Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) tax the structures of the body specifically the bones and muscles. Also the tissues that form the joints. The two categories of MSDs which are conditions caused by an acute trauma like as a fall resulting in a strained back for example. The other is caused by exposure to a repeated physical activity which results in something such as soreness from inflammation of the tendons or ligaments for example.
A company located in San Francisco, CA the Bay Area had conditions associated with repeated exposure to physical activity. Some of the issues the workers were experiencing included tendon disorders such as tendinitis, tenosynovitis, and DeQuervain's disease. More common ones include nerve disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar or radial nerve damage which is found due to contact stress or overuse. Lastly, workers were also experiencing a fair number of low back pain from intense and repeated activity with insufficient recovery. These developed over many weeks, months, or years.
Ergonomic specialists with Ergobility focus on identifying factors including the application of force to which higher forces means higher loads on the structures of the body such as muscles, tendons, and joints. These can lead to muscular fatigue which with inadequate recover becomes an issues.
The Ergobility ergonomist also looks into repetitive actions to which having a motion repeated at a rate every 30 seconds or more or where 50% of the work cycle involves a high load on the arms to hands motion patterns. They factor these in with awkward postures which require more muscular force due to inefficiencies in biomechanics. Another factor is contact stressors caused by the tools or objects they are holding or pressed against. These cause pressure against the body which can staunch nerve function and blood flow.
Ergonomists understand the magnitude of risk associated with exposure by observation and calculation. The exposure found within this particular company in San Francisco was at levels that were high including a combination of these risk factors which increases the risk of the MSD. One example included the force and repetition having multiplicative factors. This means that they were simultaneous and the interaction between them resulted in an exponential increase in risk of acquiring an MSD.
So what an ergonomic specialist did for one company can be used proactively for various others. Especially when it comes to prevention of repetitive high force tasks. It can be also low force and very high repetition or awkward postures such as with computer work. It is often difficult to determine whether a condition is work or non-work related but what an ergonomic specialist can do is help remove the risk factors associated caused by the workplace. If you want to learn more, contact an ergonomic consultant with Ergobility in San Francisco.
