POST DIPLOMA IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

SEMESTER - 3
Topic: Ergonomics
TEAM Members

1) Mayurkumar Jadav 19304721011

2) Hiral Thakkar 19304721059
3) Siddh Desai 19304721006
4) Mukti Patel 19304721043
5) Nikita Vasava 19304721062
6) Upasana Limbachiya 19304721019

Guided by: Mr. Pradip Keshwani

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 INDEX
1) What is Ergonomics? ………..………………………………... 3
2) Why is Ergonomics important? …...…………………….... 4
3) Ergonomic Factors ….……...………………………..………... 5
4) Ergonomic Risk Factors in the office …...………..…….. 6
5) Job Risk Factors ……………………..……..………………...…. 6
6) What is a Musculoskeletal Disorder? ……….....………. 7
7) Common Work-Related MSDs …………………….…….… 8
8) Common Body Parts Prone to Workplace MSDs ... 10
9) Musculoskeletal Disorders: How & Why?…………... 10
10) Examples of MSDs …........................................................... 11
11) Goals of Ergonomics Program ………………………….. 11
12) What are the Benefits of Ergonomics?………….……. 12
13) How to Spot and Correct Ergonomic Hazards ….... 14

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What is Ergonomics?
 ERGO = “work”
 NOMICS = “rules” or “laws”
 Ergonomics means “the laws of work”

OSHA defines ergonomics as the science of

“Designing the job to fit the worker, instead of forcing
the worker to fit the job.”

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 Ergonomics is about “fit”. The fit between a person and
what they do, the objects they use and the environments
in which they work. If good fit is achieved, the stresses on
people are reduced. They become comfortable, can do
things efficiently and productively without discomfort.

 An ergonomic evaluator will look for specific risk factors

that may indicate a “poor” fit, and then make
recommendations to reduce these risks.

 Ideally, good ergonomic conditions:

- Make the job safer by preventing injury and illness
- Make the job easier by adjusting the job to the
worker
- Make the job more pleasant by reducing physical and
mental stress
- Save money

Why is ergonomics important?

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 Overexertion leading cause of injuries
- Most costly
- Recurring/Persistent pain may develop in future
 Bodily reaction is another leading cause of injuries in
workplace
 Repetitive motion also within top 10 most common
workplace injuries

Ergonomic Factors
 Two Categories of Ergonomic Factors to be considered
- Environmental conditions – your physical
surroundings
- Physical stressors – how your body reacts to work
practices

 Environmental factors may affect:

- Hearing
- Vision
 Dim lighting or glares from windows
- General comfort and health
 Hard seats or cramped spaces
 Causes of these problems are:
- Excessive noise
- Improper lighting
- Temperature extremes
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 - Sick Building Syndrome

Ergonomic risk factors common in the office:

Awkward posture
Sustained posture

Repetition Discomfort Contact Stress

Musculoskeletal Disorder

Job Risk Factors

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Working in awkward postures / positions
 Prolonged sitting and standing
 Bending, reaching, stretching
 Driving for extended periods of time
 Heavy lifting
 Awkward lifting
 Lifting in combination with twisting
 Pushing, pulling, carrying
 Accidents, slips, trips, falls
 Vibration

What is a musculoskeletal disorder?

 A musculoskeletal disorder is discomfort that
accumulates over time in the muscles, ligaments,
tendons, joints or nerves which could include strain,
sprain, or inflammation.

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 Musculoskeletal disorders can be controlled
through ergonomics
 Why is ergonomics important?
 Exposure to an ergonomic risk factor increases the
likelihood that you will experience discomfort.

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 Common Work-Related MSDs
(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
Affect the muscles, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, and
tendons
 Symptoms:
- Discomfort
- Pain
- Numbness
- Loss of motion/flexibility
- Spasticity
- Stiff joints
- Burning
- Swelling
- Tingling
- Inflammation
- Throbbing
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 - Paralysis
 Common MSD disorders:
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Tennis Elbow
- Bursitis
- Ischemia
- De Quervain’s
- Sciatica
- Herniated Discs
- Neck strain/disability
- Tendinitis
- Rotator Cuff
- Neuritis
- Reynaud’s Syndrome
- Trigger Finger
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Epicondylitis
- Back strain/disability

Common Body Parts Prone To Workplace

MSDs
 Back - Lower
 Neck and Upper Back
 Upper Extremities - Arms and Hands
 Lower Extremities - Legs and Feet
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Musculoskeletal Disorders: How & Why?
 Related to intensity of work
 Have biomechanical and physiological factors
 Can occur after weeks, months, years on job
 Can take weeks, months, years to resolve
 Have occupational and non occupational causes

Musculoskeletal Disorders: How & Why?

