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PHTY3280 > L16-17: Office ergonomics > Flashcards

L16-17: Office ergonomics Flashcards

1
Q

What is the prevalence of musculoskeletal problems associated with computer use in Australia?

A
  • 61% reported neck symptoms lasting greater than 8 days in the last 12 months
  • 75% of public service employees reported low back problems in last 12 months
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2
Q

What are the 2 risk factors for MSD in office workers? Why?

A
  1. repetitive movement – fingers, wrist, head, shoulder
  2. sustained, static and/or awkward postures of head, neck, upper limb, trunk, legs

Mechanical and /or metabolic loading of the same muscle group(s) repeatedly or at low force results in fatigue and without sufficient rest or interruption can result in discomfort, tension, MSK symptoms

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3
Q

What are the 3 sources of risk for sustained and/or awkward postures of head, neck, upper limb, trunk, legs as risk factors for MSD in office workers?

A
  1. Head – visual correction, height / distance of monitor, high job demands
  2. Shoulder – mouse use/position
  3. Low back – lack of task variety; prolonged sitting/ sedentary work
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4
Q

What are the 2 sources of risk for repetitive movement – fingers, wrist, head, shoulder as risk factors for MSD in office workers?

A
  1. Wrist/fingers – nature of work (data entry/CAD), task monotony
  2. Head – typing style (hunt n peck), uncorrected vision, location of documents
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5
Q

What are 4 factors with evidence for musculoskeletal symptoms in office workers?

A
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6
Q

What are 3 factors increasing the risk of neck pain?

A
  1. Longer sitting time (home & work)
  2. Higher job strain
  3. Higher psychological stress
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7
Q

What are 3 factors decreasing the risk of neck pain?

A
  1. Longer time walking
  2. Greater cervical extensor endurance
  3. Neutral head and thorax posture
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8
Q

What is the aim of factors increasing/decreasing the risk of neck pain?

A

Identify risk factors for development neck pain in office workers.

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9
Q

What are the individual and workplace risk factors for neck pain (multifactorial)?

A
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10
Q

What are the risk factors and sources of risk in this photo?

A

Risk factors – sustained & awkward posture of neck

Sources of risk – height of desk too low; chair too high

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11
Q

What are the 6 effects of job stress/job strain?

A
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12
Q

What are 2 steps when conducting a workstation assessment?

A
  1. Identify the risk factors
    1. Talk to worker
    2. Task analysis: observe interaction between worker and environment
  2. Assess the risk for injury
    1. A checklist or tool
    2. Assess the risk for injury
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13
Q

What are 8 characteristics of “1. Indentify the risk factors- Talk to the Worker” when conducting a workstation assessment?

A
  1. Any current problems – headaches, back/neck, pregnant, CTS
  2. Take photos – if not, sketch the layout
  3. Hours of work, number and duration of breaks? Activity during breaks?
  4. Training on how to set up workstation provided?
  5. Do they wear glasses – bifocals, single focal length
  6. Are you comfortable in your workstation?
  7. Work at one or more workstations?
  8. Open plan office or Activity Based Office Design

*Not a musculoskeletal assessment*

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14
Q

Why is it important to take photos or make sketches of “1a. Indentify the risk factors- Talk to the Worker” when conducting a workstation assessment?

A

A sketch can show relationship between worker and environment

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15
Q

What are 7 characteristics of “1. Indentify the risk factors- Psychosocial factors” when conducting a workstation assessment?

A
  1. What do you enjoy about your job?
  2. In general, do you have enough time to get your work done?
  3. Do you work overtime /shift work / take work home?
  4. During busy times, can you get assistance from colleagues or supervisor?
  5. Do you have any control over the type, timing and flow of work tasks?
  6. Doing these fiscal times, are you concerned about your job security? (restructuring/ right sizing)
  7. Working with customers can be stressful – how do you manage this?
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16
Q

What are 4 characteristics of “1b. Identify the risk factors- Observe how the worker interact with environment” when conducting a workstation assessment?

A
  1. What are they required to do, how long? (task demands) – reading from screen, data entry, customer service, document reading/writing; reconciliation of invoices; telephone work
  2. Ask them to give percentage of time spent doing each task; rate level of pain/discomfort with each task
  3. Do they rotate jobs with other staff?
  4. Is there electronic performance monitoring (eg call centre workers) ?
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17
Q

What are 6 characteristics of “2a. Assess the risk for injury- Checklists and Tools” when conducting a workstation assessment?

