Ergonomics

The purpose of the ergonomics program is to provide policies and procedures for the protection of Virginia Tech employees from ergonomic risk factors through the following:

• Detection, correction, and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders by anticipating, identifying, and reducing ergonomic risk factors;
• Promotion of awareness of ergonomic risk factors and proper reporting of signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders,
• Coordination and promotion of ergonomics technology applications.

The primary tools that Environmental, Health & Safety employs to administer the Workplace Ergonomics Program for Virginia Tech employees include:

• Training supervisors (including deans, directors, and department heads) and employees in the awareness of and proper reporting of ergonomic risk factors and early reporting of signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders;
• Review of Incident and Workers' Compensation records;
• Conducting workplace ergonomic risk assessments based on anticipated or reported ergonomics issues;
• Consulting on engineering and administrative ergonomic hazard reduction and control;
• Educating about the potential effects of ergonomic risk exposures; and
• Communicating with supervisors and employees on ergonomics solution alternatives.

Supervisors (including deans, directors, and department heads) are key personnel in promoting and maintaining a healthy and safe, local work environment. Supervisory responsibilities related to the Workplace Ergonomics Program are to:

• Provide funding to implement corrective measures to identified ergonomic risk factor exposures;
• Set a departmental climate that encourages active employee participation;
• Encourage early reporting of signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders;
• Notify Environmental Health & Safety of employee musculoskeletal signs and symptoms;
• Notify Environmenteal Health & Sfaeety of changes in workplace processes or equipment that may change (increase or decrease) ergonomic risk factors; and
• Ensure that the proper level of ergonomics training is provided to employees.

Employees are the group most directly impacted by musculoskeletal disorders and their related discomfort and potentially disabling effects, employees are to:

• Report early signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders;
• Follow work practice procedures related to their jobs that are intended to reduce ergonomic risks; and
• Actively participate in the recognition, analysis, and abatement of ergonomic risks.

Environmental Health & Safety is responsible for coordinating the Workplace Ergonomics Program at Virginia Tech. This includes:

• Educating supervisors and employees about ergonomic risk factors and the potential harm to their bodies;
• Recommending and coordinating the development of ergonomic risk factor reporting and case tracking mechanisms, and early sign and symptoms reporting;
• Training employees and supervisors on the importance of early reporting of musculoskeletal disorder signs and symptoms;
• Prioritizing ergonomic evaluations based on available severity, prevalence, and incident rate data (e.g. OSHA logs, First Report of Injury, Workers' Compensation, discomfort surveys, and employee evaluation reports);
• Performing ergonomic risk factor measurements and observations and communicating results to supervisors (including deans, directors, and department heads) and employees;
• Establishing a job hazard analysis and control process that identifies, analyzes, and uses feasible engineering, work practice, controls to eliminate musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) hazards that reduce MSD hazards to the extent feasible; and
• Establishing ways to evaluate controls to assure that they are effective.

Within Virginia Tech, there are various entities that facilitate the implementation of solutions to ergonomic risk factors especially for those employees coping with musculoskeletal disorders. They are Human Resources and ADA.

ADA and Accessibility Office

The ADA and Accessibility Office is responsible for interpreting the impact of the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 on University policies and practices. The ADA coordinator consults with faculty, staff, and departments about their related rights and responsibilities, provides training opportunities, and assists faculty and staff with specific accommodation needs.

Email: adaaccess@vt.edu 
Phone: 540-231-2010

Ergonomics is concerned with "the problem and processes involved in designing things for effective human use, and creating environments that are suitable for human living and work. It recognizes that work methods, equipment, facilities, and tool design all influence the worker's motivation, fatigue, likelihood of sustaining an occupational injury or illness, and productivity." (Occupational Ergonomics Handbook, 1999, p. 1594). Workplace Ergonomics solutions benefit employees engaged in a wide variety of pursuits. At Virginia Tech, these applications are arranged into three functional areas:

• Office: Given the near-universal use of computer systems, most Virginia Tech employees are exposed to office ergonomic risk factors for the upper extremities as well as visually intensive tasks.
  
• Trades: This area is more likely to expose employees to more acute injury risks from material handling activities to the upper extremities and back.
  
• Laboratory: Virginia Tech employees working in one of the more than 1,000 laboratories generally have computer-related risk exposures to the upper extremities in addition to repetitive use of specialized equipment, standing, and animal handling.

