For 360 Knowledge Share Event, 2010/07/15

I-Chun Hsieh 謝怡君

KS

Outline

Occupational illness and injury at a glance Common hazards in an office setting Disease and injury recognition Example with good ergonomic design Goals of healthy work practices

Introduction

Stay healthy at work begins with understanding the potential risks of work

Case of occupational illness

Small keyboard Repetitive-strain

injury that occurs due to the frequent use

Thumb tendonitis

Office environment hazards

Physical hazards Design-related & ergonomics hazards Task-related hazards Chemical hazards Biological hazards Psychological effects

Is work making me sick? 1

Injuries On the job injuries/Off the job injuries

Aches and pains Back pain/sprains Tendonitis Neck-shoulder-arm syndrome

Respiratory illness Allergic rhinitis Asthma

Is work making me sick? 2

Cardiovascular disease Heart attack Stroke “Karoshi”

Psychological illness Stress at work Depression and anxiety disorders Sleep disturbances Suicides

Injury and illness preventionAn example a good work-station design

Ergonomics Main points to avoid

Static or awkward posture Repetitive motion Poor access or inadequate clearance and

excessive reach Display that are difficult to read and

understand Controls that are confusing to operate or

require too much force

Chairs

Chair has wheels or castors suitable for the floor surface

Chair swivels Back rest is adjustable in height and slope

Adjustable chair height Footrests can be used if feet do not rest flat

on the floor

Desks and work surfaces

Work surface at least 30 inches is depth Desk height adjustable between 20 inches

and 28 inches Sufficient space underneath for your legs

(min 15 inches for your knees and 24 inches for your feet)

The leading edge wide enough to accommodate the arms of your chair ( 24 inches to 27 inches)

Monitors

Top of the screen is at or below eye level   Monitor distance allows you to read the

screen without leaning your head, neck or trunk forward/backward (20 inches at least)

Appropriate screen size Adjustable angle and tilt Glare prevention (background, screen & work

surface)

Keyboards

Maintain neutral wrist postures using keyboards with adjustable feet and adequate length cord

Separate wrist rests are usually better Wrist rest should match the front edge of the

keyboard in width, height, slope, and contour

Goals of healthy work

Reduce pain and injury Decrease complaints Less sick leaves Shorten return-to-work time Improve morale Increase productivity

About the presenter

Name: I-Chun Hsieh

Email: ichunhsieh@gmail.com

Profile Board-certified physician in Environmental and Occupational Medicine Special interests

Corporate integrated health services Occupational and environmental disease diagnosis and certification Preventative medicine

Current affiliations Attending physician, Department of Environmental and Occupational

Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Consultant doctor, Tung-Ho Steel Consultant doctor, DuPont Taiwan