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Anderson Ergonomics Consulting Inc. is a Calgary-based full-service Ergonomics consulting company, with over 20 years providing ergonomics expertise in work station assessments, training, and program development.
Our mission is to provide customers with expert, value-added ergonomic services to create safer workplaces, more productive and healthier employees.
Our monthly newsletter provides you with valuable information and tips to help reduce workplace injuries and claims costs while making you feel better at work and home. If you find this informative,  . If you'd like to contribute, let us know. Please visit our website for more information. |
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We're Growing: AEC Inc. Hires Two New Ergonomic Consultants | | We are pleased to announce that we have just hired two new Ergonomic Consultants.
Jenifer Landels has a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree as well as an Athletic Therapy Diploma from the University of Calgary. she has worked as a Kinesiologist in the Rehabilitation field and as an Ergonomist in the Healthcare field for the past 8 years and has a great deal of experience performing ergonomic assessments, educating employees about risk factors, conducting Job Demands Analyses and identifying solutions for industry.
Jill Bates has a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree from the University of Waterloo and has been practicing ergonomics for more than a decade. She has extensive experience performing ergonomic assessments, conducting training sessions, and performing job demands analyses in a multitude of work environments.
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Shona Anderson completes the Chinook Triathlon this June | |
Shona has added triathlon training to her plate in the past 2 years and completed her 8th (Sprint or Olympic distance) triathlon on June 19th. She does pretty well, for an over-40-something year old!!! |
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Sebrina Fystro on Maternity Leave...will return in January 2011 | |
We will all miss Sebrina as she travels the road to motherhood. Her last day of work is June 24th. She will return to us in January 2011. We wish her the best of everything and will post a picture of the baby once it is born! |
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Repetitive Strain Injuries & Trends |
We have noticed a trend lately in increased severity and chronic injury conditions to employees in our client companies. This trend is exacerbated by late reporting of symptoms, which have been reported by employees as due to companies cutting back on expenses. Although employees aren't told to hold off on Ergonomic Assessments, it appears many have felt pressure to do so until the economy rebounds. We have seen a rebound in requests for Ergonomic Assessments recently, but with troubling results.
Most of the injuries we see in the workplace are Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI).These injuries occur because of the constant use and wear and tear on the same body parts of the body. These work-related injuries start with discomfort in a body part(s), which tends to not be recognizable as an issue. Many people think this is due to sleeping improperly or "old age". Over time, this discomfort, if not dealt with, becomes more severe and lasts longer. We find it typically takes 6-8 months for symptoms to become bad enough for people to seek treatment.
Work-related RSI Risk Factors Include:
1. Awkward Postures: bending, twisting, stooping, reaching, etc.
2. Static Postures: postures that are held for an extended periods of time and result in fatigue and overuse (ie. standing, twisting, etc).
Awkward and Static Postures result in the stretching and compression of nerves and also affect proper blood flow.
3. Repetition: is especially hazardous when it involves the same joints and muscle groups and results in a lack of recovery time. Eventually it takes more effort to perform the same task and when work continues in spite of fatigue, injuries will occur. A task is considered repetitive if:
- it has a cycle of less than 30 seconds
- it is repeated more than 50% of the time
4. Force: is the amount of effort our bodies must do to perform an activity (ie. lifting, moving, using tools, etc). If the force overloads the muscles, joints and tendons and other soft tissue it is considered to excessive. Excessive force is created by long reaches, improper grip, high contact force as well as weight and the way an object is handled.
5. Vibration: there are two types of vibration:
- Hand/Arm affects those who use power hand tools
- Total Body affects heavy equipment operators
* there are individual risk factors that contribute to these injuries as well, including fitness levels, overall health, smoking, hobbies, etc.
The Repetitive Strain Injury Cycle:
It is necessary to understand the cycle and risk factors in order to prevent it. For more information on specific ways to prevent the risk factors, please contact us at Anderson Ergonomics. We will also highlight these in future issues of this newsletter.
Anderson Ergonomics Consulting Inc. believes that companies are currently facing an uphill ergonomic battle and we encourage a pro-active approach (educate employees and ensure they are set up well in their work environments) in order to combat chronic injuries.
"Vacation time does not resolve repetitive strain injuries, ergonomic assessments do!"
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Product Review: Split Keyboards | |
A few of the awkward/static postures we encounter as Ergonomic Consultants include shoulder abduction ("chicken wing posture with elbows raised out to the side) when typing and mousing and bent wrists when typing.
When these postures result in employees suffering pain, we may recommend a different mouse or keyboard. Occasionally, we will recommend a split keyboard as this can help to prevent wrist side-bending (called ulnar deviation) and shoulder abduction or a keyboard without a number pad (to reduce lateral reaching of the arm to the mouse). Some of the keyboards that we like include:
Kinesis Maxim Kinesis Freestyle
Microsoft Natural 4000 |
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Featured Stretch: Reach for the Sun | |
 This stretch is for your benefit to increase your flexibility and comfort. You may feel tension and tightness while performing this stretch, but you should not feel pain. If you feel pain, back off the stretch a little until it feels more comfortable. If you have a current injury or feel uncomfortable doing this stretch, please check with your caregiver prior to continuing this exercise to ensure it is appropriate for you.
Instruction: Stand up and raise your arms above your head. Keeping your feet on the ground, inhale deeply and reach up further, feeling your spine lengthen and your rib cage separating from your pelvis. Hold 10-30 seconds. Relax and repeat twice more.
This is an extremely beneficial whole body stretch for those who do a lot of sitting or standing. It is a great way to change your posture and help to prevent a repetitive strain injury from occurring.
Request a copy of our Stretching Guides for a series of excellent stretches to do in your office or industrial environment. |
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Monthly Tip: Consider Using Standing Work Stations |
Standing is a great way to break the cycle of sitting, especially when sitting postures are poor. If you can find a work surface that enables you to stand up an do some productive work, try to do so.
Generally, the worksurface should be elbow height (ie. keyboarding & mousing). However, if more precise work is being done, the worksurface should be a little higher than elbow height (2-3" higher). If work is heavier and requires strength, than the worksurface should be a little lower than elbow height (2-3" lower) so that more force can be used.
When standing you should:
- place your work in front of you to avoid twisting
- keep frequently used items close to you to avoid over-reaching
- use a footrest periodically to shift body weight properly
- wear appropriate footwear
- use anti-fatigue matting |
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