The term ergonomic hazards refers to the act of repetitive and forceful movements or postures, potentially causing harm or injury as a result of improper work methods or improperly designed equipment. For someone who works at a job where this is an issue, it is always important to be aware of health and safety concerns relating to your job and workspace, and understand how to best prevent these injuries.
Common Injuries in the Workplace
There are a number of injuries commonly caused as the result of ergonomic hazards in the workplace. When workers are performing tasks and using equipment improperly, it can result in strain and possibly injury. Over time, workplaces may notice an increase in debilitating injuries and a loss of productivity among the employees there.
Overall, the most common injuries relate to the musculoskeletal system in the body and can include:
- Tennis elbow
- Carpel tunnel syndrome
- Inflammation
- Backache
- Eye strain
These types of injuries can range in severity, from mild to extreme and potentially even causing more serious conditions to develop as a result. Depending on where you work, the likelihood of injury may be increased significantly, based on how dangerous the tasks involved are. Even something as seemingly simple as improper keyboard positioning can result in serious enough injury to put an employee out of work for an extended period of time. To benefit both the employee and employer, it is essential to learn the basic ergonomic techniques and understand what steps to take in order to prevent injury in the workplace as best as possible.
Prevention
The most important step is taking preventive measures to guard against such ergonomic hazards, creating a safer work environment and hopefully avoiding such injuries from occurring in the first place. There are a number of ergonomic products worth considering, to implement in your workspace and help prevent ergonomic related injuries:
- Lift assist hoists
- Articulating arm manipulators
- Automated material handling systems
- Adjustable height work benches
- Ergonomic floor matting
- Ergonomic hand tools
- Zero gravity lifters and balancers
These are just a few examples of the most essential ergonomic lifts and work station material handling solutions worth incorporating into a work area. As a result of the addition of such material handling equipment and work stations, a work environment benefits with improved product and performance quality, reduction in injury, and improved worker morale overall.
To prevent the dangers caused by ergonomic hazards in the workplace, the most effective method of eliminating ergonomic hazards is using specialty ergonomic workstations and material handling equipment. From roll lifters to lift assist systems, with proper equipment and working methods, you can greatly reduce or even completely avoid work-related injuries.
Cynergy Ergonomics is an industry leader, known worldwide for one of the largest and most extensive selections of ergonomic lifts and work stations on the market today. Providing a reliable and cost-effective method of reducing or even eliminating ergonomic related injuries in the workplace, you can trust in Cynergy Ergonomics for top notch lifts and work station material handling solutions.