Laboratory ergonomics

L/O/G/O
www.themegallery.com
Laboratory Ergonomics
Petcharatana Bhuanantanondh, Ph.D., PT
Faculty of Physical Therapy
Mahidol University
Ergonomics and Risk Factors
Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders
and Self Assessment
How to manage WMSDs
Contents
Common Exercises
Ergonomics
Ergon (Work) + Nomos (Laws)
Ergonomics: “the laws of work”
• "designing the job to fit the worker, not forcing the
worker to fit the job."
• Ergonomics covers all aspects of a job, from the
physical stresses it places on joints, muscles, nerves,
tendons, bones and the like, to environmental factors
which can effect hearing, vision, and general comfort
and health.
Person
Tasks
Tools / Workstation
Environments
Work organization
Gray et al.1987
ERGONOMIC FRAMEWORK
Ergonomics Risk Factors
Physical
Factors
Individual
Factors
Organizational
Factors
Repetitive Motion & Force
- Doing a task over and over again with little time given
rest or recovery.
- When muscles begin tired, they are more susceptible to
strain or injury
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Awkward Postures
- Awkward or unsupported postures are body positions
that take your joints out of their natural placements.
- When your joints are not placed naturally, they tend to
be weaker and cannot handle the same amount of
stress.
Prolonged Postures
- Static postures are positions that a worker must hold
for long periods of time with little or no movement.
- Sustained static postures can restrict blood flow and
result in fatigue, pain and discomfort.
Contact Stress
- Contact stress occurs when a body part presses or
touches a hard or sharp object repeatedly over a long
period of time.
- Contact stress compresses the soft tissues, nerves and
reduce blood flow.
Physical
Factors
Individual
Factors
Environmental
Factors
Organizational
Factors
Physical
Factors
Individual
Factors
Environmental
Factors
Organizational
Factors
Psychosocial
Factors
Psychosocial Factors
• Being under frequent deadline
pressure
• Feeling a lack of control over
your workload
• Lack of social support
• Work Stress
Stress
WMSDs
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Work-Related Stress
American Institute of Stress
Why Ergonomics?
• Reduce prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders
(MSDs)
“MSDs represent 34 % of all workplace injuries
and illnesses requiring days away from work”
• Decrease fatigue, stress, pain and injuries
• Decrease costs
• Increase comfort and productivity
• Improve employee morale
• MSDs are injuries to the
musculoskeletal system that
develop gradually as a result of
repeated microtrauma due to poor
design and the excessive use of
hand tools and other equipment.
• MSDs go by many other names:
– Cumulative Trauma Disorder
(CTD)
– Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
– Overuse Syndrome
What are MSDs? Musculoskeletal Injuries
 Muscles disorders
 Tendon and ligament disorders
 Peripheral nerve compression
 Poor blood circulation
 Inflammation of joint and joint membrane
Types of Injury
• Acute injury:
- A sudden injury that is usually associated with a
traumatic event. A traumatic impact can cause your bone to
crack, muscles to tear or ligaments to snap.
- “Pain, Swelling, Redness, Heat”
• Chronic injury:
It is caused by overuse of a particular part of the
body. It develops slowly and last a long time.
How to use heat and cold to reduce pain?
• Both heat and cold can help reduce pain. However, it
can be confusing to decide which is more appropriate at
any given time.
 Use cold: For acute pain or a new swollen/inflamed injury.
 Use heat: For chronic pain or an injury that is a day or more old.
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R.I.C.E.R.
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Referral &
Rehabilitation
Stage of Severity of MSDs
Severity Stage Symptoms
1
Symptoms occur during working period, disappear in
resting period and no latent symptoms left in the next
morning
2
Symptoms occur both in working and resting period
and also have latent symptoms left in the next
morning. Sleeping period may be disturbed but may
not all over the night
3
Symptoms occur even in resting period and disturb
sleeping period at night an also disturb ability to do
activities which do not related to work. The person
cannot perform light works and more hard works
What Are Some of the
Most Common MSDs?
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Tendinitis
• Tenosynovitis
• De Quervain’s Disease
• Trigger Finger
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- A compression of the median
nerve in the wrist that may be
caused by swelling and irritation
of tendons and tendon sheaths.
MEDIAN
NER
VE
CARP
AL
LIGAMENT
TENDONS
BONES
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- Compression of ulnar nerve
- Caused by resting the elbows on
hard surfaces such as unpadded
tables or armrests.
Tendinitis
- Inflammation of the tendons of the
elbow caused by overuse of the muscles
of the forearm
- Lateral Epicondylitis - “Tennis elbow”
- Medial Epicondylitis - “Golfer’s elbow”
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Trigger Finger
- If the tendon becomes locked
in the sheath, attempts to move
the finger cause snapping or
jerking movements
- Usually associated with using
tools that have handles with
hard or sharp edges.
De Quervain’s Disease
- An inflammation of the
tendon sheath of the thumb
attributed to excessive
friction between two thumb
tendons and their common
sheath.
Pain and tenderness localized to a single muscle
or region, associated with a unique pattern of radiating
pain.
Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) Back Pain & Neck Pain
- May be caused by cumulative effects of poor
posture or sitting for prolonged period.
Administrative Control
Personal Control
Engineering Control
How to manage MSDs?
• Adjusting or redesigning workstation and/ or
work equipment and tools.
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• Prescribe working method
• Training employees
• Setting work shift, work schedule and rest break
• Provide an exercises session in workplace
• Setting job rotation and increasing number of
employees
• Behavioral change : Change poor working technique and
habits
- taking micro-breaks
- stretch break can reduce the tension and fatigue of
muscles
- avoid awkward posture
- give your eye a break
- stress management e.g. exercise, relaxation
Personal Control
Common Exercises Common Exercises
Common Exercises
L/O/G/O
www.themegallery.com
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Laboratory ergonomics

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