MSDs are injuries and illnesses that affect muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints or spinal discs. A healthcare provider might diagnose the following common MSDs.

Carpal tunnel syndrome Rotator cuff syndrome Trigger finger Sciatica Tendinitis Raynaud's phenomenon Herniated spinal disc

Low back pain Tension neck syndrome De Quervain's disease Epicondylitis Carpet layers' knee Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome

Employees suffering from MSDs may experience less strength for gripping, less range of motion, loss of muscle function and inability to do everyday tasks. Common symptoms include:

• Painful joints
• Pain in wrists, shoulders, forearms, knees
• Pain, tingling or numbness in hands or feet
• Fingers or toes turning white
• Shooting or stabbing pains in arms or legs
• Back or neck pain
• Swelling or inflammation
• Stiffness
• Burning sensation

According to the scientific literature, the following are recognized as important risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders, especially when occurring at high levels and in combination. Figure 1 provides illustrations of some of these risk factor conditions. In general, knowledge of the relationships between risk factors and the level of risk is still incomplete. Also, individuals vary in their capacity to adjust to the same job demands. Some may be more affected than others.

Workplace MSDs are caused by exposure to the following risk factors:

Repetitive motions

Doing the same motions over and over again places stress on the muscles and tendons. The severity of risk depends on how often the action is repeated, the speed of the movement, the number of muscles involved and the required force.

If motions are repeated frequently (e.g., every few seconds) and for prolonged periods such as an 8-hour shift, fatigue and muscle-tendon strain can accumulate. Tendons and muscles can often recover from the effects of stretching or forceful exertions if sufficient time is allotted between exertions. Effects of repetitive motions from performing the same work activities are increased when awkward postures and forceful exertions are involved. Repetitive actions as a risk factor can also depend on the body area and specific act being performed.

Awkward postures

Examples of various awkward postures Body postures determine which joints and muscles are used in an activity and the amount of force or stresses that are generated or tolerated. Awkward postures include repeated or prolonged reaching, twisting, bending, kneeling, squatting, working overhead with your hands or arms, or holding fixed positions.For example, more stress is placed on the spinal discs when lifting, lowering, or handling objects with the back bent or twisted, compared with when the back is straight. Manipulative or other tasks requiring repeated or sustained bending or twisting of the wrists, knees, hips, or shoulders also impose increased stresses on these joints. Activities requiring frequent or prolonged work over shoulder height can be particularly stressful.

Contact stresses

Pressing the body against a hard or sharp edge can result in placing too much pressure on nerves, tendons and blood vessels. For example, using the palm of your hand as a hammer can increase your risk of suffering an MSD.

Repeated or continuous contact with hard or sharp objects such as non-rounded desk edges or unpadded, narrow tool handles may create pressure over one area of the body (e.g., the forearm or sides of the fingers) that can inhibit nerve function and blood flow.

Vibration

Exposure to local vibration occurs when a specific part of the body comes in contact with a vibrating object, such as a power handtool. Exposure to whole-body vibration can occur while standing or sitting in vibrating environments or objects, such as when operating heavy-duty vehicles or large machinery.

Forceful exertions (including lifting, pushing, and pulling)

Force is the amount of physical effort required to perform a task (such as heavy lifting) or to maintain control of equipment or tools. The amount of force depends on the type of grip, the weight of an object, body posture, the type of activity and the duration of the task.

Tasks that require forceful exertions place higher loads on the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Increasing force means increasing body demands such as greater muscle exertion along with other physiological changes necessary to sustain an increased effort. Prolonged or recurrent experiences of this type can give rise to not only feelings of fatigue but may also lead to musculoskeletal problems when there is inadequate time for rest or recovery. Force requirements may increase with:

• Increased weight of a load handled or lifted,
• Increased bulkiness of the load handled or lifted,
• Use of an awkward posture,
• The speeding up of movements, increased slipperiness of the objects handled (requiring increased grip force),
• The presence of vibration (e.g., localized vibration from power handtools leads to use of an increased grip force),
• Use of the index finger and thumb to forcefully grip an object (i.e., a pinch grip compared with gripping the object with your whole hand), and
• Use of small or narrow tool handles that lessen grip capacity.

Duration

Duration refers to the amount of time a person is continually exposed to a risk factor. Job tasks that require use of the same muscles or motions for long durations increase the likelihood of both localized and general fatigue. In general, the longer the period of continuous work (e.g., tasks requiring sustained muscle contraction), the longer the recovery or rest time required. In cases of high force requirements, sufficient recovery time may be longer than the task itself.

