Ergonomics can help, ensure that your organisation complies with Government regulation, improve productivity and work quality, reduce absenteeism, occupational injury and illness.

It is the science concerned with the physical and psychological relationship between machines and the people who use them. Ergonomics removes barriers to quality, productivity and safe human performance by fitting products, tasks, and environments to people.

An ergonomist will evaluate the control of workplace risk factors, identify and quantify existing work site risk conditions and recommend engineering and administrative controls to reduce identified risk conditions, and educate management and workers on how to implement an ergonomic program to control risks.

The evaluation of ergonomic risk conditions involves two steps, identification of the existence of ergonomic risks and the quantification of the degree of ergonomic risk.

Ergonomic injuries are often described by the term "musculoskeletal disorders" or "MSDs." This term is used in the scientific literature to refer collectively to a group of injuries and illnesses that affect the musculoskeletal system. It is important to note that there is no single diagnosis for MSDs.

No. MSDs can and do develop outside the workplace When carrying out an assessment check what the worker does outside of work (playing guitar, using the computer …)

The answer is yes if you have employees in the workplace that experience soft tissue injuries such as tendonitis, back injuries, sore upper limbs?

If you experience pain, tingling and numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers or weakness and swelling in the wrist and hand – then you should consult your medical advisor as soon as possible.

A forward had posture causes a decreased blood supply to the neck region and increases the weight of the head on the postural muscles of the neck threefold.

Rounded shoulders posture compresses the tendons in the front of the shoulder, causing pain in the shoulder and arm.

The forward head posture can be the result of the computer monitor being placed too far away. As a result, computer users move their heads forward over their neck to see the screen. Visual glare from a computer monitor can also cause headaches.

Having the monitor off to the left will cause the postural muscles on the left side of your neck to tighten and on the right side to elongate.

If you take just two to three minutes every hour to perform some very simple stretching exercises, the likelihood of you feeling pain at the end of the day greatly decreases. Exercise helps restore blood flow to working tissues, allowing the muscle greater endurance to perform the work at hand.

A muscle spasm is a protective mechanism your body employs to prevent an injury from occurring. A spasm is caused by an insufficient blood flow to the working muscles. It is your body’s way of telling you to slow down or stop what you are doing in order to rest the muscle.

Posture is the position of the body while performing work activities. Awkward posture is associated with an increased risk for injury. It is generally considered that the more a joint deviates from the neutral (natural) position, the greater the risk of injury.

Motion toward the midline of the body that decreases the angle between a limb and the sagittal plane

The study of the range of human physical dimensions, such as size (e.g., height), breadth (e.g., shoulder width) and distance between anatomical points (e.g., upper arm length).

This information is valuable in determining appropriate dimensions for optimum fit between people and the work environment.

Administrative controls involve altering work organisation. This type of control is usually less expensive than engineering controls but less dependable and possibly cause worker resentment. For example; by reducing overtime or slowing down the pace of work which can affect a workers bonus.

Engineering controls involve altering the physical items in the workplace, including actions such as modifying the workstation, obtaining different equipment, or changing tools.

Work practice controls involve training and encouraging a specific method of task performance to reduce worker exposure to the ergonomic risk

An example of work practice control is training workers in proper lifting techniques.

Ergonomics is derived from the Greek words ‘ergon’ (work) and ‘nomos’ (law), in the United States, the term ‘human factors’ is often used in its place. Ergonomics is used to design appliances, technical systems and tasks in such a way that they improve human safety, health, comfort and performance.

The position of the joints of the extremities and back when one stands at rest, or the direction of motion that tends to restore this position. The opposite of flexion.

Movement involving the bending of a joint whereby the angle between the bones is diminished. The opposite of extension (except at the shoulder).

The effect of an exertion on internal body tissues (e.g., compression on a spinal disc from lifting, tension within a muscle/tendon unit from a pinch grasp) or the physical characteristics associated with an object(s) external to the body (e.g., weight of a box, pressure required to activate a tool, pressure necessary to snap two pieces together).

Position of the body while performing work activities.

Action of rotating the flexed forearm toward the mid-sagittal plane, so that the hands become prone, with palms down, the back of hands face up.

Factors that produce both psychological and social effects.

Any change in working arrangements or physical features of premises that prevents a disabled person being at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled person.

Time quantification of rest, performance of low stress activity, or performance of an activity that allows a strained body area to rest

Time quantification of a similar exertion performed during a task.

Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1992) states that every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work. The regulation requires that employers should undertake a systematic general examination of their work activity and that they should record the significant findings of that risk assessment.

The performance of a task from one postural position for an extended duration.