It’s time for ergonomic fixes
By Dorothy Wigmore
Lifting small amounts or one heavy thing. On your feet a lot. Using a computer. Dealing with sudden movements by special needs students. Figuring out dials and controls. Reading text in capital letters. Pushing or pulling things. Few or no breaks. Vibrating equipment.
All these—and much more—are health and safety issues related to how work is designed. The results include aches and pains, worn-out backs, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, eye problems, and operating and reading errors or difficulties.
The solution: ergonomics—fitting things done or used at work to people’s needs. Some talk of it as fitting the job to the worker, not the reverse. Others use the mantra, “Fix the job, not the worker.” A huge field, ergonomic design hazards are found in every school-related job.
What frameworks help understand ergonomic design hazards?
Focus on aches and pains (musculoskeletal injuries/disorders)
In North America, the traditional focus is on physical aches and pains from the hazards seen in the graphic below.
There are usually five usual ergonomic design hazard categories.
Work organization hazards/stressors are at the center because they determine how tasks are done and if other hazards are present. They also can worsen those other hazards and studies show stress leads to aches and pains in the neck, shoulders and lower back.
Activity analysis
This method (see graphic above), common among francophone ergonomists, pays attention to the larger context in participatory ways. It combines outside and workers’ “eyes” to get at:
- All the strategies or work-arounds (cognitive, perceptual, physiological, social and psychic) that people use to get their job or tasks done.
- The compromises and adjustment strategies workers use to do their real work, as opposed to the job description or what their supervisors think they do or should do, as determined by the “work execution conditions” or constraints of the situation.
It helps show “invisible” work, proving “what you can’t see may hurt you” and providing arguments for change.
SOBANE
This graduated approach to fixing ergonomic design hazards starts with workers (and their supervisors) trying to identify the problem and quick solutions. Only after observations and analysis fail to fix the hazard is outside help requested. See the observation sheets in the Resources sidebar titled Ergonomic Design Assessments. Examples of ergonomic issues in education
The 120-second minute
In the 1990s, Quebec researchers used activity analysis to show teachers deal with the “120-second minute.” Among other things, they found that teachers’ eyes darted around classrooms—a cognitive load—to meet simultaneous objectives such as:
- Teach an academic subject: e.g., assure understanding, test knowledge.
- Teach behavior: e.g., explain rules of behavior, correct poor behavior.
- Maintain attention at optimum level: e.g., humor, raise, lower voice, move around.
- Maintain physical well-being: e.g., open/close windows, find boots for child without them.
- Give emotional support: e.g., find social worker, psychologist.
Other observations included posture issues, teachers being on their feet a lot and the many psychological stressors of the job.
Computer work stations
There are many myths about how to set up workspaces using desktops or laptops. The newly fashionable sit-stand workstations are good for changing postures but standing all day isn’t any better than sitting.
The graphic shows some key points about healthy set-ups for standard work areas:
- Good chairs make a difference, with the lumbar support matching your “indent” and the back adjustable to lean back a bit—avoiding the stereotypical “sitting up straight”—to reduce back and leg pain.
- Negative tilt keyboards reduce wrist bending and arms in less comfortable positions.
- Monitors need to be at the right height and distance to avoid neck and eye injuries.
Other things
Besides these common issues, look for things such as:
- Prolonged standing (increases blood pressure, leg and back pain).
- Tools (e.g., how easy are they to use with a straight wrist? How heavy are they?).
- Lifting (e.g., Are there devices to help?).
- Sitting (e.g., How can spaces be designed/used to encourage movement?)
- Protective gear (e.g., Does it fit women, diverse staff?)
- Vibrating/noisy equipment/tools (e.g., bus seats).
What can health and safety committees do?
Get training about ergonomics, including the three approaches described here.
Investigate possible ergonomic design hazards in all school/district jobs by:
- Conducting body mapping or surveys at union events and workshops, followed by discussions about how to prevent or reduce the hazard and get those solutions (See njea.org/maps-reveal-the-invisible.)
- Reviewing job descriptions for physical and other demands (e.g., How much people are expected to lift?), followed up by independent assessments to set maximum weights and other standards at least consistent with the NIOSH Lifting Equation and other guidelines.
- Set up a demonstration project based on the two items above, with your UniServ rep’s support. See Resources section.
For computer users, use the ergonomic buddy assessment instructions (see Resources).
Prepare a proposal and advocate for a district participatory ergonomics program that incorporates the three approaches (if possible), with help from NJEA and others, to identify and fix hazards (e.g., see the NIOSH and CRE-MSD resources).
In all these activities, consider how gender and other social relations affect members’ experiences of the hazards and interest in possible solutions.
Dorothy Wigmore is a long-time health and safety specialist and WEC consultant. She has worked in Canada, the U.S. and Mozambique, focusing on prevention and worker participation to fix job-related hazards. Trained as an ergonomist, she’s also a pioneer of body and workplace mapping.