Other conditions

Workplace conditions that can influence the presence and magnitude of the risk factors for MSDs can include:

• Cold temperatures,
• Insufficient pauses and rest breaks for recovery,
• Machine paced work, and
• Unfamiliar or unaccustomed work.

Administrative controls: Changes in the way that works in a job is assigned or scheduled that reduce the magnitude, frequency or duration of exposure to ergonomic risk factors.

Awkward posture: Deviation from the ideal working posture. Awkward postures include reaching behind, twisting forward or backward bending, pinching, and squatting.

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint or joints.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: A compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel in the heel of the hand.

Chronic low back pain: General soreness and fatigue of the low back; pain is usually constant, and it accompanies most activities. It is just one of many potential MDS's.

Constriction: Binding, squeezing, or shrinking blood vessels so that circulation is reduced.

Control MSD hazards: To reduce MSD hazards to the extent that they are no longer reasonably likely to cause MSDs that result in work restrictions or medical treatment beyond first aid.

Cubital tunnel syndrome: Compression of the ulnar nerve as it passes through the notch of the elbow.

Cumulative trauma disorder: Damage to body tissue by outside forces that has built up over time.

Degenerative disc disease: a breakdown of the discs that separate the vertebrae of the spine.

Digital neuritis: Compression of the nerves along the sides of the fingers or thumbs.

Engineering controls: A method of controlling worker exposure to risk factors by redesigning equipment, tools, and work stations. Engineering controls are part or hazard prevention and control.

Ergonomics: The scientific study of human work. The term comes from the Greek words "ergos" meaning work, and "nomos," meaning natural laws of. Ergonomics considers the physical and mental capabilities and limits of the worker during interaction with tools, equipment, work methods, tasks, and the working environment.

Engineering controls: Physical changes to a job that reduce MSD hazards. Examples of engineering controls include changing or redesigning workstations, tools, facilities, equipment, materials, or processes.

Epicondylitis: Inflammation of the tendons at the elbow. Also called tennis elbow (lateral or outside part of the elbow), or golfer's elbow (medial or inside part of the elbow).

Follow-up: The process or protocol an employer or healthcare provider uses to check on the condition of an employee after a work restriction is imposed on that employee.

Fatigue: A condition that results when the body cannot provide enough energy for the muscles to perform a task.

Forcefulness: The amount of physical effort a person uses to do a task.

Ganglionic cyst: Swelling of the tendon and sheath due to the build-up of synovial fluid inside the sheath. The cyst usually causes a bump under the skin.

Hand-arm vibration: Vibration (generally from a hand tool) that goes through the hand, then travels through the rest of the body.

Hazard prevention and control: Eliminating or minimizing the hazards identified in the worksite analysis. It is changing the jobs, workstations, tools or environment to fit the worker. Hazard prevention and control is an element of the ergonomics program.

Health care professionals (HCPs): Physicians or other licensed health care professionals whose legally permitted scope of practice (e.g., license, registration, or certification) allows them to provide independently or to be delegated the responsibility to carry out some or all of the MSD management or Return to Work requirements of Executive Order 52.

Job: The physical work activities or tasks that an employee performs. This program considers jobs to be the same if they involve the same physical work activities or tasks, even if the jobs have different titles or classifications.

Incidence rate: The rate at which new injuries and illnesses occur for a given job. Incidence rates express the number of new work-related musculoskeletal disorders occurring per year or another specified time period. They allow comparison of the numbers of injuries or illnesses between and within jobs and departments from year to year.

Mechanical contact stress: The contact of the body with a hard surface or edge that results in the compression of the tissue. Can also result when using a part of the body like a hammer or striking instrument.

Musculoskeletal disorder (MSD): A disorder of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, blood vessels, or spinal discs. This includes MSDs in the following areas of the body that have been associated with exposure to risk factors: neck, shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand, abdomen (hernia only), back, knee, ankle, and foot. MSDs may include muscle strains and tears, ligament sprains, joint and tendon inflammation, pinched nerves, and spinal disc degeneration. MSDs include such medical conditions as low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, DeQuervain's syndrome, tarsal tunney syndrome, epicondylitis, Raynaud's phenomenon, carpet layer's knee, tension neck syndrome, rotator cuff syndrome, trigger finger, sciatica, tendinitis, hand-arm vibration syndrome, and herniated spinal disc. Injuries arising from slips, trips, falls, motor vehicle accidents, or similar accidents are not considered MSDs.

