Body-smart gardening: Raise healthy crops without aches, pains

For many gardeners, it can be a real battle to get control over a lawn or garden.
And far too often, it feels like it.

"You get sore a lot. I've managed to damage tendons that took a few weeks to heal," said Linda Fayerweather of Maumee. "I tend to do a lot of aerobic gardening."

With plenty of repetitive motion and endless opportunities to get your joints out of sorts, it's easy to consider aches and pains a natural part of America's No. 1 outdoor hobby. (A National Gardening Association survey found that three out of four households in the United States participated in one or more indoor and outdoor lawn and garden activity last year, spending nearly $37 billion.) (Via toledoblade)

Ergonomics: Workplace Risk Assessment Strategies

Workplace injuries due to repetitive motion cost employers an estimated $2.8 billion in 2002, according to the latest data from the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index.

If that figure isn't enough to convince you of the importance of developing an ergonomics component in your safety program, consider that repetitive motion was the fourth-leading cause of on-the-job injuries in 2002 and 2001, according to the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety.

In what will be the first in a continuing series on ergonomics, Occupationalhazards.com asked ergonomics expert Paul Adams, Ph.D., PE, CSP, CPE, a senior consultant with Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Applied Safety and Ergonomics Inc., to provide an introduction to the risks associated with repetitive motion and to offer an overview of some risk assessment strategies. Adams' background includes 6 years as the safety engineering and ergonomics leader for Toledo, Ohio-based fiberglass materials maker Owens-Corning.

For starters, Adams breaks all injuries into two categories: acute trauma and cumulative trauma. (Via Occupational Hazards)

Ohio Now Offering Online Ergonomics Classes for Its Employers

An Ohio worker with carpal tunnel syndrome can cost his or her employer an estimated $30,000, according to the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. That's one reason the agency has begun offering free, online ergonomics classes.

The bureau's new online class, Office Ergonomics Online, can help employers eliminate procedures that can contribute to the onset of carpal tunnel and other ergonomic-related workplace injuries. Carpal tunnel related-injured are frequent among workers ages 50 to 70, according to the bureau.

Employees who use a computer more than 4 hours a day can learn -- from the comfort (or discomfort) of their own desk -- ergonomic practices specifically developed for office environments. The tutorial, which lasts 30 minutes, is self-paced and interactive.

"Because online classes are available at any time, Ohio businesses don't have to worry about fitting safety training into their schedule," said James Conrad, administrator/CEO of the agency. "By participating in this class and implementing proper ergonomic techniques, employers can help protect their workers from painful injuries like carpal tunnel."

Office Ergonomics Online is free to all employers who have an active Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation policy. To register, visit http://www.ohiobwc.com and click on "Ohio employers" or register by phone at (800) OHIO-BWC. (Via Occupational Hazards)

Laptop Stand On Wheels - Avoid Carpal Tunnel & RSI

The Laptop Stand On Wheels by Keynamics LLC allows for very comfortable laptop typing. The ergonomic stand meets the guidelines of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), such as their emphasis on reclining and frequently changing your position as you work (that's where the wheels come in handy:) See OSHA's site at osha dot gov and search "Computer Workstations" - Our stand complies!

"The Keynamics laptop stand addresses two important ergonomic challenges in the use of laptop computers: the angle of the keyboard, and the position of the body for people who use an ordinary desk or table on which to type, rather than a dedicated computer table. By projecting the computer towards the user, a variety of chair positions can be chosen. The laptop stand allows the user to vary chair height and angle over the course of the day. In addition, by positioning the computer at a comfortable angle, the stand appears to improve the ergonomics of typing and lessen the feeling of fatigue."

Weighing 10 pounds and constructed to very rugged specifications, the Keynamics Laptop Stand is designed to perch at the edge of your desk and support your laptop with the keyboard angled towards you. The inclined support section extends beyond the edge of the desk, making for very comfortable typing. A lip at the bottom of that section combines with a pair of sticky rubber strips and adjustable levelers to hold the laptop firmly in position.

Here's the best part: A pair of big, sturdy wheels on the back of the stand enable you to move the assemblage out of the way when you need the desk for other purposes. This feature works best when there isn't a tangle of cables at the rear of the laptop, but with a little forethought, even a fully connected system can be moved aside with ease. It's worth noting that the device comes with four pages of safety instructions, some of which bear careful reading. This is a heavy product, and you don't want it rolling off your desk and onto your lap.

Kaleida installing cost-saving workers' comp plan

Kaleida Health officials believe they can save about $1 million in workers' compensation injuries every year through a program that takes the pressure off of workers' backs as they lift and move patients.

Called Zero Manual Lift, the program uses special equipment that eliminates the need for employees to bear patients' weight as they are being transferred or repositioned, and includes ongoing training in injury prevention and ergonomics. It has been underway at Kaleida's Waterfront Health Care Center for three months and has resulted in an injury-free work force, officials said.

The health system of hospitals and nursing homes has spent about $16 million annually on workers compensation injuries; 64 percent of the costs are directly related to strains by lifting or moving patients or residents. The goal of the program is to reduce the incidence of sprains and strain injuries between 25 percent and 50 percent in the first year of full implementation. (Via Business First)

Increasing ergonomic awareness

HAS it ever crossed your mind that your working place and the devices that you are in contact with could be hazardous if they are not used properly? Most people would not consider this issue seriously, but the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) in collaboration with Japanese International Cooperation Agency (Jica) is aggressively promoting ergonomics for workers’ well-being, especially those working in the office and using computers.

He says ergonomic improvement is important especially in business management as it prevents work-related health disorders (musculoskeletal, stress-related), reduces human errors (in work systems and information technology) and enhances productivity (better use of resources and skills).
“For example, providing chair of correct height with good back rest, ensuring safe wiring connections for supplying electricity to equipment and providing resting corners with comfortable facilities and refreshing drinks are some of the good practices that employers can do for their workers to create a safe and healthy work environment,” he adds. (Via e-media)

California's fieldworkers grapple with back-pain epidemic

The spring harvest is kicking off, and thousands of farmworkers are filling fields, stooped and crouched as they deftly weed and pick acres of ripening berries, greens and other crops.

But as business picks up at county farms, so too will visits to medical clinics, where back pain often tops the list of worker complaints.

With an agricultural labor force of nearly a million people, California is a hub for many labor-intensive crops, like strawberries and lettuce, which require a lot of bending to weed and harvest.

Workers spend up to 12 hours a day, six days a week stooped over on the job, creating what some describe as a "back-pain epidemic."