Listening to our body…
 Disruption in balance between breakdown and recovery
 1st sx….fatigue (of body part)
 2nd sx…ache
 3rd sx…pain
 Leading to loss of function

Examples of MSDs
 Carpal tunnel
 Rotator cuff syndrome
 Lateral epicondylitis
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 o Tennis elbow
 Low back pain

Goals of Ergonomics Program…

Reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders
developed by workers when their jobs involve...
 Awkward postures
 Static positions
 Reaching
 Bending & Lifting
 Force
 Repetition
 Contact stress
 Vibration
 Repetition
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 What are the Benefits of Ergonomics?
 The implementation of ergonomics safety as part of the
workplace safety program helps ensure that employees’
capabilities and physical limitations are matched with
the right tools and working spaces to ensure
comfortable and safe working conditions for them.
 The benefits of an ergonomics safety program can not
only make an impact on the lives of employees, but it
can also make a difference in the overall efficiency of
the entire organization.
Here are some of the most notable benefits of ergonomic
safety in the workplace: 
 Helps reduce costs: By systematically reducing
ergonomic risk factors, you can prevent costly MSDs.
With approximately $1 out of every $3 in workers’
compensation costs attributed to MSDs, this represents
an opportunity for significant cost savings.
 Helps prevent other incidents and injuries: Workers
who experience discomfort on the job may find
shortcuts or workarounds that could result in incidents
and injuries such as slips, falls, and lacerations.
Implementing an ergonomics program and encouraging
workers to report ergonomic issues early helps prevent
MSDs as well as other common workplace incidents.
 Improves overall productivity: Healthy employees are
your most valuable asset; creating and fostering the
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 safety & health culture at your company will lead to
improved productivity for your organization. Effective
ergonomic safety programs can promote good posture
at all times, less exertion, fewer motions, and better
heights and reaches, thus helping employees to work
more comfortably and efficiently in their workstations.
 Helps foster employee engagement and satisfaction:
Employees notice when the company is putting forth its
best efforts to ensure their health and safety. It shows
your company’s commitment to safety and health as a
core value. If an employee does not experience fatigue
and discomfort during their workday, it can reduce
turnover, decrease absenteeism, improve morale, and
increase employee involvement

How to Spot and Correct Ergonomic Hazards

 Here are some general ergonomic safety tips to help prevent
the most prevalent ergonomic hazards:
1) Workstation improvements:
- Redesign workstations to eliminate awkward postures.
- Provide adjustable equipment that can be used by workers
to allow neutral postures.
- Maintain good body posture
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 2) When transporting and handling:
- Be knowledgeable about body limitations.
- Provide carts for transporting materials to eliminate lifting.
- Require all loads to be labelled with their weight.
- When lifting, keep your back straight and lift with your legs.
- Assign two or more staff to lift heavy objects depending on
weight.
- Lift slowly and carefully.
- Don’t twist or turn your spine while carrying the load.
- Use shoulder pads to cushion loads carried on the shoulder.
- Use knee pads for kneeling tasks.
- Store materials at waist height to minimize reaching.
- Design containers with handles for easy gripping.
3) Staff scheduling and training:
- Rotate workers among different tasks to avoid repetitive
motions.
- Improve the work schedule to minimize excessive overtime
that causes fatigue.
- Increase staff to reduce individual workloads.
- Provide sufficient employee breaks.
- Adequate recovery time can reduce fatigue.
- Provide workers with training on ergonomics policies and
procedures.
3) General housekeeping:
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- Follow good housekeeping practices.
- Keep floors free of obstruction.
- Use tools in good condition that fits the hand.
- Properly maintain power tools to reduce exposure to
vibration.
- Use gloves to protect against vibration and rough surfaces.
- Always practice proper machine handling.

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