Safety at your workstation

What is an ergonomic workstation? ‘ Ergonomic’ means setting up the work environment to suit individuals. Making the environment work for you, not against you. 2

Workstation Essentials Office furniture  Adjustable and supportive chair  A fixed height desk with a height adjustable footrest, or, an adjustable desk Monitor  Top of screen is at or below eye level  Monitor positioned to reduce glare and reflections 3

Ergonomically-friendly equipment  Adjustable Keyboard/Monitor  Glare screen  Wrist wrest  Document holder  Adjustable ergonomic furniture  Footstool  Noise shield for printers 4

Basic principles of correct posture  Adjust your chair and workstation so that your elbows, ankles, knees and hips are at right angles  Support your lower back with the back of the chair  Place your feet flat on the floor or use a footrest  Clear the desk of all unnecessary materials To reduce fatigue and reduce risk of body injury and strain when using a computer: 5

Wait and watch 6

Workstation Essentials Frequent changes in posture and regular breaks from sitting Sufficient work surface 7

Workstation Essentials Sufficient area to enter and move about the work area and allow for frequent changes in posture Storage for personal items and work requirements Work Environment  satisfactory temperature  not too noisy  appropriate lighting  good air quality 8

Common Risks for Office Workers Poor posture  back pain  head and neck discomfort  shoulder, arm, hand and wrist discomfort  leg and foot discomfort  circulation problems  headaches Long duration and lack of task variety  musculoskeletal injury and occupational overuse syndrome 9

Common Risks for Office Workers Glare and lighting  eye discomfort, eye strain and headaches Poor working environment  exposure to noise, poor air quality and uncomfortable temperature. 10

Occupational Overuse Syndrome Occupational overuse syndrome or OOS causes pain, swelling, numbness and weakness in and around muscles Repeated movements can bring on OOS Reduce risk of OOS by:  Using ergonomically designed furniture  Adopting postures that reduce wear and tear  Varying your activities 11

Workstation Exercises Stretching exercises will help to reduce the risk of OOS:  Deep Breathing: Breathe in slowly through the nose. Hold for 2 seconds, then exhale through the mouth. Repeat several times.  Head and Neck: Turn head slowly from one side to the other, holding each turn for 3 seconds. Repeat several times. 12

Back: Start with the arms bent, hands near chest area and push elbows back. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat several times. You can also raise arms in the same fashion, this time close to the shoulders, to work out the upper back Workstation Exercises 13

Shoulders: Roll shoulders slowly in a circular fashion, while trying to make the circle as big as possible. Take about 5 seconds to complete one circle. Repeat several times. Shoulders: Roll shoulders slowly in a circular fashion, while trying to make the circle as big as possible. Take about 5 seconds to complete one circle. Repeat several times. Workstation Exercises 14

Wrists: Hold your hands out in front of you. Slowly raise and lower your hands to stretch the muscles in the forearm. Repeat several times. Wrists: Hold your hands out in front of you. Slowly raise and lower your hands to stretch the muscles in the forearm. Repeat several times. Workstation Exercises 15

Fingers and Hands: Make a tight fist. Hold for a second. Then spread your fingers apart as far as you can. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat several times. Fingers and Hands: Make a tight fist. Hold for a second. Then spread your fingers apart as far as you can. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat several times. Workstation Exercises 16

Tendon Gliding Exercises: These relieve tension in the tendons. Do each of the following movements slowly, but do not force any of the positions. Go as far as you comfortably can. Workstation Exercises 1 Starting Position: Raise your arm, with the hand extended (you can also rest the elbow on a table and extend the hand). 2Roof: Bend your fingers down to a right angle. Return to starting position. 3Straight Fist: Touch your fingertips to the base of your palm, keeping the thumb straight. Return to starting position. 4Hook Fist: Gently make a hook. Return to the starting position. 5Full Fist: Make a fist. Return to the starting position. 17

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