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Running head: UNIT IV HOMEWORK INDUSTRIAL ERGONOMICS 1 HOMEWORK UNIT IV INDUSTRIAL ERGONOMICS 3 Assignment Unit IV Industrial Ergonomics Shelly Newman Columbia Southern University Unit IV: Ergonomics Hazard Assessment Ergonomic assessments are an objective study of how employees work. The assessments help identify the ergonomic risks such as repetitive tasks that can cause strains, improper work area setup, and improper use of tools, which can result in the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) (Stack et al., 2016). Things that should be considered during an ergonomic assessment are: · Physical ergonomic aspects such as individual workloads, workers’ posture, and repetitive movements. · Check workstations and walking surfaces to ensure they are set up properly and unobstructed. · Inspect materials, tools, and equipment if properly labeled, well balanced, readily available, and are being used correctly. · One can capture photos of issues found and complete the inspection with recommendations and overall assessment of the workplace. · Implement corrective actions and to ensure a follow-up is completed to ensure the corrective actions are working. Our facility during initial design obviously took ergonomics in considerations, however if an individual has not been trained in ergonomics they may not set up and use their workstations correctly. Also, it is important to point out is that not everyone is of the same size, while performing a workstation assessment this also needs to be considered. The workstation that I will be conducting an assessment on will be a coworker who is smaller framed and is approximately 4’ll. She currently spends approximately 10 hours a day at her computer and taking phone calls. The amount of time in her workstation places her at risk for MSDs. The goal of the ergonomic hazard assessment is to lower her risk in establishing MSDs. Workstation Overview The employee’s workstation consists of a large L shaped desk, accompanied with filing cabinets below the desk to the left and right sides and cabinets above the desk on the left side. The employee’s desk has two monitors that is in the far corner of the desk. The standard keyboard and mouse are located just across from the computer monitors in the corner. The employee’s phone is located to the left side of the employee. The employee has an office chair that adjust up and down with a 360-degree rotation. The chair has 5 casters for balance, and adjustable arm rest. The employee’s office has multiple fluorescent lights along with a nice size window that also allows for natural light to flow. Ergonomic Assessment Before beginning the ergonomic assessment, I briefed the employee of the purpose of the ergonomic assessment. I also explained to her of the benefits that could be gained once the assessment is complete and corrective actions were implemented. The assessment started with a review of the employee physically working in their station throughout the day. I also gathered measurements and photos of the area so they could be referenced to later. I noticed that the employee also sat with bad posture and her monitors were not adjusted correctly causing her neck to be extended. Due to improper height of the chair caused the employees wrist to be at awkward angles for many hours of repetitive motion. Other potential stressors in her workstation would include her desk height and the chair adjustments are not adequate due to her height. Due to the improper adjustments to her workstation can lead to serious injuries if not corrected. These injuries can include backaches, neck stains and wrist pain that can led to corporal tunnel. Another potential hazard is the environmental noise that can be heard from the running facility in the background that needs to be evaluated. The hours that the employee sits per day can also lead to personal health problems such as blood pooling in the legs, brain function slows, reduce blood flow and circulation, and slower metabolism among others (Brain & Spine, 2018). The telephone that the employee was using at her work station frequently through the day had no neck support and the employee also did not have a wireless handset. By the employee using the phone frequently without these devices in place caused her neck to stay bent in an awkward angle for long periods of time. Frequent phones calls lead to neck strain and headaches due to the bad posture it places an employee in (Occupational Safety & Health Administration [OSHA], n.d.). As mentioned, the chair that they employee was using was not completely ergonomic friendly to her. The chair adjusted up and down with a 360-degree rotation and the arm rest adjusted in height, however the chair had no lumbar support. With the employee not maintaining a straight back to keep a neutral posture, I suggested that we purchase a chair that would allow for lumbar support. Without this correction the employee could essentially develop MSDs due to improper positioning and support (OSHA, n.d.). Once the employees chair was adjusted correctly, we started to correctly adjust the employee’s monitors. To eliminate the employee’s neck from being stretch and lifted to see the monitor we lowered the monitor so that the employee’s eyes would naturally look straightforward and with a downward cast. We also, adjusted the bottom portion of the screen to between a 15 to 30-degree tilt (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety [CCOHS], 2017). To help reduce some of the outside noise stressors within the employee’s office that was mentally wearing her down; we purchased some acoustic panels and added an area rug. By doing so, these items help to absorb some of the noise and made the employee’s mental at ease. Office noise can contribute to the inability to focus which in turn results in increase stress level and potentially can increase one’s blood pressure (Rifkin, B., n.d.). According to Stack, Ostrom, and Wilhelmsen (2016), the lighting in the room should be at a minimal of 300 lumens. The employee’s monitor screen should be positioned where it does not receive much glare from the lighting. Once the employee’s desk setting was corrected the lighting was enough and no corrections were needed. I scheduled a follow-up with the employee within a couple of weeks after the assessment to verify that she was comfortable and all the changes that were made are working for her. The goal of this ergonomic assessment is to eliminate hazards that can cause MSDs and to also create a workstation that allows the employee to be fully productive without complications. References Brain & Spine (2018, September 27). Workstation Desktop Ergonomics. Retrieved from https://www.franciscanhealth.org/community/blog/workstation-desktop-ergonomics Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety [CCOHS] (2017). Positioning the monitor. Retrieved from: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/monitor_positioning.html Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] (n.d.). Computer workstations etool, workstation components, telephones. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/components_telepone.html Rifkin, B. (n.d.). The effects of noise in the workplace. Retrieved from: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-noise-workplace-45782.html Stack, T., Ostrom, L. T., & Wilhelmsen, C. A. (2016). Occupational ergonomics: Practical approach. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.