Are Standards the Answer?

I recently read that the Michigan Senate approved a bill that would prevent administrative rules mandating workplace ergonomics rules. The bill now heads to the House. Republicans control both chambers.

I can understand both sides of this issue…

As an ergonomics professional, it is nice to have a stick to wave rather than having to roll the rock up the hill again and again with each new regime change at work.  I have had to start at “square one” many times in my career – starting with how using input from workers to redesign their work can be beneficial as well as cost effective, to being laid off  (my official opinion is that I worked myself out of a job) because there was little risk related to ergonomics-related issues. It is also a real pain to offer suggestions to employees and watch their issues worsen because they do not believe that what you propose could actually help.

As a former corporate ergonomist, I saw how the “ergonomics standard” that was almost put into place at the end of the Clinton administration would have been difficult to deal with for the company I was with at the time. There are many great corporate ergonomics programs that are much more proactive than that standard would have been, and there was a fear that companies with progressive programs would whittle them down so that they met the standard and nothing more.

By far the biggest problem with all of this talk of standards is that it limits the scope of what an Ergonomics Program can be! Safety is just one part of the field of Human Factors and Ergonomics- Human Interaction – HCI- and all the other analogous names we give to set ourselves apart.

To focus on trying to control musculoskeletal disorders alone is to limit, and perhaps undermine the good that can be done. I look at the interaction between work and those who do it.

Snow! How to deal with it ergonomically

I know Snow! I live in Minnesota! So, you’re getting two feet of snow and you don’t have a snowblower, what to do?

Dress for the weather and the task:

1. Layers are the best way to dress because when you first go out you will be cold, but as you shovel, you will warm up and you do not want to sweat. Dress in Layers.
2. Gloves or Mittens should have a grippy surface for shoveling. If you have some that have a suede or leather palm, wear those. It will help reduce the amount of force you need to grip the shovel.
3. Hat: Cover your head so that you don’t lose heat too fast.

Warm Up Before Going Out:

1. Your back will thank you if you warm up. I do a couple of stretches and there are yoga poses. I’m not a doctor so ask your health care person to help you pick out ones that won’t hurt you.
2. If you have lots of snow, stretch your arms, shoulders, and chest to get ready to shovel.
3. Boots- a warm pair that do not fit tight are the best. Wear a light cotton or wool sock to wick away moisture.

Have the Right Tools:

1. A good shovel(s)- Look at the blade and make sure that it is still in good condition. Probably you should do this in the fall to make sure you are prepared… Stash a shovel near your door if you have a detached garage so that you can shovel your way there.
2. Salt/Sand, or some sort of ice clearing substance to make your efforts pay off.
3. A roof rake- if you own a house and you live where it snows, it Pays to have a roof rake…

Now Shovel:

1. Steps: start at the top and let gravity help you work down towards any walkways. If you can, push the snow off rather than lifting it over rails. You may end up pushing the same snow off more than one stair, but it is better to use gravity when you can. You may have a long shovel ahead.
2. Walkways: Don’t load the shovel full, take smaller shovelfuls because they are easier to lift. I recommend shoveling an aisle on one side of the walk and then cleaning up the other side so that you can stand in front of what you are shoveling.
3. Driveways: Make an aisle down the middle of the driveway so that you can stand in front of what you shovel. Then attack the sides. With all the snow we have had this year, I found that the sides of the driveway get rather high rather quickly, so we worked to put the snow that we shoveled as far back into the yard as we could as we worked.
4. The End of Driveways and Walkways: IF you are lucky to get there before the plow reaches you, clear around the area and to the left of your entrance. I read that if you shovel to the left and down to the end of your property, when the plow comes through you won’t get that snow at the end of your driveway. That is something I have to try because I have been attacking the end of my front walk over, and over and the repetitive motion is frustrating to say the least.
5. Roof: DON’T CLIMB onto the roof!!! Heavy snow can cause ice dams an we all hate ice dams, but we also hate death, and disability caused by falling off the roof. Get a rake and try to keep the lower edge of your roof clear.
6. Paths: Being a good person, I shovel paths for the mailman so that he can get to the next house without going back out to the street. I also shovel a path where I need to go in my yard- one around bird feeders, and another one going to the vents for my furnace and dryer. I found that last time it snowed, both were completely blocked- meaning that those fumes would be blocked from exiting my house should I choose to have heat or do laundry. KEEP THEM CLEAR.

Cool Down: After you get ALL that shoveling done, go in the house, put your feet up and relax your back. If you already have back problems, you may want to put a pillow under your knees, or roll up a towel and put it under you along your spine so that your shoulders relax.

