DG3 ERGONOMICS AWARENESS TRAINING Follow

WHAT IS ERGONOMICS?

There are many pre-conceived ideas of what ergonomics is, so an easy-to-remember definition is:

 

“Fitting the job to the person”

The goal is to design the work environment, tools, and equipment to fit within the capabilities of the crewmembers to reduce the risk of developing CTDs.

Basically we have two types of issues, we have difficult work environments or incorrect tools/equipment, OR a combination of both.  The goal is to identify these issues and work towards improving them.

 

Background information and details:

A formal definition of ergonomics by NIOSH is “the science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to the capabilities of the working population.  Ergonomics is an approach or solution to deal with a number of problems – among them are work-related musculoskeletal disorders.”

 

Another way of looking at the definition of ergonomics is looking at the origin of the word, ERG is Greek for ‘work’ and NOMICS translates into the ‘Study of’.  Therefore, you can consider ergonomics to be the study of work.  However, there is something missing from this definition that is very important:  People.

 

From its Greek roots – erg (work) and nomos (rules or law), modern ergonomics has evolved into a "systems" science which uses methodologies and standards from many disciplines, including engineering, psychology, anthropology, medicine, and design.

 

Think of the workplace as a system of interacting elements: worker, tools/equipment, the environment, and organization structure. Ergonomics considers all elements and their interactions to identify injury risk factors.

WHAT ARE CUMULATIVE TRAUMA DISORDERS?

 

Common CTDs onboard cruise ships occur in the Shoulders, Back, and Knees.

Symptoms that indicate a CTD may be:

Chronic pain

• Discomfort
• Muscle weakness

Swelling

Fatigue

Stiffness

Numbness

 

THE ERGONOMICS “HIT LIST”

 

The Ergonomics Hit List is a tool created by ergonomists at Humantech that focuses on the identification of awkward postures and CTD risk. It is how we start the ergonomics process, by FINDING awkward postures and CTD risk.

 

Look at these two pictures, this is how we are doing our jobs. When we do these tasks, we are exposed to CTD risks and could develop an injury. So, we have to look at ways of improving how we do our jobs and our work areas.

 

The Hit List provides 6 easy-to-remember ergonomic issues that you can identify through direct observation.

 

Background information and details:

The Ergonomics Hit List is a simple tool that will help you identify ergonomic issues and job improvements. The Hit List also aids in establishing a common language for ergonomics. It is an observational tool that helps you identify obvious ergonomic issues in all work situations. 

 

LIFTING BEST PRACTICES:

KEEP IT TOGETHER

• Keep the feet staggered to maintain balance.

• Keep the back straight before and while lifting the load.

• Keep your head up

 

USE ENTIRE BODY

 

WIDE BASE OF SUPPORT

 

ERGONOMICS HIT LIST

Using the Hit List gives you a whole new perspective on jobs.  You will start to develop what we call "ergo eyes," being able to spot what is ergonomically incorrect in the job, quickly and easily.

 

Ergonomics is a common-sense way of looking at the workplace. Every time we look at a job we must ask ourselves a fundamental question: Would I do it this way? If the answer is No, then we must look for improvements until we can honestly say "we would do it this way.“ Ergonomics is an attitude, a way of looking at the workplace. By thoughtfully reviewing a workstation layout or a job task, we are often able to identify what is wrong with the design and begin to develop solutions.  With the 6 different HitList items you will be able to identify the highest risk factors, which in return should take priority when implementing solutions.

6 items that we need to FIND and FIX

• Elbows out
• Shoulder too high
• Butts up
• Twist and shout
• High Force
• Contact

Butts Up

Butts Up is the condition of bending over, thus extending the upper body over the floor. This posture can generate extremely high compressive forces in the lower back muscles and the spinal discs located between the vertebrae. What do you see on the ship floor? If you see a lot of "butts" instead of a lot of faces, it is because people must bend over to retrieve, handle, or place materials.

 

Provide a shelf to reduce the reach into the sink

 

 

Keep Work Above the Knees

Keeping the work above 24” will place the work above the majority of the working population’s knee height.