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Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Comparative Medicine. Ergonomic Training Lecture. Background. Reports of low back pain and low back injuries Reports of wrist and elbow pain Observation of Job Tasks Physically demanding jobs. Pre-Training Quiz.

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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  1. Massachusetts Instituteof Technology Department of Comparative Medicine Ergonomic Training Lecture

  2. Background • Reports of low back pain and low back injuries • Reports of wrist and elbow pain • Observation of Job Tasks • Physically demanding jobs

  3. Pre-Training Quiz • 1) Injuries and illnesses in the workplace can be prevented?TRUE FALSE • 2)Who is responsible for a safe workplace?SUPERVISORS EMPLOYEES EVERYBODY • 3)In the Department of Comparative Medicine, which of the following might be considered risk factors for musculoskeletal injury? • Sustained postures - Force • Awkward postures - Heavy weights • Repetition - Exposure to vibration • Contact stress - All of the above • 4)When do you need to change position? WHEN YOU FEEL MUSCULAR FATIGUE or WHEN YOU FEEL PAIN • 5)Stretching is helpful only when you feel uncomfortable?TRUE FALSE • 6)If you do sustain an injury it is best to report itIMMEDIATELY or AFTER WAITING TWO WEEKS

  4. Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injury Washroom (Clean and Dirty) Animal Handlers

  5. Statistics • Overexertion reported as cause of lower back pain in > 60% of people with LBP • If overexertion injuries reported involved LBP with lost time, less than 1/3 of patients eventually returned to work • Approximately 2/3 of overexertion injury claims involved lifting loads and about 20% involved pushing or pulling loads • Repetitive motion, such as grasping items, resulted in the longest absences from work…with a median of 17 days off from work • NIOSH (1981), Waters et al (1994), BLS (1999)

  6. Washroom Risk Factors (Clean and Dirty) • Bending and lifting (frequent) • Pinching and gripping (constant) • Pushing/pulling (frequent) • Reaching (frequent/constant) • Standing on concrete floor (constant)

  7. Washroom (Clean and Dirty) • Exessive Pushing/Pulling Force: • Push/pulling force with cage washer rack • push force for cage rack for center header • pulling force to remove metal grates from cabinet/rack washer floor one time/day for cleaning (must assume squat)

  8. Washroom (Clean and Dirty) • Loads Lifted: • (Frequent): stacks of empty cages and racks of empty water bottles • (Constant): racks of full waterbottles

  9. Repetitive Gripping/Pinching: Placing and removing stoppers from water bottles, Handling racks of water bottles, Scraping dirty cages Pushing/pulling racks and carts Washroom (Clean and Dirty)

  10. Washroom (Clean and Dirty) • Carrying: • (Constant) racks of full water bottles up to approximately 30 feet

  11. Animal Handlers • Bending and Stooping (Frequent) • Squatting (Occasional/Frequent) • Reaching (Constant) • Pushing/Pulling (Frequent) • Pinching and Gripping (Constant) • Standing on Concrete Floor (Constant)

  12. Animal Handlers • Repetitive Pinching and Gripping • Responsible for 350-400 cages/day containing 1-11 mice per cage • Must remove and replace cage components in each cage (e.g.water bottles and barlids)

  13. Fatigue Tiny tears in the muscle Muscle constantly being used so gets less circulation Less circulation means it does not heal as it should Builds up over days, weeks, years Can result in Injury Effects of Repetitive Tasks or Prolonged Positioning

  14. Pain in the joints or muscles that lingers after the movement stops that occurs with a particular movement or position Muscles feeling very tired Swelling Numbness or Tingling Trouble grasping objects What To Watch Out For

  15. Immediately Stop what you are doing Try to stretch to relax the muscles If problem persists Notify supervisor, PCP or MIT Medical Better to take care of it when first notice it so doesn’t become an even bigger problem To Prevent Future Problems This is very important as the body is vulnerable to re-injury Think about your body mechanics and posture: can you be doing anything in a safer way? What To Do If Problems or Concerns

  16. InjuryPrevention is the Key • Avoid stressful body positions • Vary work tasks often • Use resting positions • Stretch • Report problems early

  17. Lifting Tips • Assess load • Feet slightly apart • Bend knees/back straight • Keep load straight ahead and in close • Lift slowly and smoothly • Avoid twisting

  18. Pushing and Pulling Technique • Assess load to be pushed or pulled • Keep chin tucked, arms below shoulder height, back straight • One foot in front of the other • Shift weight

  19. Reaching Tips • If must reach overhead, try to use stepstool • If unable to use stepstool, try to reverse position or rest shoulder when able • Avoid stacking cages above shoulder height when able

  20. Wrist, Hand and Elbow • Use wrist neutral position • Avoid keeping elbow extended when performing wrist movements (keep elbow in close) • Rest hands when able (e.g. do not hold barlid if not necessary) • Stretch and reverse position

  21. Questions environment@mit.edu MIT EHS 2-3477

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