understanding ergonomics at work

8/3/2019 Understanding Ergonomics at Work

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Understanding

ergonomics at work Reduce accidents and i ll health and increase productiv it y by

fitt ing the task to the w orker



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Understanding ergonomics

UNDERSTANDING ERGON OM ICS AT WORK

You may have heard of the term ‘ergonom ics’. This is

sometimes referred to as ‘hu man factors’. Not everyone

really un derstand s what ergonomics is, what it does,

or how it affects people. This leaflet w ill help to

answer these questions and to explain how

un derstand ing ergonomics can imp rove

health and safety in your workp lace.

It is aimed at

anyone who has

a d uty to m aintain

and improve health and

safety and wh o wan ts to gain insightinto ergonom ics. It gives some examp les of ergonomics problems and

simple, effective ad vice on what can be d one to solve them.




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What is ergonomics?

Ergonomics is a science concerned with the ‘fit’ between people and their

work. It puts p eople first, taking accoun t of their capabilities and

limitations. Ergonomics aims to m ake sure that tasks, equipm ent,

information and the environment suit each worker.

To assess the fit between a person and their

work, ergonomists have to consider many

aspects. These includ e:

s the job being d one and the

demand s on the worker;

s the equipm ent u sed (its size, shap e,

and how app ropriate it is for the task);

s the information u sed (how it is presented,

accessed, and changed);

s the ph ysical environment (temperature, hum idity,

lighting, noise, vibration); and

s the social environment (such as teamwork an d su pp ortive

management).

Ergonomists consider all the physical aspects of a person, such as:

s body size and shape;

s fitness and strength;

s posture;

s the senses, especially vision, hearing an d touch; and

s the stresses and strains on m uscles, joints, nerves.

Ergonomists also consider the psychological aspects of a person, such as:

s men tal abilities;

s personality;

s knowledge; and

s experience.

By assessing these aspects of peop le, their jobs, equipm ent, and working

environment and the interaction between them, ergonomists are able to

design safe, effective and productive work systems.



How can ergonomics imp rove health an d safety?

App lying ergonom ics to the w orkplace:

s red uces the potential for accidents;

s reduces the potential for injury and ill health; and

s improves performance and p rodu ctivity.

Ergonomics can red uce the likelihood of an accident. For

examp le, in the design of control panels, consider:

s the location of switches and but tons -

switches that could be accidentally

knocked on or off might start the

wrong sequence of events that

could lead to an accident;

s expectations of signals an d

controls - most p eople interpret

green to ind icate a safe

condition. If a green light is

used to indicate a ‘warning or

dan gerous state’ it may beignored or overlooked;

s informat ion overload - if a worker

is given too m uch information they

may become confused , make

mistakes, or pan ic. In h azard ous

industr ies, incorrect decisions or

mistaken actions have had catastrophic results.

Ergonomics can also reduce the potential for ill health at w ork, such asaches and p ains of the w rists, shoulders and back. Consider the layout of

controls and equipm ent; these should be positioned in relation to how they

are used . Those used m ost often should be placed w here they are easy to

reach withou t the need for stooping, stretching or h unching.

Failure to observe ergonom ic pr inciples may have serious repercussions,

not only for individu als, but whole organisations. Many w ell-known

accidents might h ave been p revented if ergonomics had been considered in

designing the jobs people did and the systems w ithin w hich they w orked.


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What kin d of work place prob lems can ergonomics solve?

Ergonomics is typically known for solving p hysical problems.

For example, ensur ing that w ork surfaces are high enough to

allow ad equa te clearance for a worker’s legs. However,

ergonom ics also deals with psychological and social aspects

of the person and their work. For example, a workload that

is too high or too low, unclear tasks, time pressures,

inadequ ate training, and poor social

sup por t can all have negative effects

on the person and the work they do.

The following examp les highlight

some ‘typ ical’ ergonom ic problems

foun d in the workplace:

Display screen equipment

s The screen is poorly p ositioned - it is

too high/ low/ close/ far from the

worker, or is offset to one side.

s The mouse is placed too far away and requires stretching to use.s Chairs are not prop erly adjusted to fit the person, forcing aw kward and

un comfortable p ostures.

s There is glare on the screen from overhead lights or wind ows, increasing

the risk of eyestrain.

s Hard ware and / or software are not suitable for the task or the person

using it, causing frustration and distress.

s Not enough breaks or changes of activity.

