CHAPTER 5

ERGONOMIC
S May
Five Force-Related Conditions That
Increase the risk of injury

 Ergonomic is way of design workstation, work practice,

work flow to accommodate the capabilities of workers.
Ergonomic reduce risk factors known to contribute to
occupational ergonomic injuries and illnesses
If have mismatch between physical requirement of the
job and workers, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can
result

# it also known as MSDs are the problem and ergonomics is the solution.

3 area which ergonomic risk factor exist:

Inherent in the
worker

Inherent in the
task

Inherent in the
environment

Workers come in
all shape and
size, each with
unique attribute
ergonomic risk
factors to given
job

Can present
risk factors
that increase
the likelihood
of an injury

either worker
or job, it also
contain
exposure to
risk factors

Risk factor for MSDs increase for workers who :

== repeat the same motion
== do work in awkward position
== repeat lift heavy object
Contact trauma

5 forcerelated
condition
that may
increase
the risk
of injury

Grip & static exertion

Segmental vibration
Repetition
posture

CONTACT TRAUMA
- GRIP & STATIC EXERTION

Five Force-Related Conditions That May

Increase the risk of injury - Contact
Trauma
Contact Trauma : When
any part of your body
presses against an external object, the resulting
sustained force may cause too much mechanical
stress on tissues.

It is also possible for excessive mechanical stress

to be produced from the impact shock of an
object against a part of the body.

Five Force-Related Conditions That May

Increase the risk of injury - Contact Trauma
(Grip)

Grip : There's a right way and a wrong way to grip an

object. This combination of force and posture, if not
accomplished correctly, may result in harm to the hand.

Two basic grips are used when handling tools, equipment

or materials are Pinch Grip and Power Grip

Five Force-Related Conditions That

May Increase the risk of injury Contact Trauma (Grip)

The Pinch Grip depends on

the fingers to exert the
force and manipulate the
object. This grip strategy
requires much greater
muscle strength and,
consequently, is more likely
to cause an injury.
The Power Grip uses the
muscles of the entire hand
to apply force and
manipulate objects.
Consequently, it's the most
effective, and safest, grip to
use.

Five Force-Related Conditions That May

Increase the risk of injury - Contact
Trauma (Static Exertion)
Standing, sitting, or otherwise remaining in one posture
for a long duration while you perform a task can
increase the likelihood of injury.
Static

exertion combines force, posture, and duration to

create a condition that quickly fatigues our muscles.

The

greater the force, more awkward the posture, and

longer the duration, the greater the risk.

Five Force-Related Conditions That May

Increase the risk of injury - Contact Trauma
(Static Exertion)
Example for risks in static exertion :
Standing

in one place too long Feet, Legs ache

Trunk

curved forward while standing

or sitting - Lower Back Pain
Shoulders

forced up due to position

of work - Shoulder and Arm pain
Head

inclined too much backwards

or forward- Neck Pain

SEGMENTAL
VIBRATION

5 FORCE-RELATED RISK OF INJURY ((SEGMENTAL VIBRATION))

Vibration > when handling vibrating tools for long duration,

it may effect vibration in the hand and finger
whole body vibration > when whole body subjected to
vibration, there is an enhance risk of injury. For example
truck driver.
Prolonged exposure to vibration forces may create chronic
stresses or permanent damage that effect organ or body
parts.

REPETITION

Risk Factor: Repetition

Repetition refers to performing a task or series of motions over and over again with little variation.
When motions are repeated frequently for prolonged periods (several hours, a work shift), fatigue and
strain of the muscle and tendons can occur because there may be inadequate time for recovery.

Repetition often involves the use of only a few muscles and body parts. Motions that are repeated
again and again with little variation may cause fatigue and overuse of the muscles, tendons, and joints
that are involved in the exertion. Overuse leads to muscle strain, inflammation of joints and tendons,
and increased pressure on nerves.

Eg; i) Packing bags of potato chips into shipping boxes

ii) Intensive keying of information into computer

The following table shows the frequency of repetition and length of tasks cycles that are
associated with increased risk of injury in repetitive motion jobs
Body area

Frequency
repetition
per
minutes

Level of
risk

Very high risk modified by

either

Shoulder

< 2.5

high

High external force, speed,

high static load

Upper arm/elbow

<10

high

Lack of training, high

output demands, lack of
control

Forearm/wrist

<10

high

Long duration of repetitive

work

finger

<200

high

Control methods for high task

repetition

1. Engineering controls

Eliminating excessive force and awkward posture requirements will reduce worker fatigue and allow
high repetition tasks to be performed without a significant increase in MSD risk for most worker

2. Work practice control

Providing safe & effective procedures for completing work tasks can reduce musculoskeletal disorders
risk. In addition, workers should be trained on proper work technique and encouraged to accept their
responsibilities for MSD prevention.

3. Job rotation

Job enlargement is a way to reduce duration, frequency and severity of MSD risk factors. Workers can
rotate between workstation and tasks to avoid prolonged periods of performing a single task, thereby
reducing fatigue that can lead to MSD

4. Counteractive stretch breaks

Implement rest or stretch breaks to provide an opportunity for increased circulation needed for
recovery

DURATION

Duration

Duration refers to the amount of time that a task is performed.

Example:

The amount of time that the task is undertaken continuously without a

break (e.g. two to three hours)

The amount of time that the task is undertaken in each shift (e.g. four hours
per day)

The number of working days the task is performed (e.g. five days per week)

In general, the greater the duration of exposure to a risk factor, the greater the degree
of risk.

POSTURE

Posture

Posture is the position of the body while performing work activities.

There are 2 main posture which is namely neutral postures, awkward postures.

Awkward posture

An awkward posture is where a part of the body is used well beyond its neutral
position.

For example, when employees are performing overhead work, their shoulders and
arms are far from the neutral position.

Awkward Posture
Too high

Too low

Too far away

Neutral Postures

The trunk and head are upright, the arms are by the side of the body,
forearms are hanging straight or at a right angle to the upper arm, and the
hand is in the handshake position.

Example

It is likely that the hands and arms are in a static posture :

Standing

Lying

Sitting

Neutral Posture

Standing neutral posture

Seated neutral posture

THANK YOU ..