MSD hazard: The presence of risk factors in the job that occurs at a magnitude, duration, or frequency that is reasonably likely to cause MSDs that result in work restrictions or medical treatment beyond first aid.

MSD signs: Objective physical findings that an employee may be developing an MSD. Examples of MSD signs are: 

1. Decreased range of motion
2. Deformity
3. Decreased grip strength
4. Loss of muscle function

MSD symptoms: Physical indications that an employee may be developing an MSD. Examples of MSD symptoms are: 

1. Pain
2. Numbness
3. Tingling
4. Burning
5. Cramping
6. Stiffness

Musculoskeletal system: The soft tissue and bones in the body. The parts of the musculoskeletal system are bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, nerves, and blood vessels.

Neutral posture: Comfortable working posture that reduces the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The joints are naturally aligned with elbows at the side of the body and wrists straight.

Non-specific backache: General soreness and fatigue of the low back.

Personal protective equipment (PPE): Gloves, kneepads, and other equipment that may help reduce hazards until other controls can be implemented, or to supplement existing controls. Examples are vibration-reduction gloves and carpet layer knee pads. Note: back belts are NOT considered PPE.

Raynaud's Phenomenon: Constriction of the blood vessels in the hands and fingers. Also called "white finger."

Records review: Reviewing university records to identify patterns of injuries (or potential injuries) to help find the jobs and workstations that may contain musculoskeletal hazards.

Repetitiveness: Performing the same motions repeatedly. The severity of risk depends on the frequency of repetition, speed of the movement or action, the number of muscle groups involved, and the required force.

Risk factors: An aspect of a job that increases the worker's chance of getting a work-related musculoskeletal disorder from force, awkward posture, repetition, vibration, and contact stress.

Rotator cuff tendinitis: Inflammation of one or more tendons at the shoulder. Also called "Pitcher's Shoulder."

Severity rate: The cost (in terms of lost workdays) of new injuries and illnesses occurring in a given job.

Static loading: Physical effort or posture that is held and requires muscle contraction for more than a short time. As muscles remain contracted, the blood flow to the muscles is reduced. Also sustained exertions.

Sustained exertions: Physical effort or posture that is held and requires muscle contraction for more than a short time. As muscles remain contracted, the blood flow to the muscles is reduced. Also static loading.

Sprain: Overstretching or overexertion of a ligament that results in a tear or rupture of the ligament.

Tendinitis: Inflammation of the tendon inside the sheath.

Tenosynovitis: Inflammation of the sheath around the tendon.

Thoracic outlet syndrome: Compression of the nerves and blood vessels between the neck and shoulder often associated with prolonged overhead work.

Trigger finger: A common term for tendonitis or tenosynovitis that causes painful locking of the finger(s) while flexing.

Ulnar nerve entrapment: Compression of the ulnar nerve as it passes through the wrist, often associated with prolonged flexion and extension of the wrist and pressure on the palm.

Workplace Ergonomics Program: A systematic method (similar to accident prevention or quality improvement program) used to evaluate, prevent and manage work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The main elements of the ergonomics program are worksite analysis, hazard prevention, and control and training, and education.

Work practice controls: Procedures for safe and proper work that are used to reduce the duration, frequency, or severity of exposure to a hazard. They include work methods training, job rotation, and gradual introduction to work. Work practice controls are part of hazard prevention and control. Examples of work practice controls for MSD hazards include:

1. Use of neutral postures to perform tasks (straight wrists, lifting close to the body).
2. Use of two-person lift teams.
3. Observance of micro-breaks.

Work-related: Exposure in the workplace caused or contributed to an MSD or significantly aggravated a pre-existing MSD.

Work restrictions: are limitations, during the recovery period, on an employee's exposure to MSD hazards. Work restrictions based on the Virginia Tech Return-to-Work policy may involve limitations on the work activities of the employee's current job (light duty), transfer to temporary alternative duty jobs, or temporary removal from the workplace to recover.

Worksite analysis: A safety and health review that addresses work-related musculoskeletal disorders. It is a structured way of identifying jobs and workstations that may contain musculoskeletal hazards, the risk factors that pose the hazards, and the causes of the risk factors. Worksite analysis is an element of the ergonomics program.

Ergonomic Hand Postures for Computing

Ergonomics Principles for Safer Computing

Ergonomics Workstation Layout Tips

Evaluating Your Workspace

Suggestions for Safer Material Handling

Wellness Ergonomic Principles