1 - OSHA Update 2 - Computer Workstations Our Experience 3 - Ed Boards

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1 - OSHA Update2 - Computer Workstations Our
Experience3 - Ed Boards

• Brett Besser - Ergonomist
• Salt Lake Technical Center - OSHA

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OSHA Update
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Outreach

• e-Tools
• Stand Alone Best Practices
• Safety and Health Topics Pages
• Mini-Google Searches
• Other Products
• Tool Box Talks
• Fact Sheets
• Tip Sheets
• Success Stories

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Others Working on Ergo

• American Occupational Health Nurses
• Association of Occupational Health Prof
• American Dental Association
• Society for Diagnostic Medical Sonography
• American Forest and Paper and Paper and Pulp
  Association
• Crane, Hoist, and Monorail Alliance
• Foundry Association of America
• Independent Electrical Contractors
• Precision Metalforming Association

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E-Tools Review and Modification

• Hospital and Healthcare
• Primary Workplace Violence, bloodborne, Laser
  Plumes, Ergo
• AOHP Beyond Getting Started
• http//www.aohp.org/About/documents/GSBeyond.pdf
• AOHN Ergo Resources
• http//www.ergoresources.org/
• SDMS Developing their own module for Hospital
  eTool

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E-Tools Review and Modification

• Hospital
• SDMS Industry Standards for the Prevention of
  Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in
  Sonography
• Taking their document and turning it into a stand
  alone module
• Clinical Services
• Radiology
• Physical Therapy
• Sonography

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E-Tools Review and Modification

• Electrical Contractors IEC
• Review e-Tool in 2007
• Baggage Handling
• Alliance Emphasized Employees Helping Themselves
• Stretching
• Not Supported by Literature
• Some Support for Warm-up
• Currently trying to come to a consensus on this.

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Tool Box Talks, Fact Sheet

• Lifting Carrying CHMA (crane, hoist,
  monorail)
• Employee Guidelines for Safe Carrying and
  Transporting Loads
• Management Guidelines for Safe Carrying and
  Transporting Loads
• Hazard Evaluation Checklist for Lifting,
  Carrying, Pushing or Pulling
• Alternates to Manual handling of Individual
  Containers
• Computer Issues NTSP
• Laptop Computers

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Tool Box Talks, Fact Sheet

• ADA - Hand Pain
• Ergo TipsHand Pain
• Forging Industry Assoc
• Reduce the Risk of Back Injuries Tips Sheet
• Precision Metal-Forming Assoc.
• PMA Ergonomics Checklist
• PMA Reduce the Risk of Back Injuries

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Success Stories

• American Forest Paper Association (AFPA)
  andPulp and Paper Safety Association (PPSA)
• Cart to Transport Heavier Items Long Distances
  (Aug. 2007)
• Clearing Product Jams (May 2008)
• Emptying Cutter Scrap Receptacles (May 2008)
• Glue Table for Paper Roll Headers (July 2007)
• Inserting Spindle into Paper Roll (July 2007)
• Moving Paper Rolls (May 2008)
• Operation for Cap Sheets and Corner Post (May
  2008)
• Plastic Strap Spool Assembly (May 2008)
• Replacing Wire Spool on Baler (May 2008)
• Stacking Corrugated Boxes with Corner Stacker
  (July 2007)
• Transport and Instillation of Bailing Wire Coil
  (Aug. 2007)
• Transporting Cutting Dies with Hand Truck (Oct.
  2006)

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Success Stories

• NTSP
• Asset Distribution Facility
• Dual Monitors
• Ladders
• Standard Format Developed Waiting for Final
  Approval

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Success Stories

• Standard Format
• Company Name
• Industry
• Task
• of Employees
• Success Brief

• Narrative of the Problem
• Narrative of the Solution
• Narrative of Impact
• Pictures
• Before and After

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Success Stories

• http//www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/success_storie
  s.html
• http//www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/suc
  cess_stories.htmlSuccess

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Computer Workstations
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Let Me Tell You a Story

• Completely new Building in 2004
• Open Architecture
• Cube Farm

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Our Advantages

• Desks are Assigned to a Person
• No Sharing
• Few People Work Exclusively at the Desk
• Already Had Adjustable Seating
• Ergonomist on Staff

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Our Disadvantages

• GSA
• Provides a Designer Who Has A Supplier
• They come in and Tell you what vendor to use
• 1 - Prison Products
• Little Chance for Specification Unless You Know
  What You Want

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Guiding Principle You Are All Alike Conformity
Rules
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The Way We Really Are