A
  1. ROSA (Rapid Office Strain Assessment)
  2. RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Postural Assessment tool)
  3. Quantifies risks associated with computer work
  4. Good for determining action level for change eg office ergonomic audit
  5. Good validity and reliability
  6. Don’t evaluate environmental or psychological factors, eye strain
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18
Q

What are 7 features in the the “ideal” workstation set-up?

A
  1. Chair (and seated posture)
  2. Monitor – position, distance, angle
  3. Keyboard position (and use)
  4. Mouse position and use
  5. Telephone position and use
  6. Documents – position, angle
  7. Other features in environment eg lighting, air quality, temperature
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19
Q

What are 7 chair features?

A
  1. Easily adjustable in height and angle
  2. Adjustable back rest height, depth, angle
  3. Cloth covered seat (non slippery)
  4. Seat should accommodate thighs and have curved edge
  5. 5-point castor base for stability
  6. Should enable neutral spine posture with hips slightly higher than knees
  7. Arm rests – reduce forces and flexion moments on Lx spine, unload the shoulders when hand activity is not continuous but if not correct height they induce asymmetrical posture of trunk
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20
Q

What determines the correct seat height?

A
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21
Q

If chair too high, may experience tingling, numbness in legs and feet due to _________

A

XXX

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22
Q

What are 5 ideal characteristics of seated posture?

A
  1. Upright or slight backward lean (10-20˚) is good especially to take phone calls or ‘think’
  2. Thighs should be fully supported with 2-3 finger width space behind knee
  3. Feet flat on the floor or use a footrest or telephone book to relieve pressure on thighs (i.e. parallel to floor)
  4. Work surface should be at elbow height or just above for writing
  5. For comfortable keyboard use, desk should be just below elbow height
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23
Q

What is a forward lean?

A
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24
Q

What is a backward lean or ‘executive’ position?

A
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25
Q

What are 5 alternative chairs?

A
  1. Fit balls
  2. Kneeling chair
  3. Saddle chair
  4. Sit/stand workstation
  5. Active workstations
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26
Q

What are 3 results of 1 hr sitting on ball compared with office chair (dynamic and active sitting)?

A
  1. Greater thoracic erector spinae muscle activity,
  2. Decreased pelvic tilt
  3. Greater perceived discomfort
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27
Q

What are 4 characteristics of fit balls?

A
  1. Dynamic but safety hazard,
  2. Variable LB support,
  3. Difficult to navigate around workstation;
  4. Good for exercise but NOT recommended for 8 hr use
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28
Q

What are 5 characteristics of kneeling chairs (2 pros/2 cons)?

A

PROS

  1. Encourages good spine posture
  2. Increase strain on knees, constrains legs reducing movement/circulation

CONS

  1. Difficult to access and exit quickly
  2. Difficult to use with a skirt

Some have back rest

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29
Q

What are 4 characteristics of a saddle or Bambach seat?

A
  1. Adjustable in height & seat angle
  2. allows good spine posture, may have LB support; allows maneuverability
  3. good for workers to get close to clients (dental workers, beauticians, hairdressers)
  4. Discomfort in saddle area
30
Q

What is a HAG Capisco Chair used for?

A

May be useful for Tattooist

31
Q

What is a Bariatric Chair used for?

A

Extra large seat pan for very tall people and those requiring a wider load of support

32
Q

What are the solutions of chair for those with LBP?

A
  • Recommended for people who cannot sit upright due to LBP.
  • However, discomfort in the upper extremities causes significant differences in typing speed and comfort than upright postures
33
Q

What is the advice on chairs for office workers?

A

In Australia, all office furniture should be produced and tested to meet Australian Standards set by AFRDI - Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute.

  • Level 6 - meet most commercial needs; withstand extremely severe conditions of use, such as police stations, military installations, control rooms and use in heavy industry.
  • Level 5 - suitable for heavy duty offices
  • Level 4 certified office chairs are suitable for office, general keyboard and executive use.
34
Q

What are the 3 characteristics of an ideal chair?

A
  1. enables postural variation,
  2. suitable to tasks to be performed, and
  3. suitable to the persons anthropometry
35
Q

What are the 5 characteristics for monitor height, position, angle of a chair?

A
  1. Top of screen about 600-700mm from eyes (arms length)
  2. Top of screen at eye level (so centre of screen is at comfortable viewing level 10-150 below horizontal)
  3. May be lower for bi-focal wearers for optimal neck posture as they may need to extend upper cervical spine for optimal vision
  4. Screen directly in front of user if majority of time spent looking at screen
  5. 5˚ tilt upwards to reduce glare
36
Q

What are dual monitors for office workers?

A
  • If using 2 equally, same height and distance;
  • If using 1 predominantly, have this directly in front
37
Q

What are 7 characteristics of keyboards for office workers?

