Workplace Enviromnets for the "Invisibly Challanged, Computer Over Use, Repetitive Strain Injuries

The Hidden Cost of Work Place Injury

2008-06-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

What happens when you cluster your employees into a cramped cubical farm with dreadful desks, injury promoting computer equipment, and poorly trained supervisors? Watch this video to find out.

Office Worker Goes Absolutely Insane - Watch more free videos

Your employees don't have to work like this. Call me.

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Workplace Injury Data Collection and Reporting. Who's in charge?

2007-12-11T15:49:00.000-08:00

I recently reviewed an organization (who shall remain nameless) that managed their workplace injury reporting in the most peculiar way. It seems the HR Manager, overwhelmed with her own priorities, directed the benefits coordinator to track L&I, OSHA and other workplace injuries, as well as all of the company sick leave, vacations, benefits and incentive programs.

This in itself is a major undertaking, but what really got to me was that this unfortunate benefits coordinator lacked the tools, expertise and the technical support to actually manage the volumes and volumes of data that needed to be collected and in some cases reported - by law - to outside agencies. I can think of many examples why this is a big problem.

Security and Privacy: If employee information is stored electronically and it links them to their driver’s licenses, SSN’s, bank accounts, or private medical information, and it gets out on to the internet – mistake or not - you are going to get sued, fined, fired and/or all three!
Data Collection, usually in the form of emails, printed forms, and on good days – electronically collected - has to be imported into a multitude of unsecure electronic data bases which in turn must interrelate with one another for the information to have any value what so ever.
Reporting Accuracy: So now you have the data – where does it go? What do you do with it? OSHA form 300 is one place of many, but how about reporting to the company’s senior management? Are they getting the information needed to make necessary changes in the work environment to ensure employees are operating at peak performance? Not providing them with accurate reporting is similar to operating a freight train on Wesson Oil. It will cost them big money and they won’t really know why. They also won’t like the fact that no one in the organization can tell them why.
Employee Turnover: It has been estimated that greater than 40% of any given company or organization’s most valuable resources will quit and move on to other companies due simply to poor environmental conditions. This means your company may be providing the dollars to train them (big investment in itself), inadvertently abusing their health and well being due to poor working environments, then watching them as they go happily off to your competitor (who doesn’t make the same mistake) and your company is left with starting the whole process over again – probably training your competitors future employees. Very expensive and unnecessary cycle.
Accommodations: Let’s say this poor benefits coordinator DID manage to work 80 hours a week and one of the outcomes was a recommendation to senior management that ergonomic accommodations should be applied to reduce the cost of resource devaluation due to sick days, medical claims, reduced function and turnover. What exactly is it that she is supposed to recommend?

Ergonomics is a life science that requires the talents of a host of professionals to team up and recommend on a case by case basis. Approaching this problem on an ad hoc basis will result in an expensive endeavor. Training employees how not to re-injure themselves is often overlooked rendering the equipment investment useless. Tracking health improvement performance metrics of the accommodated employee is virtually unheard of so the recommendations provided to senior management will unfortunately fall into the “not in the budget” bucket and not be addressed until the following year when the problem is twice the size of previous years.

Lots of doom and gloom here. Kind of like approaching April 15th every year with not a clue as to how you are going to get your taxes prepared – or worse - paid.

I would like to encourage company human resources or safety specialists to share their thoughts, horror stories, and successes on this topic. No need to divulge your name or the company – just an open forum to “vent.”

eOffice Ergonomics - What is it?

2007-11-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

“eOffice Ergonomics” is the science of adapting computer user workstations to uniquely shaped and configured human beings that use them day to day to accomplish their work tasks. Without this adaptive science, we could eventually become a world of walking wounded – and who knows – possibly aggravate the next change in the evolutionary trail of human beings. Not a pretty picture by any stretch of the imagination.

On the other hand, successful “adaptive” ergonomic design, paired with personalized interactive behavior training of employees using computers promotes comfort and well being, reduces workplace injuries and health care costs, and increases job satisfaction and productivity. In turn, companies addressing and investing in ergonomic solutions - early on - benefit from a return on investment (ROI) that can be measured on many levels of their total operating costs. Not only is it ultimately profitable, but it becomes an edge in the highly competitive business world.

Happy Employees = Dedicated Employees!

Therefore, the purpose of this BLOG is to promote an open forum focusing on the successes, failures, ideas and even some professional advice from a few of our human factors colleagues, in the field of “computer over-use” and its far reaching environmental effects.

All readers are encouraged to share their experiences and post their thoughts and stories to this BLOG.

I do not believe as human factor professionals that we have even started to realize the long term effects of stresses and strains that working at a computer for long periods of times have on people.

eOffice Innovations is committed to taking the lead on designing and implementing the perfect “adaptive” workstation environment for its clients - one that is cost effective for everyone – not just the folks occupying the corner, windowed offices.

How to put the brakes on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

2007-11-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) occurs when repeated pressure is placed on the median nerve that distributes sensation to the thumb, index, middle, and middle fingers of the hand. When the tissues contained in the carpal tunnel become irritated and swollen from repetitive strain, pressure is exerted on the median nerve, producing pain and numbness in your hand. You may find that this also occurs during normal activities not related to the computer.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has issued tips to slow or prevent carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). They are:

Avoid activities requiring excessive up-and-down and side-to-side
Movements of the wrist:
Position your hands properly while working. The arm, wrist, and hand must remain in a straight line; bending can cause friction that can lead to inflammation. In other words, wrists should be parallel, and elbows should be at a 90 degree angle to your desk, keyboard, or work table.
Take frequent short breaks from your activity; stand up, walk around, stretch.
Ask your orthopedic surgeon about wrist splints to limit wrist movements.
Avoid direct pressure on the heel of the hand, such as pushups or pressing hard on seat surface to rise from a chair.
Do not wear restrictive watchbands or jewelry or clothes with tight elastic sleeves.
Learn to use the computer mouse sensibly.
Choose a mouse that allows you to work with an open relaxed hand posture.

Don't squeeze or grip the mouse between your thumb and little finger.
Don't twist the mouse side-to-side; move the mouse with the entire arm.
Don't use a wrist rest; this doubles the pressure inside the carpal tunnel.
Keep the mouse close to the keyboard; don't stretch out to the side of the desk.

Is Your Company at Risk?

2007-11-26T12:56:00.000-08:00

Did you know that...

service-providing industries (computer users) reported the most musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s), accounting for 71 percent of all cases of this type?
computer related injuries account for 50% of all workers comp claims. A staggering $20 Billion annually in lost productivity?
the average lifetime cost of carpal tunnel syndrome is about $30,000 for each injured worker, including medical bills and lost work time?
it takes as many as five separate job classifications minimize work place musculoskeletal disorders?