These problems m ay result in m istakes andpoor productivity, stress, eye strain, headaches

and other aches or pains.

Manual handling

s The load is too heavy and / or bulky, placing

unreasonable dem ands on the p erson.

s The load has to be lifted from the floor and / or

above the shoulders.


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s The task involves frequen t

repetitive lifting.

s The task requires awkward

postures, such as bending

or tw isting.

s The load cannot be

gripp ed p roperly.

s The task is performed on

uneven, wet, or sloping

floor surfaces.

s The task is performed under

time pressures and incorporates

too few rest breaks.

These problems may result in physical injur ies

such as low back pain or injury to the arm s, hands, or fingers. The p roblems

may also contribu te to the r isk of slips, trips, and falls.

W ork-related st ress

s Work dem and s are too high or too low.

s The employee has little say in how they organise their w ork.s Poor supp ort from m anagement and/ or colleagues;

s Conflicting dem and s, eg high p rodu ctivity and quality.

Poor control of the risks causing work-related stress could lead to ill health

and reduced p erformance and produ ctivity.

Managing the w ork ing day

s Insufficient recovery time betw een shifts.s Poor scheduling of shifts.

s Juggling shifts with d omestic

responsibilities.

s Employees working excessive

overtime.

These problems m ay lead to tiredn ess

or exhaustion, which can increase the

likelihood of accidents and ill health.


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How do I identify ergonomic problems?

There are many w ays in w hich ergonomic problems can be identified. These

can range from general observations and checklists to quantitative risk

assessment tools.

Ideally, several app roaches should be used :

s talking to employees and seeking their views. Employees have

importan t knowledge of the work they do, any problems they have, and

their impact on health, safety, and performance;

s assessing the work system by

asking questions

such as:

- Is the person

in a

comfortable

position?

- Does th e

person

experience

discomfort,including

aches, pain,

fatigue, or

stress?

- Is the equipment

app ropr iate, easy to use

and well maintained?

- Is the person satisfied w ith their working arrangements?

- Are there frequent errors?- Are there signs of poor or inadequate equipment design, such as

plasters on w orkers’ fingers or ‘home-mad e’ protective pads made of

tissue or foam?

s examining the circum stances surround ing frequent errors and incidents

wh ere mistakes have occurred and people have been injured . Use

accident reports to identify details of incidents and th eir possible causes;

s recording and looking at sickness absence and staff turnover levels.

High nu mbers may result from the p roblems listed earlier and / or

dissatisfaction at work.



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What can I d o if I think I have identified an ergonomic problem?

s Look for likely causes and consider p ossible solutions. A minor

alteration may be all that is necessary to make a task easier and safer to

perform. For example:

- provide height-adjustable chairs so individu al operators can w ork at

their preferred w ork height;

- remove obstacles from u nd er desks to create sufficient leg room;

- arrange items stored on shelving so those used m ost

frequently and those that are the heaviest are

between waist and shoulder height;

- raise platforms to help operators reach

bad ly located controls;

- change shift work patterns; and

- introdu ce job rotation between

different tasks to reduce physical

and mental fatigue.

s Talk to emp loyees and get them to

suggest ideas and discuss

possible solutions. Involve

emp loyees from the start of the

process - this will help a ll partiesto accept an y proposed changes.

s Always make sure that any

alterations are p roperly

evaluated by the p eople who d o

the job. Be careful that a change

introdu ced to solve one problem does

not create d ifficulties elsewh ere.

s You d on’t always need to consult ergonom ics

professionals, and the expen se of making changes can often be kept low .However, you m ay need to ask a qualified ergonomist if you are u nable

to find a straightforward solution or if a problem is comp lex.

s HSE has published a range of guidance material, some of which is free.

