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Staying Safe at Your W orkstation

Staying Safe at Your W orkstation. Occupational Health Nurse Marlene Thomson. Key Messages. Ensure correct initial set up of your workstation Manage your time on computers/ keyboards Exercise and stretch regularly Avoid fatigue Early reporting of discomfort to Manager or OHN. Overview.

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Staying Safe at Your W orkstation

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  1. Staying Safe at Your Workstation Occupational Health Nurse Marlene Thomson

  2. Key Messages • Ensure correct initial set up of your workstation • Manage your time on computers/ keyboards • Exercise and stretch regularly • Avoid fatigue • Early reporting of discomfort to Manager or OHN

  3. Overview • Setting up your workstation • Take a break! How stretching and relaxation works • Discomfort Pain and Injury (DPI) • Myths and legends • Working wisely • Visual fatigue

  4. Setting Up Posture • Maintain body in a neutral position • Feet fully supported- floor or footrest • Knees same height as or just below the hips • Head is level, forward facing and balanced • Back fully supported when sitting upright or leaning back slightly • Shoulders relaxed • Arms close to body and parallel to floor

  5. Take a break! • You need to protect yourself • follow a practice of stretching then relaxing • make it a regular part of your daily routine • micro pause • Learn and practice techniques that work • Tense muscles do not allow blood flow • oxygen cannot get to the soft tissues Don't work more than 1 hour without a break!

  6. StretchKeep fit St

  7. Discomfort, Pain and Injury

  8. So what is it? • It is simply muscle tension • associated with holding yourself in one position for too long • static loading of the muscles does not allow blood flow

  9. What’s in a name? Names: • OOS: Occupational Overuse Syndrome • RSI: Repetitive Strain Injury • GPD: Gradual process disorder • All those labels suggest a medical condition • GTD: Glued to Desk!

  10. Myths and legends Myth • DPI is a crippling injury • Will effect the rest of your life • Once you have it, you will never get better Fact • When people rested it got worse • Guarding accelerates the pain • Physical exercise works  

  11. Work wisely • Avoid long periods doing same task • take short regular breaks • Change position frequently • make yourself stretch and exercise • task change is always helpful • work with shoulders down • avoid fatigue • Learn a simple relaxation technique

  12. Simple relaxation • take a big, deep breath! • breathe out, saying “Relax” to yourself • 95% of people raise shoulders at computer • 30% of people breathe more shallowly

  13. Visual Fatigue • No conclusive evidence that computer use can cause eye injury • May highlight pre existing problems • Symptoms: • general aching/burning of eyes • watering, red or itchy eyes • blurred vision or difficulty focussing • changes in colour perception • headaches

  14. Management of visual discomfort • Optometrist • Placement of screen relative to lighting • Humidity levels in office • Work organisation • Frequency of breaks

  15. Key Messages • Ensure correct initial set up of your workstation • Manage your time on computers/ keyboards • Exercise and stretch regularly • Avoid fatigue • Early reporting of discomfort to Manager or OHN • www.habitatwork.co.nz

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