|
|
| Bar Bulletin |
February, 2003 |
| Solo and Small Firm Practitioner |
|
Help for Another Pain in
the Neck!
By Pat Yevics
NOTE: Each month I attend a luncheon
meeting of the Baltimore Chapter of the Association of Legal
Administrators, and the meetings usually feature a speaker. Although many
of the speakers focus on issues related to administrators of larger firms,
there are many times when the topic applies to firms of all sizes. In
January, the topic was ergonomics and how to help employees (and
practitioners) solve problems that may be a result of problems with office
furniture and the office environment.
Although I expected the speaker to talk
about buying new office equipment, that was not the case. He talked about
posture. He said that the most expensive office equipment will not help
anyone if not used correctly, and to use it correctly involves – posture.
His presentation was excellent. His
discussion of posture was extremely helpful. I have made an effort to
follow some of his suggestions. Tony Biafore, President of Ergonomics,
LLC, in Montgomery County, has given me permission to reproduce parts of
his article, “Voodoo ergonomics causes more harm than good…Bad decisions
can be costly!”
While there were a number of products
that Biafore did demonstrate, the key to their effectiveness is proper
posture. It is the same theory as with technology - these are just tools
to make it easier for us to be more productive. If we do not use them
correctly, we might as well not use them at all. The article and issue is
worth considering especially for solo and small firm practitioners where
it is even more critical that you and your employees be as productive and
healthy as possible.
According to Biafore, “Workers’
compensation claims related to repetitive motion are on the rise! There
has been a dramatic increase in this class of injury since technology has
become so prevalent in the office. We are starting to use computers at
younger ages, working longer hours, and becoming increasingly more
dependent on upon them. There are many terms and acronyms associated with
these types of injuries: repetitive strain injuries (RSI), carpal tunnel
syndrome (CTS), over use injuries (OUI), muscular skeletal disorder (MSD),
and on and on. Cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) sums it up best, meaning
aliments caused by repetitive motion, over time, in bad postures. By
recognizing risk factors and addressing them, a solo or small firm
practitioner can address ergonomic issues before they have a material
impact.”
Most solo and small firm practitioners
would never even think that the topic of ergonomics had anything to do
with their practice, but Biafore says, “Rest assured, it is a real
dilemma. The biggest and most costly investment a company has today is in
its people. Salary, benefits, insurance and perks all add up. These are
costs that are tangible and real. Unfortunately, ergonomics is prevention
and this is always the best medicine. The cost associated with effective
intervention far outweighs the costs associated with workers’ compensation
claims, increased insurance premiums, rehabilitation, not to mention
medical, absenteeism, productivity, administrative, legal and morale
issues. It is actually more cost-effective to make ergonomic upgrades for
less than $300.00 per individual than to deal with the costs of a workers’
compensation claim, now upwards of $30,000 per case. Good ergonomics is
good economics!”
As I have said on numerous occasions, solo
and small firm practitioners are more heavily dependent upon their staff
than larger firms because there are so many fewer. If you have two people
on staff and one is out, you have lost 50 percent of your staff. The same
is true for you. As a solo practitioner, it is critical that you be as
healthy and productive as possible because there is usually no backup.
“During recent years,” Biafore continues,
“the term ergonomics has become all too familiar to managers and decision
makers as the ‘rising tide’ of work-related injuries in the office
continue to proliferate. [G]ood, sound ergonomic decisions can have an
impact on business, and bad ones can be extremely costly. Voodoo
ergonomics is a phrase we use that applies to ineffective ergonomics
gimmicks. It occurs when organizations spend money, time and resources
making ergonomic decisions with the right intentions, but without
achieving the desired results. This is because the focus is usually on a
commodity, i.e., chair, wrist rests or adjustable keyboard trays (AKT),
and not the actual cause of the problem. The term ergonomics has been
applied to a plethora of products, most of which have no proven substance
or research behind them. In the computerized work environment, we continue
to see repetitive motion injuries increase dramatically, and through
workers’ compensation claims, firms are finding out the hard way that
ergonomic issues in the office can be costly and need to be addressed
correctly and efficiently.
