Question

SCENARIO QUESTION

Imagine that you are an occupational health and safety consultant. You have been hired to improve worker productivity and safety at ISON foundation Zambia Limited, a telecom company. The people who work there have been suffering painful strain and repetitive stress injuries from working long hours at their cubicles/ workstations. Specifically, employees have been experiencing wrist pain, eye and shoulder strain. Some employees have quit their jobs and therefore resulting in a high employee turnover rate. TASK You are to design a visual presentation which incorporates tips for correcting common workstation problems and preventing repetitive strain injuries. Your write-up must include the following: • A concise definition of computer ergonomics and work ergonomics • At least four repetitive stress injuries that can be caused by using a computer incorrectly, your search should encompass answers to a. What is the disorder or the injury? b. How is it caused? • Ergonomic computer hardware items as well as workstation ergonomic items. With prices and descriptions to the parts of the body the item is supporting. Make sure the items that you display are rephrased and not cut and pasted from any website. You must include pictures of the hardware and ergonomic equipment and arrange the pictures attractively with tittles/labels for each picture, keep in mind your target group when selecting these items (could be in table format). • A picture of a properly designed ergonomic work station (What each employee work station should look like), with a description of proper positioning of a user at the workstation. Note: Descriptions should be easy for even a primary school pupil to understand. You should be creative in your writeup, imagine that you are making a proposal to the target company, and your presentation should follow a systematic flow. Please include proper work that is cited with proper references. Be sure to add a tittle on the cover page in line with the task in hand, REMEMBER, be creative. Your write up should not be more than 5 pages, as most of it will include the pictures.

Answer 1

SCENARIO QUESTION

Imagine that you are an occupational health and safety consultant. You have been hired to improve worker productivity and safety at ISON foundation Zambia Limited, a telecom company. The people who work there have been suffering painful strain and repetitive stress injuries from working long hours at their cubicles/ workstations. Specifically, employees have been experiencing wrist pain, eye and shoulder strain. Some employees have quit their jobs and therefore resulting in a high employee turnover rate. TASK You are to design a visual presentation which incorporates tips for correcting common workstation problems and preventing repetitive strain injuries. Your write-up must include the following: • A concise definition of computer ergonomics and work ergonomics • At least four repetitive stress injuries that can be caused by using a computer incorrectly, your search should encompass answers to a. What is the disorder or the injury? b. How is it caused? • Ergonomic computer hardware items as well as workstation ergonomic items. With prices and descriptions to the parts of the body the item is supporting. Make sure the items that you display are rephrased and not cut and pasted from any website. You must include pictures of the hardware and ergonomic equipment and arrange the pictures attractively with tittles/labels for each picture, keep in mind your target group when selecting these items (could be in table format). • A picture of a properly designed ergonomic work station (What each employee work station should look like), with a description of proper positioning of a user at the workstation. Note: Descriptions should be easy for even a primary school pupil to understand. You should be creative in your writeup, imagine that you are making a proposal to the target company, and your presentation should follow a systematic flow. Please include proper work that is cited with proper references.

Workstation Problems and Solutions:

Being the occupational health and safety consultant of ISON foundation Zambia Limited,I would like to highlight the major issues and solutions to them.

The major problems analysed are as follows:

Problem 1-Server connection problems with the workstation

Problem 2-Difficulty in using applications

Problem 3- Memory issues in workstations

Problem 4-Windows doesn't work properly

These are the major four issues that force the employees to work for long hours and cause stress,ultimately this results in employee turnover.

To get a clear picture of the workstation issues, we need to understand it in deatail.Let us understand it step by step:

• Computer Ergonomics and Work Ergonomics

1-Computer Ergonomics:It is a practice that attempts to reduce strain,fatigue and injuries by building a set up of computer and the workplace to fit the user and his/her work needs.

Here in the organization,it is noticed that employees stress their bodies following the habits of slouching,sitting without support and using poorly placed monitors.

Solution:

a-Adapting Laptops

b-Adjusting the work patterns say small breaks in between work

c-Movements by taking short breaks

d-Stretch while working.A few of the exercises and stretching can be as follows:a-Neck roration,shoulder rortation,chin tucks,arm rotation,toe curls,foot rotation,wrist flex and shoulder squeeze.

2-Workplace Ergonomics:It is a technique of designing the workplace keeping in mind the limitations and capabilities of the worker.Here the goal is to identify the ergonomics risk factors ,then quantify and add improvements.

Solution:

a-Engineering control:This method eliminates the excessive force to reduce fatigue.

b-Work practice control

c-Job rotation

d-Stretch breaks

• Four common repetitive stress injuries are as follows

a-Carpel tunnel syndrome:It is a compression of the median nerve which causes swelling in the wrist.Some of the frequent conditions linked with the syndrome are diabetes,high blood pressure and fracture.

b-Tennis elbow:Painful inflammation of the elbow joint caudes due to repetitive stress.It causes tiny tears in the muscle tendons at the point it attaches to the outside of the elbow

c-Bursitis:Inflammation of the bursae which causes pain ,swelling,redness etc.It is basically caused due to injuries in bursae.

d-Rotation cuff tendonitis:It causes inflammation in tendons.It can be caused due to long working hours without breaks.

• Ergonomic Computer Hardware Items
  Equipment	Description	Price	Image of the equipment setup
  Monitor Arms	Monitor is placed on the platform attached to the adjustable arm. It supports the arm.	$25 to $300
  Keyboard Arms	It supports extensions for holding the computer’s keyboard, it allows the user to maintain correct posture. It supports the shoulder neck and wrist.	$35-$125
  Keyboard Trays	It is a device which can be attached to the computer desk and can be adjusted according to your needs. It helps in maintaining the posture and supports the wrist.	$35-$350
  Document Holders	It holds the document while you are typing, it helps in maintaining the correct posture. It supports the spine neck and eyes.	$3-$30
  Chair Lumbar Support	By using this device there would be minimum back muscle activity. It supports the vertebrae,pelvis and discs.	$50-$1000
  Computer Monitor Glare Fitter	It is used to reduce the glare and improve the contrast of the monitor. It supports the eyes	$24-$90

Workstation Ergonomic Items
Equipment	Description	Price	Image of the equipment setup
Handstand mouse pads	These are used to support hand and wrist while using mouse for long hours	$10
Ergonomic Keyboards	The special designed keyboards are helpful in typing and reducing strain on hands and wrist.	$35
Back rest	Supporting back using these inflating lumbar pillows. Sitting for long hours on a chair can create a lot of stress on the spine. This reduces the load on the spine and improves functioning	$40
Adjustable laptop stand	Laptop stand to improve the height of laptop which in turn helps in reducing the strain on the back and neck	$17
Wrist Pillow	This cushion supports the wrist while using keyboard or mouse. This ca be used by sliding it under the mouse or keyboard which gives a firm positioning to the wrist and the equipment	$30
Height Adjustable standing desk	A desk for which height can be adjusted and the platform can be rotated on multiple axis gives more flexibility while working.	$250
Pediatric seat cushion	A seat cushion which not only supports the back and also reduces the over strain on the body by maintaining the desired posture of the body while working long hours	$90
Foot rest	A foot rest improves a blood flow in legs, takes pressure off the back, and keeps the leg in movement and supported	$120