Fitting The Task To The Person:: Ergonomics For Very Small Businesses
Fitting The Task To The Person:: Ergonomics For Very Small Businesses
Fitting The Task To The Person:: Ergonomics For Very Small Businesses
to the Person:
Ergonomics for Very
Small Businesses
California Department of
Industrial Relations
Cal/OSHA Consultation Service
Education Unit
Publishing Information
Fitting the Task to the Person: Ergonomics for Very Small Businesses was developed by the
Education Unit, Cal/OSHA Consultation Service, California Department of Industrial
Relations. The document was prepared for publication by the staff of the Publications
Division/CDE Press, California Department of Education. It was distributed under the
provisions of the Library Distribution Act and Government Code Section 11096.
Published 2000 by the California Department of Industrial Relations
FIT
Why Should Your
Work Fit You?
Reduce Injuries
Many people get work-related back
injuries, wrist disorders and assorted
strains and sprains. The injuries may
occur suddenly or
may develop
slowly over time.
Improving the fit
between you and
your work can
help prevent these
injuries. Chronic
injuries may mean
that you are no
longer able to do
certain parts of
your job or that
you have to leave
your line of work altogether.
Increase Profits
and Income
Reducing injuries saves medical costs, lost work time and
related costs of replacing an injured worker. When there is a
better fit between you and your work tasks and environment,
you can often work faster and more efficiently. When you
work in awkward and uncomfortable positions, you may
have difficulty doing your job correctly. Errors are
more common, and work sometimes needs to be
redone.
The work is
too low.
The work is
too high.
Back of
poster-blank
(do not print
instruction)
MSDs
Contributing
Factors
Repeated or prolonged
reaching, twisting,
bending, working
overhead, kneeling,
squatting, holding fixed
positions or pinch grips
Repetitive work with the
same types of motions
over and over again using
the same muscles,
tendons, and joints
Forceful exertions when the
amount of muscular effort
is expended to hard or
sharp surfaces
If nothing is done to improve the fit between the person and the
work, permanent damage can occur. MSDs are difficult to
diagnose and difficult to treat in later phases. You need to pay
attention to warning signs to avoid permanent injury.
Fatigue/Stiffness
Continuous or high
intensity vibration with
tools, vechicles,
equipment or platforms
Continuous Pain
Warning signs of
musculoskeletal
disorders:
Pain
Loss of Function
Take Action!
Muscle tightness
Numbness or tingling in
the arm, leg, finger, or
hand, especially in the
fingertips at night
Decreased range of motion
in the joints
Musculoskeletal
Disorder
Warning Signs
Consider Seeking
Medical Advice.
4
Follow Up: Evaluate Effects
of Improvements.
The Process of
Ergonomic
Improvements
2
Evaluate Improvement
Options.
3
Make Improvements.
Acknowledgments
Writers and Photographers
Robert Lawson, CIH, CSP, Cal/OSHA
Consultation Service, Education Unit,
Sacramento, California
Kristy McKoon-Schultz, CAE,
Cal/OSHA Consultation Service,
Education Unit, Sacramento,
California
Editorial Review
John Howard, Chief, Division of
Occupational Safety and Health,
California Department of Industrial
Relations, San Francisco, California
Dave Bare, Program Manager,
Cal/OSHA Consultation Service,
Sacramento, California
Michael Alvarez, Manager, Cal/OSHA
Consultation Service, Education Unit,
Sacramento, California
Mario Feletto, MS/MPH, Cal/OSHA
Consultation Service, Education Unit,
Sacramento, California
A special thanks for their technical
review is extended to:
Joanette Alpert, MS, PT, CIE, CPE
Ira Janowitz, PT, CPE
More Information
on Ergonomics
Easy Ergonomics: A Practical Approach for
Improving the Workplace. California
Department of Industrial Relations,
Division of Occupational Safety and
Health, Education Unit, 1999.
Four-Step Ergonomics Program for Employers
with Video Display Terminal (VDT)
Operators. California Department of
Industrial Relations, Division of
Occupational Safety and Health,
Education Unit, 1997.
A Back Injury Prevention Guide for Health
Care Providers. California Department
of Industrial Relations, Division of
Occupational Safety and Health,
Education Unit, 1997.
The Rules of Work: A Practical
Engineering Guide to Ergonomics. Dan
MacLeod. New York: Taylor and
Francis, 2000.
The Ergonomics Edge: Improving Safety,
Quality, and Productivity. Dan MacLeod.
New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold,
1994.
Ergonomics Is Good Economics: An Integrated
Approach to Injury Prevention,
Return-to-Work, and
Legal Compliance.
C. C. Schulenberger.
Walnut Creek, Calif.:
Council on Education
in Management,
1994.
11
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(562) 944-9366
San Diego
7575 Metropolitan Dr., Suite 204
San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 767-2060
State of California
Gray Davis, Governor
Stephen J. Smith
Director of Industrial Relations
Education Unit
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 574-2528
13 ETU December 00