• 65 to 410
• 30ish to 80ish
• Full Time to 10 Computer Users
• Laptop to Multi Screen Desk Top

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Standard Paradigm Aesthetics over Functionality
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Traditional Approach

• Office Designer Is Turned Loose
• Provide a Standard (fixed-height Workstation
  That Looks Great
• Receive Complaints or log injuries
• Modify with Add-ons (Band-Aids) to make furniture
  useable
• Keyboard tray
• Foot rests

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We Didnt Want To Go Down That Road
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Workstation Guidelines

• Computer Workstation e-Tool
• www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/
• computerworkstations/index.html
• ANSI-HFES 100-1988
• BSR-HFES 100 - Human Factors Engineering of
  Computer Workstations 03/2002
• Final Release - 10/2007
• Personal Experience

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Workstation Guidelines

• Wanted a Workstation to Accommodate These Postures

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What We Wanted

• Aesthetically Pleasing
• Adjustable To Fit Staff
• No Keyboard Trays
• Unstable and Puts Monitor too High
• Expensive (75-450)
• Good for Multi-User or Current Equip
• No Footrests
• Anchors and Limits Movement

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What We Wanted

• Under work surface height 22 to 28
• Monitor so gaze angle is 15 to 20 degrees below
• Corner Monitor Placement Proper Body Postures
• Straight Leading Edge to Limit Reaches

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Our Approach

• Basic Premise - Feet flat on the floor
• Test Sit
• We had 3 Stand-Alone Height Adjustable Desks
• Created 24, 26, and 28 Sample
• Asked all to test at different heights
• Subtle Counseling on Desirable Parameters -
• Ordered to Their Desires

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Whoa Wait a Minute

• Met With A Little Resistance
• Staff
• Vendors
• Management

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Resistance

• Staff
• Felt Shorter Desk was Degrading
• Wanted Maximum Storage
• Lower Less
• Dual Duty Reading/Writing and Computer

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Resistance

• Manufacture Resisted Lowering
• Also Had Installation Crew
• More Time and Oversight
• Custom Ordering of Equipment

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Resistance

• Vendor Convinced Management that Rounded was more
  Feng Shui
• They Had These Pieces in Stock

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Resistance

• Management
• Management Wanted the Look of Rounded Corners
• Afraid of the Hodge-Podge Look
• Minimize the hassle of special orders.
• There would be Continued special order as
  employees moved.

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Address the Resistance We Split the Baby
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Score 1 For Function

• Split the Work Top
• Computer Area
• Paper Work Area
• Storage Area

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Created a Keyboard Corner

• 24 Floor to Bottom of table Lowest
• Still Maintained Storage

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7 Separate Work Configurations

• 24 Lowest - 410 to 56 23
• 25 - 410 to 56 6
• 26 - 54 to 6 4
• 27 - 54 to 6 2
• 28 - 56 to 6 2 4
• 30- Std - 510 to 64 63
• 31 - - 62 to 67 2

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Configurations
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Score 1 for Aesthetics

• Went on Vacation and the Vendors took Over
• Scramble to Accommodate
• Removed Chair Arms
• Turned Arms Around
• Lowered Arms to Be Same as Desk Height

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What We Accomplished

• 100 Satisfaction Especially Shorter
• Reduced Neck Fatigue
• Reduced Wrist and Forearm Pain
• Reduced Pain In Legs
• Fine Tune the Desk Heights and Chairs on an
  Ongoing Basis.
• Have Lowered 10 More Since Initial Setup

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OSHA e-Tools and Topics Pages

• You Are The Answer

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OSHA Electronic Products
e-Tools Topics Pages Help Workers Help
Themselves
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What Are They (www.osha.gov)

• eTools are "stand-alone," interactive, Web-based
  training tools on occupational safety and health
  topics. They are highly illustrated and utilize
  graphical menus....

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What Are They

• The OSHA Safety and Health Topics website has
  assembled a wide variety of information on more
  than 150 topics to provide users relevant
  reference materials including standards,
  directives, training materials, etc.

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Living Document

• We Need Your Help
• Option 1
• General Readership Input

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Living Document

• IF YOU HAVE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS ON USE OF THE
  OSHA WEB SITE
• Electronic Mail Form
• Website Error Report

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Option 2Editorial Boards
Living Document
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Ed Boards

• Federal Employee as Editor
• Anyone With Interest and Knowledge as a Board
  Member

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Thank You

• Brett Besser
• Salt Lake Technical Center
• 8660 South Sandy Parkway
• Salt Lake City, UT 84070
• 801-233-4911
• besser.brett_at_dol.gov