“Simply put, the issues in the office
center around posture and the proper use of equipment. So, this begs the
question, what should the firm (you) do ? The answer is to become educated
on the causes of computer related work injury, their prevention and how to
mitigate them. Utilizing the right tools and training the worker to
achieve low risk working postures reduces injury rates and can keep a firm
fiscally healthier.”
Biafore suggests that “a holistic approach
is necessary to successfully combat your ergonomic issues. The following
steps will help you address each risk factor and put them in perspective
as part of a total package. Too many times, ergonomic issues are isolated,
focusing only on one part of the body rather than the total person.”
Five Steps to Improve Posture
1. Sitting.
Achieving and working in a healthy seated posture is the most important
element for computer operators, and simply purchasing an “ergonomic’ chair
does not ensure this. Most people sit poorly, particularly leaning
forward, with the legs tucked under the seat pan and head in front of
torso. Sit back in the chair and adjust the lumbar to feel firm against
the lower back and reduce any rocking feature with the keyboarding. Adjust
the chair so that the thighs are parallel to the floor with the feet
firmly on the floor, slightly in front of the knees. (If you find yourself
too low, use a footrest and raise your chair.) Additionally there should
be a gap (from three fingers’ to a fist’s distance) from the back of your
knees to the front edge of the chair. You should now be seated back in the
chair, with your palms resting on your lap and body weight dispersed on
the feet, buttocks, lumbar and palms. These are all strong parts of the
body that can support an individual when resting.
2. Keyboarding.
A computer operator should almost always use an adjustable keyboard tray (AKT).
Ideally, position the keyboard close to the lap on the AKT, angled
slightly negative or backward, raising the hands slightly from the lap so
that the keys are on a flat or neutral plane. Use whole-arm motions (as a
piano player) while keying. Minimize twisting and bending of the wrist.
3. Mousing.
The AKT should not just provide a place
to put the mouse; it should provide the right place to do so. There are
two good choices for achieving this. First, maintain your proper seated
posture. Use an AKT that positions the mouse not only on the same plane as
the keyboard but in a slightly forward position. An alternative choice
would be to position the mouse on a bridge that is positioned slightly
above the keyboard, off to the left for a left-handed person or over the
number pad for a right-handed person.
4. Monitor height,
distance and glare. Position the
monitor directly in front of you and about an arms length away. Make sure
that while seated, the top of the monitor is at eye level. This will put
the center of the screen in a slightly lower position that will allow the
head and neck to work in a more relaxed posture. Remove the computer from
under the monitor if it’s too high. Should this make it too low, raise it
with risers or books. Position your desk so that light sources, such as
windows, are perpendicular to the monitor rather than directly behind or
over you. If necessary, use non-glare filters for assistance.
5. Document placement.
Position your documents either
directly in front of you, between the keyboard and monitor or at the same
height and distance as the screen.
What Does This Mean to Me?
If you or someone in your office is having
difficulty with their back or neck, or complains of problems while using
their computer or chair, it is important to have someone look at the
environment and how the equipment is being used and where it is located.
According to Biafore, “First of all, avoid
catalog purchases and suppliers of only one manufacturer. Your choices
will be limited and you’ll pay too much. One size does not fit all, and
having a trained eye can help as people and work environments come in all
sizes and shapes. Products alone are not the answer and following the
above procedure will help identify and assess potential problem areas in
an effective manner. A visual workstation and equipment evaluation can be
very useful in making correct decisions along with knowing the physical
characteristics and job tasks of the individual.”
Conclusion
“Unless computer operators incorporate
low-risk working postures,” Biafore concludes, “physical ailments
associated with [the computer’s] use will continue to rise. This is
especially true, as the computer becomes increasingly important to us in
our daily lives. All injuries can never be prevented, but many can be
avoided. In addition to being a healthy decision for firms and reducing
medical and compensation costs, good ergonomics has been proven to enhance
productivity, as well. It is a win-win situation for both employers and
employees.”
Ergonetics, LLC, is a
resource company that specializes in improving the ergonomics in the
computerized environment. Ergonetics works closely with leading
ergonomists and other
professionals, including the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
|