A
  1. Directly in front of user
  2. Same level as desk and mouse
  3. Separate keyboard trays NOT recommended
  4. Wrist rests NOT recommended
  5. Should be ≥10cm from edge of desk to allow wrist/forearm to rest when not keying
  6. Split, gabled keyboard designs can prevent or improve upper extremity pain among computer users (reduction of awkward postures)
38
Q

Keyboard trays do not allow the worker to get close to their workstation. What is the problem with this?

A

make writing difficult and not allow forearms to rest on desktop

39
Q

What does the correct wrist posture at keyboard look like?

A
40
Q

What are 2 characteristics of wrist rests for office workers?

A
  1. Can increase risk of hand/wrist symptoms
  2. Research hasn’t demonstrated any substantial benefits for wrist rests and may even increase pressure inside the carpal tunnel by compressing the undersurface of the wrist via the transverse carpal ligament
  3. If Worker really wants one need a wrist rest, use one with broad, flat, firm surface design; rest the heel of your palm on this NOT your wrist;
  4. Avoid soft, squishy wrist rests as they contour to your wrist, restrict the freedom of movement of your hands, and encourage more lateral deviation during typing
41
Q

What are 3 characteristics of forearm support?

A
  1. Discomfort an issue
  2. Reduced pain in neck/sh and upper extremity (mean reduction in pain of -0.48 on 0-10scale)
  3. Return on investment 10.6mths
42
Q

What are 2 alternative designs for wrist rests?

A
  1. Designed to reduce load on trapezius by allowing forearms to rest
  2. APA endorsed product
43
Q

What is recommended for workers with bilateral CTS?

A

Vertical Keyboard was recommended for worker with bilateral CTS

44
Q

What are 2 characteristics of mouse/trackball in office workers?

A
  1. Mouse should be directly in front of shoulder, close to side of body and level with keyboard (to reduce shoulder Ab/ER/F)
  2. Trackball useful if space limited but prolonged use will overuse the small muscles of the hand
45
Q

What are 3 mouse/trackball uses in office workers?

A
  1. repetitive fast clicking, drag & point task increases CT pressure more than point & click
  2. associated more with wrist/hand pain than neck/shoulder pain
  3. Recommend limit mouse /keyboard use to <5hr/day
46
Q

What does the correct hand posture on the mouse look like?

A
47
Q

What does the correct mouse location look like?

A
48
Q

What are 2 alternative “mouse” for lateral epicondylagia?

A
  1. Hover Mouse: if hand on mouse without clicking/movt for >10sec it vibrates to remind you to take hand off and relax. Stops hand ‘hovering’ over mouse.
  2. Vertical Mouse: Places forearm in ‘neutral’ position
49
Q

What are 3 other alternative “mouse”?

A
50
Q

What are 4 characteristics of prescribing alternate mouse for worker with CTS?

A
  1. CT pressure measured in 21 people with CTS - before, during and after a 5’ computer task with standard mouse, vertical mouse, gel mouse pad and gliding palm support
  2. CT pressure increased while operating mouse
  3. None of the mouse reduced CT pressure
  4. Mouse choice based on personal preference
51
Q

What are 2 characteristics of telephone in office workers?

A
  1. If used frequently, within easy reach (primary zone or inner zone)
  2. If used frequently while keying – consider head set
52
Q

What are 3 characteristics of documents for office workers?

A
  1. Document holders will reduce neck strain and best positioned beside screen at same distance and level as monitor
  2. Heavy documents – inline holder better
  3. If on desktop – use a sloping work surface to reduce head flexion (eg a 4-ring folder)
53
Q

What are 3 styles of document holders for office workers?

A
  • A: Muscle activity and neck flexion were least when documents were placed laterally suggesting it may be the optimal location (single pages)
  • B: The desktop option produced both the greatest neck movement and muscle activity in all muscle groups
  • C: The in-line document location required significantly more neck flexion but less lateral flexion and rotation than the laterally placed document
54
Q

What are 3 characteristics of physical environment of office workers?

A
  1. Lighting – visual disturbances common eg dry eyes, tired eyes due to dry environment, long periods of close work; glare, reflection from overhear fluro;
  2. Suggest optometry assessment (Aaras found nearly half people needed vision correction); every 10mins focus on something at a distance,
  3. Anti-glare screen cover, position monitor so don’t have reflection, cover windows if facing west (ie too much light)
55
Q

What are the 3 types of reach in desk top?