Aimed at employers and em ployees, this guidance provides help on

how to achieve safe and healthy work environments. It includ es

practical evaluation checklists and advice.

s Good ergonom ics sense makes good economic sense. Ergonomics inpu t

does not necessarily involve high costs, and can save mon ey in the long

term by redu cing injur ies and absence from work.




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An u nd erstanding of ergonomics in your workp lace can imp rove your d aily

work rou tine. It is possible to eliminate aches, pains, and stresses at work

and imp rove job satisfaction. Ergonomic solutions can be simple and

straightforward to make - even sm all changes such as altering the height of

a chair can make a considerable d ifference.

Edd ie works on an engine assembly line. In his job he has to use a

hand held impact wrench to fit a temporary adapter to an engine. The

assembly line makes u p to 2400 engines a d ay and it takes

app roximately 3 second s to tighten each ad apter.

As well as the risk from using a vibrating tool, Edd ie often had to

adop t poor p ostures to reach some parts of the engine. He had to

repeatedly stretch ou t his arm and constrain his posture while

tightening the ad apter. After some time on the job, Edd ie found he w as

leaving work w ith shoulder and neck pain. One tea break, Edd ie’s line

man ager saw him rubbing his neck and shou lder and recognised the

pain could be d ue to the typ e of work Edd ie was doing. The line

man ager told th e comp any health and safety representative about

wh at she had seen.

The comp any responded by making the following m odifications:

s They replaced the imp act wrench with a smoother run ning device

and suspend ed it to supp ort the weight. As a result, very little

vibration would be passed to the operator.

s They modified the workp lace layout and allowed workers better

access to all sides of the engine, so they d idn’t need to adopt p oor

working postures.

s They imp lemented a job rotation scheme wh ereby the five workers

on the line were moved arou nd a nu mber of different tasks. Some

of these tasks still requ ired th e use of vibrating tools, but the

overall exposure was halved.

As a result of the modifications there was:

s a red uction in v ibration exposure;

s no need to ad opt poor and constrained postures;

s redu ced boredom and fatigue for Eddie’s team; and

s

improved productivity.

Case study 1



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Dominique is a recept ionist in a large financial company. Much of her

work involves using a telephone to take messages and redirect calls to

app ropriate depar tments. Dominique regularly uses a comp uter(display screen equ ipment or DSE) to make app ointments, record

messages and respond to e-mails.

After w orking at the front d esk for eight months, Dominique found

she was leaving work with an aching shoulder and neck, and with

sore eyes and a head ache. Dominique asked her man ager for a risk

assessment to identify p ossible problems with her working

arrangements and to d etermine wh ere imp rovements could be m ade.

The risk assessment identified the following areas for improvement:

s Dominique wou ld often hold the telephone between her shoulder

and ear while talking on the phone and typing a message on the

comp uter. She regu larly ad opted this awkw ard , static, strained

posture du ring her working day.

s During the sum mer Dominique’s comp uter screen was difficult to

read because of glare and reflections from light th rough the

window. This meant she struggled to avoid making mistakes and

would rep eatedly adjust her posture to view the screen.

The assessment led to the introduction of simple, cost-effective

measures to reduce the risks:

s A hand s-free telephone headset was provided, wh ich helped to

eliminate Dominique’s neck and shoulder problems.

s An eye test to establish if Dominique had any p roblems w ith her

vision.

s With the help of her man ager, Dominique rearranged her

workstation so her screen w as no longer facing the w indow , to

remove the glare caused by d aylight.

s Dominique’s manager arranged for periodical DSE training

sessions for all staff, so they were aware of the health p roblems

associated w ith comp uter use and how to prevent them by

adjusting th eir chairs, arranging their w orkstation ap propriately,

and taking regular breaks from keyboard work.

Dominique was mu ch happ ier in her work, her health problems

diminished, and p rodu ctivity was increased.


Case study 2



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Where can I get more in formation?

