Personal Injury Law

Iowa Workers' Compensation - PERC - Part XI - Physical Risks

By Steve Lombardi

Ergonomic Risk Factors - Doctor Stevenson is an economist I will quote. "Human capital wears out." It's that simple. If you do the same activity enough times the joints used will wear out over time. Pressing and removing wet tangled clothes puts stress on joints that can cause the affected joints to simply wear out. The most common ergonomic example is carpal tunnel syndrome in meat cutters. Changing the shape of the knife blade can help. Hairdressers get thoracic outlet syndrome. Jackhammer use can cause other cumulative trauma medical problems.

Ergonomics is the study of human abilities and characteristics that affect the design of equipment, systems, and jobs. Its aims are to improve efficiency, safety, and well being. As such, ergonomics can be applied to relieve and prevent work-related injury or illness to the musculoskeletal system of the worker. Ergonomic risk factors can include excessive manual force, repeated and sustained exertions, temperature extremes, vibration, and awkward postures resulting from inappropriately designed workstations, equipment, and work methods. Other factors are excessive work rates and duration, external pacing of work, shift work, imbalanced work to rest ratios, and restriction of worker body movement. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders can result in damage to tendons, tendon sheaths, muscles, nerves, and ligaments of the area affected.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on February 12, 2008 (boomark / email).