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INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM - OFFICE ERGONOMICS

Structure and Organization

The Office Ergonomics information in this program is presented in a definite order, so that employees will see the relationships between the various groups of information and can retain them more easily. The sections included in the Office Ergonomics program are:

• The Physiology of the Body and How it Works.

• How Ergonomic Problems Occur.

• Types of Movements That Often Cause Problems.

• Pans of the Body Most Suspectable to Ergonomic Problems.

• Practical Solutions.

• Exercises and How They Can Help.

Each section of the Office Ergonomics program covers important information in one topic area, providing employees with the basis for understanding the basic concepts of office ergonomics.

Background

Offices are the last place many people think about accidents and injuries occurring. Often employees have the feeling that since they don't work "out on a plant floor" on-the-job health and safety isn't something they need to pay attention to. As a result, many office employees don't consider health and safety factors as they do their jobs... or worse yet, they disregard established Office Ergonomics practices altogether. Little do they realize that accidents and injuries in the office account for thousands of hours of lost time, and millions of dollars in workers' compensation and medical costs.

Many of the injuries experienced in office environments are "ergonomic" injuries. The causes of ergonomic injuries in an office environment can often be subtle. Each job in an office is slightly different, using different materials and tools. And for these reasons, every office job makes a distinct set of demands on the human body.

Ergonomics means taking a look at these demands, examining the work area (as well as the equipment and tools employees use)... and making sure that each employee performs their job the most effective and safe way possible for their own physical make-up.

Objectives

To help remind employees of Office Ergonomics and potential problems that can occur in the office, as well as what can be done to address these problems, this education and training program is designed to present the fundamentals of good ergonomic practices. Upon completion of the program, employees should be able to:

• Understand the "physiology" of their body and how the various parts work together.

• Recognize how certain types of movements can cause ergonomic problems.

• Know what parts of their body are most often effected by these problems.

• Recognize work situations in their own jobs that might cause ergonomic problems.

• Know how to create "pragmatic" solutions to those problems.

• Know what types of "loosening up" exercises are good for them in their job environments and when these exercises should be used.

Reviewing the Program

With the Office Ergonomics program, as with any educational program, the "presenter" should go through it at least once to become familiar with the content and make sure the program is consistent with facility policy and directives. An "outline" of the points in the Office Ergonomics program is included in this Presenter's Guide to help with this task and for general reference.

As part of this review process, you should determine how you, as the presenter, will conduct your session. The use of materials such as handouts, charts, etc., that may be available to you, needs to be well thought out and integrated into the overall Office Ergonomics program presentation.

Click here for Office Ergonomics Safety videos.