YOU can use ergonomics to beat the downturn economy reports Jon Abbott from Cardinus Risk Management.IF you asked a room full of British newspaper journalists, “what is the opposite of fun and adventure?” I bet most of them would say “health and safety”.
This can be quite depressing for the health and safety professional, whose main objective is to prevent workplace injuries and allow employees to continue to enjoy fun and adventure for many years to come.
I think it’s ironic that one of our leading driver trainers spends his weekends driving a racing car and that a Cardinus ergonomics consultant is a keen climber.
We have seen cases where poor health and safety at work has led to people denied these pleasures for the rest of their lives. We believe health and safety supports fun and adventure.
The unfortunate consequence of the stories written by that room full of journalists is that they undermine some of the impressive benefits a well-managed health and safety programme can bring. Companies with a positive attitude to health and safety tend to have a highly motivated workforce and they are more likely to be healthier. Health, motivation and positivity contribute enormously to fun and adventure.
The real opposite of ‘fun’ and ‘adventure’
Injury, discomfort and ill health are the true enemies of freedom and enjoyment.
There are, unfortunately, many risks associated with computer use, including work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs) and musculoskeletal injuries.
WRULDs are soft tissue injuries that affect the muscles, tendons and nerves of the hands, arms, shoulders and neck. Musculoskeletal injuries are disorders of the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and other soft tissues of the body. The disorders may develop over time as the result of cumulative repetitive stress or awkward movements that wear down the musculoskeletal system.
A history of workplace injury
These conditions are not new. Throughout history a variety of conditions have been associated with occupations that require long bouts of repetitive movements. Some are well known: tennis elbow and writer’s cramp, for example. But what about housemaid’s knee, trigger finger and dog handler’s elbow? These conditions still affect today’s workplaces.
The same technology that helps us to work more efficiently, smarter and more quickly is to blame. When we used old-fashioned typewriters, we took regular micro-breaks to return the carriage every few seconds. This relieved the strain of repetition just enough, but the action has disappeared thanks to computers.
Telephones gave us the ability to communicate without walking to our colleagues in the next room or just across the floor; email has exacerbated this. Nowadays instant messaging means we don’t even have to speak to our colleagues on the next desk. The result is an increase in discomfort and a greater risk of ergonomic injuries.
The impact on health
A study by Walter Stewart, PhD, MPH director of the centre for Health Research and Rural Advocacy at Geiser Heath Systems, measured the impact of impaired work performance. He asked 28,902 working adults how often they did any of the following due to a painful condition in the past two weeks:
- Lost concentration
- Repeated a job
- Worked more slowly than usual
- Felt fatigued at work
- Did nothing at work on days when they were at work not feeling well.
Workers who experienced headaches had an average loss of productive time of 3.5 hours per week, back pain 5.2 hours per week and lost productive time from other common conditions of 5.5 hours per week. It is recorded that the majority of this lost time was not work absence but reduced performance.
Then there’s the potential cost of non-compliance.
If you fail to discharge your duty of care, enforcement action can be taken. This can include the issue of improvement or prohibition notices or prosecution. Action in a magistrates’ court can lead to a maximum fine of L20,000 or up to six months’ imprisonment. In serious cases the magistrate can refer the case to the Crown Court where there is a possibility of an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.
Mitchell v Atco
The plaintiff, who was a motor tester with the defendant, claimed compensation when diagnosed as suffering from a WRULD. Her task had involved significant level of lifting, turning and twisting. Although she had also bee examined by the employer’s medical adviser, the court also ruled that:
The evidence of the plaintiff’s doctors should take precedence over that of the company’s medical adviser.
The defendant had been aware that the tasks carried foreseeable risk of injury.
No information or advice had been given to the plaintiff relating to the risks and consequences of her activities.
The court awarded compensation of L42,600 based on L27,500 for loss of earning, L6,600 for loss of future earnings and L8,500 for pain and suffering.
The challenge
The challenge with complying with the DSE regulations is the amount of time, effort and resource needed to comply. Our workforce is ever changing, we are more mobile than at any time in our history and our equipment continues to be updated. Each change requires action under the DSE regulations.
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations are designed to mitigate this risk. Education is important in ensuring employees understand the risks and can take measures to prevent discomfort. A risk assessment programme helps employers to identify any residual risk.
So forget about poor image of health and safety painted by the tabloids. There are significant benefits to developing well-thought out programmes. Keep it simple, keep it effective and measure the results. Your workforce will be better placed to enjoy fun and adventure and your company will be rewarded with greater productivity and profit.
Just don’t expect to read about it in the Daily Bugle.