IF you have a snowblower: Goody for you! However, watch that you do not try to unclog your snowblower without turning the power off! Just because the blades aren’t turning, that doesn’t mean that they won’t start when you get the clog cleared… Traumatic amputations are not uncommon.. Keep your digits!

Pregnancy, Babyhood, and the need to think ergonomically

A couple of my friends are pregnant and some are in labor as we speak… labor and delivery never has a schedule. It got me thinking about pregnancy and childbirth, and how thinking ergonomically can be beneficial for this exciting time.

Pregnancy obviously changes your body. Those changes include your growing tummy of course, but they also include a change in how your spine handles the additional weight, as well as changes in how your joints act. I have to say right here, that I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. I will not be telling you how these changes occur because frankly, that is more of a discussion between you and your doctor. What an Ergonomist can do is help you understand how those changes impact how you move and work through your day:

Your spine helps hold you upright. As you gain weight during pregnancy, your center of gravity is pulled forward, and you may experience discomfort in your low back as well as the back of your legs depending on how your baby is positioned. Sitting or standing for long periods is going to be different now- here are some thing to think about:

If you work sitting down, you may need to reposition the lumbar support on the backrest of the chair. You may also want to look at making the seat longer if you can. There is an adjustment on some office chairs that allows you to make the seat pan (that part that you actually sit on) longer/shorter so that your legs are still supported. You may even need to work with someone on the angle of that seat pan, particularly if you have discomfort down the back of your legs. As you grow, you may have to sit in a more open posture to accommodate that belly, and angling the seat VERY SLIGHTLY may help you lessen the discomfort. But don’t do that alone. You are in no condition to release the seat pan angle on your chair and risk falling! Get someone to help. Do you need to elevate your legs to relieve swelling or because the doctor said so? Be careful to select something that is the right height to support your legs. Make sure that it is lower than the seat of your chair so that your legs are supported, but your knees aren’t taking the stress.

Do you stand all day? Are your ankles swollen? You may want to have a seat to sit in periodically. An anti-fatigue mat can cushion the stress of standing slightly. You may also want to get a block or something to lift one foot off the floor. If you do this, you change postures by shifting your weight from one side to the other.

Another effect of your changing belly is that your effective reach envelope (i.e., reaching forward, downward, to the side) shrinks. Just ask any later term mom-to-be about how hard it is to pick anything up! You may need to rearrange things on your desk or at home so that you can reach them without straining forward. Pull things you need forward so that they remain close. Your shoulders and mid/upper back will thank you.

You know, thinking ergonomically shouldn’t end after you give birth! From how to hold and feed baby, to the fact that he/she gains a bunch of weight in that first year so the car seat/baby bucket gain weight as well… So much information that it will never fit in a readable form here. Are you expecting? Have a question about ergonomics? Let me know and I’ll help you find information to make the happy event even happier- and more comfortable!

Go Ladies Go!

Getting creative to get my name out

I’m kind of a shy ergonomist… My wish is to have work, keep my head down, and solve the challenges presented to me by clients. So now that I’m a business owner, how do I go about keeping that stream of business coming in? I’ve seen the “tweeters” who post almost trivial bits of info to keep their LinkedIn profiles active. I’m NOT that type of girl. I have a hard time networking because when I talk about what I love, people either glaze over, or say, “Oh, Carpal Tunnel…” and I have so much more to offer.

So, I’ve come up with a new strategy and it involves my new MOO business cards. These are so cool because you can customize them in so many ways! I am using them to show off my photography. I believe that, by using my own photography, I can have a conversation starter that isn’t just about Carpal Tunnel. I can instead say that the photos show that I have a creative way of looking at things- not just as a photographer, but also as an ergonomist. That makes me the perfect person to help you with your challenge!  I’ll let you know how it works out…

My new moo cards

What do you think?

Like-minded ergonomists

Just after I posted my blog on BP and ergonomics (ergonomics and the great resession) I got this post from ergoweb:

http://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=2470

Ergonomics and the Great Recession

I would love Practical Ergonomics, LLC to become a full time, long term job. But to tell you the truth, it was started as an attempt to get some contract work for a large Minnesota employer. I was laid off in March 2009, and immediately started the traditional job search. What I found, not suprisingly, was a lack of jobs for an ERGONOMIST. However, there are always openings for nurses who do some ergonomics, or physical therapists who do some ergonomics, or safety people who do ergonomics, or project managers who do some ergonomics.

“Totally understand, I do.” says the Yoda inside me. Really, why would a company hire someone who “only does ergonomics” in a time when so many people are being cross trained to multitask across job types? I think, the answer lies in the question itself. As time goes by, I am going to wager that all of those cross trained, over worked  people are going to get tired of being stretched so thin. There is research that says those who think they multitask the best, really are the worst at doing it (NPR, Talk of the Nation, June 6, 2010, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127771658&ft=1&f=5).

