Benchtop laboratory work has it's ergonomic risks and if workers are not trained properly, they can be at risk of an ergonomic related injury. The long hours of sitting without proper back support or posture or leg support can create a condition of awkward postures and poor biomechanics. Workers that employ unideal habits and have a workstation unfitted to them, will fatigue quicker throughout the day, which lowers their productivity and increases their risk of a musculoskeletal injury. The risks are specifically focused on the back and neck which are felt from the long hours of working on a surface that is low encouraging neck flexion. Here are some frequently made mistakes your workers may be making in the laboratory space:

• Perching on top of the benchtop — While it may be tempting to bend at the neck, shoulders, and upper back to view something that requires high visual acuity, by doing this frequently, can have strain on the cervical spine, shoulders, and back. Bending over in a stooped posture on or over the lab benchtop for long periods of time creates pressure on the spine and associated musculoskeletal system. To prevent this from occurring, workers need to adjust the height of their work bench or themselves in their chair and the equipment they are using such as microscopes to ensure a neutral neck posture is sustained. This will promote improved spine positions. They should do so for either or both the sitting and standing positions.

• Skipping work micro-breaks — If the body is not provided sufficient break from their work duty this places prolonged strain on the upper back and neck and the associated musculoskeletal system. It is a good idea for lab workers to build out breaks periodically into their day. Usually doing these breaks every 30 - 45 minutes is ideal. Doing this will break up the repetitive motions involved in the tasks and limit the risk of overuse injuries occurring. Movement and stretching is ideal to help improve blood flow and thus recovery throughout the body while at work.

• Wearing shoes with insufficient support or padding — When standing for prolonged periods of time, the type of shoes you wear makes a big difference. Workers that wear flat shoes run the risk of stressing the knees and lower extremities as well as placed additional pressure on the vasculature of the legs. Wearing comfortable and padded shoes on the other hand helps by distribute weight on each foot and reduces knee joint compression.

If your business can use a top ergonomic specialist to train your laboratory staff on how to work safely call Ergobility today.