Ergonomics

a fancy word that means protecting your health

by elizabeth hipp

You see them everywhere. Sprawled out on couches in the Lory Student center. Huddled in cubicles in Morgan library. Feverishly working in coffee shops. Students. Once upon a time students mostly did their schoolwork at desks. But today, with new technologies such as wireless Internet and online classes, students can work almost wherever they please, and that is reeking havoc on their health.

Very few students give thought to their posture or workstation setup while working. Usually, students only give thought to that when they already have a backache from being bent over a computer for hours, or a hand cramp from frantically typing that 10-page paper last minute. However, paying attention to details such as chair height and hand positioning while typing can make a big difference in preventing injuries, and these little tips for preventing injuries have an umbrella term that encompasses them all: ergonomics. Students should start paying attention to proper ergonomic procedure now and cultivate good habits so that they can avoid serious injury later on in life.

“Major problems in the office, called cumulative trauma disorders or musculoskeletal disorders, can occur over time,” said Frank Gonzales, an ergonomics safety training specialist who works in the environmental health department at CSU.

According to Gonzales, the most common problems are upper back, neck and shoulder fatigue, and although these ailments usually take time to develop “they can become pretty serious and require medical treatment.” Gonzales also said the most common mistake students make has to do with their computer placement.

“Monitor height is the most important. Nowadays it seems all students have laptops, and you shouldn’t put you laptop actually in your lap. Raise it up so you’re not straining your neck,” Gonzales said.

Ergonomics, then, is just a big word that means you are properly arranging your desk or workstation to prevent a variety of ailments. Eye fatigue, repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel and tendonitis, and other musculoskeletal disorders can be easily prevented by following these tips.

1. Follow your mother’s advice and sit up straight

Rest your back against your chair (or couch or whatever you happen to be sitting on), keep your feet supported, and make sure you knees are at the same level or lower as your hips. However, don’t try and have perfect “ballerina” posture the whole time you’re working, cause that is tiring too. Instead, shift around while working, or even better stand up and take breaks (something it shouldn’t be hard to convince a student to do!)

2. Get centered

Make sure your computer is directly in front of you so you don’t have to twist or turn your body to look at it. The proper centered distance for the keyboard is at a comfortable arm’s length with the top of the computer two to three inches above your seated eye level. Also, if you have another paper or notebook you are typing off of, put it between your monitor and keyboard, or use a document holder to elevate it or hold it up close to your screen.

3. Use a good typing technique

Keep your wrists straight and hands relaxed, and don’t rest your arms on the keyboard but float them above it. If you have a wristrest, use it for breaks in your typing instead of resting your wrists on it while typing. And more likely than not, you’re hitting the keys while typing too hard (according to UCLA’s website, “the average user keys four times harder than necessary”), so go easy on your keys.

4.  Don’t strain your eyes

Reduce the strain on you eyes by reducing your computers glare. When working on your computer, avoid sitting near windows or bright lights. You can also use a glare filter if necessary. Also, take frequent “eye breaks” by looking away from your screen at a distant object, or by closing your eyes and covering them with your palms.

5. And the easiest tip to follow….take breaks!

Gonzales said the keys to prevention are “duration and frequency.” To avoid problems try to use your computer less often or for shorter intervals of time. Most injuries occur not just from bad posture and positioning, but because people staying in front of their desks in this strained position for longer periods of time. So step away from your desk, even just for a minute or two, to relax and recharge your body.

As the old adage goes, and ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By paying attention to our bad work habits now and correcting them, we can avoid painful and costly problem later on in our professional lives.