Unfortunately, employees who are stretched too thin make mistakes. The mistake could be very small and harmless. In a recent story, the ExxonMobil emergency response plan for the Gulf of Mexico included reference to a walrus, and animal that hasn’t been in the gulf for millions of years (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/16/2927986.htm?section=business). Or, the mistake could lead to forgetting a critical piece of a process, or not attending to a safety related preparation step. Leaders pushing their employees to get the job done may allow them to “pencil whip” procedural items to speed up completion. That could lead to injuries, deaths, or, I believe we’ll find out, catastrophes like the BP oil spill.

People can only do so much- we are human after all.

totally off topic…

Tomorrow, amid the October snowflakes, I’m going to be taking a leaf drawing class at Silverwood Park through the Minnesota School of Botanical Illustration. You may wonder why I would want to spend 8 hours learning to draw leaves? Well, other than the fact that I am a Fall Fanatic, I think that the realism of botanic art is so beautiful and want to learn that skill.

I don’t know how cold hands can produce good work, but I’ll give it my best shot.

Home Office Ergonomics- take stock in what you have!

“I’m just setting up my office and I have no money for new furniture. Why should I care about ergonomics?” I have heard that question from people who think that setting up the ergonomically friendly office means purchasing all new furniture. It really doesn’t have to be that way. An ergonomically friendly office is an office that maximizes your productive time. How? If you have to search for things, reach over things, or slouch to sit in your chair and see your computer screen, are you really going to be as productive as you can be?

Take a look around your office. Can you sit at your desk without dangling your feet? Do you lean in to see your monitor? Are your shoulders sore at the end of the day? There are simple things you can do that may not cost an arm or a leg. Work with a laptop? Think about how your hands feel on the keyboard. Are they cramped? Perhaps you should be using a separate keyboard, perhaps not. Just because the box says “Ergonomic” doesn’t mean it is.

If you are going to spend any money, the best investment is a GOOD office chair. What is a good office chair? One that FITS you and the way you work. For instance, say you are a taller person, or one who has longer legs. Take time to find a chair with a sliding seat pan. This means that the seat pan depth can grow or shrink to support your seat and thighs. Find one that will allow you to fit three fingers between the front of the seat pan and the back of your knees.

It’s pretty easy to set up an office without spending much money- Want to know more? Let me know your questions!

There’s this story about the blind men and an elephant…

You all know it, I’m sure. Some number of blind men (some stories say three, some more) all give different descriptions of an elephant based on their limited tactile knowledge of the subject. Well I see a similarity between these stories and companies’ willingness to follow a Wellness strategy or a Six Sigma strategy in order to improve productivity, reduce the drain on resources due to errors, or illness.

Ergonomics encompasses the strategies of both programs: a true ergonomics program focuses the human as the center of the analysis. Think of it as the synergy of wellness and six sigma. a strategy for balancing the needs of the corporation with the needs of the employees. Many times, recommendations have less to do with the physical arrangement of the workstation, and more to do with helping the employees involved work within the constraints of their work system: they maximize their productivity, minimize their risk for error or injury, and become responsible for their own well-being while at work.

An Ergonomist is someone who steps back far enough to see the whole elephant, and then comes in to get the details.

OSHA’s new recordkeeping tool and the lack of MSD classification

I’m a data geek, and if there’s one thing I love, it’s a big stack of accident/injury reports to sort through. Really! I have always thought that the only true way to get to trends at a company is to sit down and read each narrative- that way, I can be the one who sorts things into buckets based on my knowledge set. Yes, that is labor intensive, and yes, it is hard when you have a lot of injuries and you want to make changes.

When I worked for the Bureau of Mines, my colleague Debi Griffith and I were working with several mines and getting to know their accident history so that we could help them. I will never forget sitting at a small table at a “local social gathering place” in this small town trying to read narratives while the locals played cards… Our hotel rooms were so small that we had to go to the lobby to make phone calls.

But the information we got out of those narratives was not the stuff that could easily automated, but it really gave us insight into the cultures at these sites and allowed us a window we would never have had with an automated system.

Every single data system I have used, has had errors due to those who input the data, due to those who use sloppy writing to fill out a form, and due to those who think epicondylitis is the same as epididymis. By the way, the last two terms are WAY different… I have seen cases of carpal tunnel syndrome reported as death. People are put into different locations because someone did not know how to classify the location.

The point here is that any recordkeeping tool is only as good as those who enter data into it- and the real stories are always in the narratives. Use the tools for general sorting, but to get the most effective fix- Get To Know Your Data.