For names of ergonomics p ractitioners:

The Ergonom ics Society, Devonshire H ouse, Devonsh ire Square, Loughborou gh,

Leicestershire, LE11 3DW Tel: 01509 234904 Website: www.ergonomics.org.u k

E-mail: ergsoc@ergon omics.org.u k

For advice on ergonomics information in the p ub lished literature:

The Ergonomics Inform ation Analysis Centre, School of Electronic, Electrical and

Comp uter Engineering, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingh am

B15 2TT Tel: 0121 414 4239 E-mail: ERGO-ABS@bh am .ac.uk

Books on ergonomics

Dul J and Weerdm eester B Ergonomics for beginners (Second Edition) Taylor and Francis2001 ISBN 0 7484 0825 8

Kroemer K H E and Grandjean E Fitting the task to the human: A textbook of occupational

ergonomics (Fifth ed ition) Taylor and Fran cis 1997 ISBN 0 7484 0665 4

Pheasant S Ergonomics, work and health Macmillan 1991 ISBN 0 33 348998 5

Wilson JR and Corlett EN Evaluation of human work: A practical ergonomics methodology(Second ed ition) 1995 Taylor and Fran cis ISBN 0 7484 0084 2

Relevant HSE pu blications (available from H SE Books)

Priced

A pain in your workplace? Ergonomic problems and solutions HSG121 HSE Books 1994

ISBN 0 7176 0668 6

Work with display screen equipment. Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment)

Regulations 1992. Guidance on Regulations (Second edition) L26 HSE Books 2003

ISBN 0 7176 2582 6

Lighting at work HSG38 (Second ed ition) HSE Books 1997 ISBN 0 7176 1232 5

Manual handling. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. Guidance on Regulations

L23 (Second ed ition) HSE Books 1998 ISBN 0 7176 2415 3

Manual handling: Solutions you can handle HSG115 HSE Books 1994 ISBN 0 7176 0693 7

Reducing error and influencing behaviour HSG48 (Second ed ition) H SE Books 1999

ISBN 0 7176 2452 8

Seating at work HSG57 (Second ed ition) HSE Books 1997 ISBN 0 7176 1231 7

Tackling work-related stress: A managers’ guide to improving and maintaining employeehealth and well-being HSG218 HSE Books 2001 ISBN 0 7176 2050 6



INDG90(rev2) 1/ 03 C1000

Printed and pu blished b y the Health and Safety Executive(Printed on pap er containing a minimum of 75% post-consum er waste)

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Work related upper limb disorders HSG60 (Second edition) HSE Books 2002

ISBN 0 7176 1978 8

Free

Five steps to risk assessment Leaflet INDG163(rev1) HSE Books 1998 (single copy free orpriced packs of 10 ISBN 0 7176 1565 0)

Getting to grips with manual handling: A short guide for employers Leaflet INDG143(rev1)

HSE Books 2000 (single cop y free or p riced packs of 15 ISBN 0 7176 1754 8)

Aching arms (or RSI) in small businesses - Is ill health and sickness absence due to upper limb

disorders a problem in your workplace? Leaflet INDG171(rev1) HSE Books 2003 (single

copy free or p riced packs of 15 ISBN 0 7176 2600 8)

Working with VDUs Leaflet INDG36(rev1) HSE Books 1998 (single cop y free or p riced

packs of 10 ISBN 0 7176 1504 9)

Furth er information

HSE pr iced and free publications are av ailable by m ail order from

HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbu ry, Suffolk CO10 2WA Tel: 01787 881165

Fax: 01787 313995 Website: www.hsebooks.co.uk (HSE priced p ublications a re also

available from bookshop s and free leaflets can be dow nloaded from HSE’s website:

www.hse.gov.uk )

For information abou t health an d safety ring HSE's Infoline Tel: 08701 545500

Fax: 02920 859260 e-mail: [email protected] or write to

HSE Information Services, Caerp hilly Business Park, Caerp hilly CF83 3GG.

This leaflet contains notes on good p ractice wh ich are not compu lsory but

wh ich you m ay find helpful in considering w hat you n eed to do.

This leaflet is available in p riced p acks of 15 from HSE Books,

ISBN 0 7176 2599 0. Single free copies are also available from HSE Books.

© Crown copyright This publication m ay be freely reprodu ced, except for advertising,

endorsement or commercial pu rposes. First p ublished 1/ 03. Please acknowledge th e

source as HSE.


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