Question

Research ergonomics and write a few paragraphs that outline preventative measures that can be taken to avoid health-related issues, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Answer 1

ERGONOMICS: It is the process of designing or arranging workplaces,products and systems so that they fit the people who use them.

• Ergonomics is the branch of science that aims to learn about human abilities and limitations,and then apply this learning to improve people's interaction with products,systems and environments
• It applies to design of anything that involves people-workplace,sports and leisure,health and safety.
• It aims to create safe,comfortable and productive workspace by bringing human abilities and limitations into the design of a workspace,including the individual's body size,strength,skill,speed,sensory abilities and even attitude.

Preventive Measures to avoid health issues by Ergonomics:

1. Stretch Breaks: Stretching,Changing positions,getting up from the position and walking away can help in preventing repetitive injuries.For Every Hour stretch shoulders,Sides,Arms,Neck,Wrists,Waist and Lower Back.Strecth Breaks are need to prevent muscle fatigue.
2. Posture: Natural Body positioning is important to prevent injury.Hands,Wrists and Forearms ae need to be straight i.e, parallel to the floor, the head needs to be slightly bent forward, Shoulders relaxed,upper arms at normally at the side of the body, Elbows bent at 90⁰ to 120⁰ and kept close to body,feet are supported by footrest or floor,the back is supported by a lumbar support,Thighs and hips are parallel to the ground and well supported by well-paddes seat.
3. Desk And Work Surface: The minimum distance between monitor from your face is 20 inches and it needs enough space for keyboard and mouse.Desk height needs to be at elbow height with feet flat on the floor or foot rest and avoid glass topped desks due to glare,
4. Chair: Chair recommendations include five-legged base that rolls easily over carpet,swivel 360 for easier workstation access without twisting, seat width should be atleast as wide as the user's thighs,padded edges and contoured seat for comfort and backrest should be wide at the base your back and atleast 15 inch wide and 12 inch height for support.
5. Monitor:Align the monitor screen with the computer user's forehead and should be at a distance of 20 to 40 inch away from your face and take frequent breaks to rest your eyes
6. Keyboard: Split Keyboard designs can help in maintain a more natural wrist position and the keyboards with adjustable feet and use atleast 6-foot cord to allow for a variety of keyboard positions and it allows space for mouse and offer a variety of adjustments for different users.If laptops are using for a extended periods of time,you will need to use USB port keyboard to prevent your arms tightly at sides and your wrists turned to fit the keyboard width.
7. Lighting: Use bright lights in a large area for working on printed materials and focused,diffused light for computer work because glare will cause eye fatigue and dryness.
8. Mouse: It has to match to the contour of your hand with a long enough cord to connect to the CPU and use the mouse that can be used with both hands and switch between hands during the day.
9. Telephone: Use a hands-free headset to avoid balancing the phone between head and shoulder and must have a speaker feature with adjustable volume.
10. Foot Rest: If your feet can't sit flat on the floor with legs and hips at 90⁰ to 100⁰ then use an adjustable foot rest

Preventive measures for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

1. Take regular breaks from computer
2. Let your wrists rest on the desk in neutral postion by using a comfortable pad to avoid flexing or extending your wrist for too long.
3. Keep your shoulders and back relaxed.
4. Hold and use tool as lightly as possible such as writing tools,mouse,tap gently on keyboard...
5. Replace old equipment and furniture with new ergonomic designs such as "V" shape keyboards that relives stress on your wrists and hands