A
  1. Optimum reach: where hands operate most of the time. Locate frequently used items here eg keyboard, mouse, phone
  2. Max Reach: area within comfortable reach of sh & arm. Less frequently used items should live here.
  3. Outer Reach: zone beyond max reach usually requiring standing or trunk &/or hip flexion. Locate infrequently used items here eg tissues; product cataloguesa
56
Q
A
57
Q

Why choose the workplace for health interventions?

A
  1. Society
  2. Employer
  3. Employee
58
Q

Why choose the workplace for health interventions for society?

A

“the workplace directly influences the physical, mental, economic and social well-being of workers and in turn the health of families, communities and society”

59
Q

Why choose the workplace for health interventions for employers (5)?

A
  1. reduce/prevent injuries
  2. reduced staff turnover
  3. reduced risk of fines and litigation
  4. increased productivity/profits/savings by reducing absenteeism and presenteeism
  5. Legal responsibility
60
Q

Why choose the workplace for health interventions for employees (3)?

A
  1. a safe and healthy work environment
  2. reduced stress, improved morale
  3. increased job satisfaction
61
Q

What are the 5 evidence- systematic review for UE MSK?

A
  1. Strong +ve: Resistance Training (7 studies)
  2. Moderate +ve: stretching exercise, vibration feedback on static mouse; forearm supports
  3. Mixed NO effect: job stress training,; biofeedback on UT; workstation adjustment alone without worker engagement
  4. Limited +ve: aerobic exercise, alternative keyboard, rest breaks, postural exercise program
  5. Mixed / Insufficient: ergonomics training + adjustment; rest breaks plus exercises, alternative keyboard
62
Q

What are 4 features of ergonomucs trainng delivered by physiotherapists?

A
  1. Improved work-related posture assessed with the Rapid Entire
  2. Body Assessment tool (REBA)
  3. Sig reduction in proportion of people reporting Neck, Sh, LB symptoms
  4. Changes maintained for 30 mths
  5. Symptoms assessed with Pain Diagram
63
Q

What are the 5 evidence- systematic review for neck pain?

A
  1. Neck/shoulder specific strengthening exercise effective to reduce neck pain in symptomatic office workers - better adherence to exercise yields better effects
  2. No benefit of strengthening exercise on general office worker population
  3. Both strengthening and general fitness exercises are beneficial for office workers with neck pain but strengthening may be superior (larger effect size)
  4. multiple workstation adjustments (including alternate mouse) are effective in office workers who are symptomatic
  5. Low quality evidence for benefit of work breaks; downangled computer; alternate mouse
64
Q

What are 3 types of neck specific strengthening exercises?

A
  1. Shrugs; Reverse fly ; Upright rows; Lateral raise
  2. Chin tuck in sitting; resisted head flexion/extension
  3. Commence 50% 1RM
65
Q

What are 4 workplace intervention conclusions?

A
  1. Resistance exercises are effective for those with MSK symptoms
  2. Evidence of exercise interventions for the prevention of neck pain is limited
  3. Ergonomics alone is ineffective - Training is required
  4. Regular breaks alone as an intervention not effective (every 30 mins look away, stretch, take a break, go for a walk)
66
Q

What is laptop ergonomics?

A

Because of it’s design, using a laptop is often a trade-off between poor neck/head posture or poor hand/wrist posture

Compromise between visual and musculoskeletal system

67
Q

What are 4 problems with laptop use?

A
  1. Lack of adjustability of the height of the work surface, and the screen and keyboard, can result in the arms being held too high or the neck bent to view the screen
  2. If the screen is tilted upward to reduce bending of the neck, reflections can be a problem
  3. Size of keyboard and input device smaller
  4. Carrying laptops may contribute to back and neck problems
68
Q

What are 4 solutions for ocassional latop users?

A
  1. Find a chair that is comfortable and allows back support
  2. Raise height of laptop – pillow, desk, book for optimal (neutral) wrist posture
  3. Angle the laptop screen to enable comfortable viewing without excessive neck F/E
  4. Use an external keyboard and mouse so that forearms are parallel with the work surface or angled slightly downward
69
Q

What are solutions for full time or frequent laptop users?

A
70
Q

What are 6 recommedations for laptops/notebooks?

A
  1. Do not use laptops as simple replacements for desktops – use either as an input device or visual screen
  2. In office, dock laptop and plug in external normal sized keyboard
  3. If no docking station, raise the laptop on a book, folder or holder
  4. Choose a laptop with good quality screen, full sized keys and lightweight
  5. Use for shorter periods between breaks
  6. To carry, choose a back pack with 2 shoulder straps or wheeled ‘aircraft’ case
71
Q

What are 2 characteristics of children and computer?

A
  1. Furniture designed for adults not children
  2. Visual problems often missed
72
Q

What are tablets and iPhone ergonomics?

A

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