Why? Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Risk factors  Non-neutral postures Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Risk factors  Non-neutral postures  Work with hands above shoulders Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Risk factors  Non-neutral postures  Work with hands above shoulders  Static work Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Static work Dynamic work

Risk factors  Non-neutral postures  Work with hands above shoulders  Static work  Repetitive monotonous tasks  Prolonged sitting  Prolonged working operations Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Risk factors cont  Precision work  High force  Poor lighting, glare  Stress  Too high/Too low working demands  Low control  Lack of social support Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

How to work?  Neutral positions  Elbows closed to the body  Vary working operations/postures  Avoid prolonged sitting  Take short pauses frequently Variation Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Neck/shoulder  Neutral upright neck position  Elbows closed to the body  Support the arms  Lower the shoulders  Vary sitting/standing Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

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Shoulders  Elbows closed to the body  The hands in front of you Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Elbow/Forearm/Wrist  Neutral wrist  Do not grip unnecessary hard  Support the arm  Do not rotate the forearm outwards Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Do not rotate the forearm outwards Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

The thumb  Neutral positions  Minimize the force  Do not work too fast Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

How do you grip and push? Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Optimal working height? Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Sit or stand?

Computer use Place of screen, keyboard, mouse Support the forearms Variation - sitting/standing - pauses - movements Lighting, reflexes, glare Free space for the legs Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

How to sit?

Use of a microscope  Neutral back and neck – A slope on the seat of the chair  Elbows closed to the body  Support the arms  Lower the shoulders  The microscope close to the edge of the table  Frequently rest the eyes– Fix the eyes at a long distance  Adjust the chair– Standing up?  Frequently take short pauses Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

Work in a fume hood  Adjust the chair – Standing up?  Free space for the legs  Support the arms  Equipment/material close to you  Low bottles, lab tubes, beakers  Lighting (enough? reflexes/glare?)  Take short pauses frequently

Pipetting  Neutral wrist  Short pipettes and tips  Low force to plunge and eject tip  Equipment/material close to you  Low bottles, lab tubes, beakers  Adjust the chair– Standing up?  Close to the edge of the working bench  Elbows closed to the body  Support the arm?  Frequently take short pauses

Listen to the signals from your body Ewa Gustafsson Arbets- och miljömedicin, Göteborg

It is great to move!