HAWCC ERGONOMIC EVALUATIONS
At work, we often ask our bodies to assume
unnatural, sustained postures or perform repetitive movements that lead to
muscular disorders.
- Ex: people who work with computers experience
back pain, wrist pain and headaches due to their posture and the position
of their computer.
These disorders can cause disabling pain, lost
time from work, and interference with other daily activities. Ergonomics provide posture guidelines that minimize the forces
acting on the body. HAWCC helps our patients prevent injury by teaching
ergonomic guidelines that can easily be incorporated.
What is Ergonomics?
Ergonomics, is an applied science that adapts
people's activities, equipment, and environments to fit their psychological and
physical needs and capacities. The aim of ergonomics is to optimize the
efficiency and safety of a person while performing a task in a given
environment.
Our Approach to Ergonomic Education
Our therapists apply their
knowledge of ergonomics by conducting ergonomic assessments. During your
ergonomic assessment, your therapist will:
- Assess how you function in your work environment.
- Provide guidelines for altering the work environment to avoid circumstances
that put stress on your body.
- Recommend changes to prevent injury and relieve pain, including maintaining
posture while sitting, standing, lifting, and driving.
Ergonomics at the HAWCC
We visit our client's worksite to perform a thorough analysis
of the physical environment and job-task behavior, with the goal of identifying
the causes of repetitive-motion and similar injuries, correcting those causal
factors, and preventing future injuries. To complete an ergonomic assessment,
our evaluator...
- Obtains pertinent information regarding the nature of the
injury (or injuries) being reported, the corresponding job description(s), and
any recent history of Workers' Compensation claims.
- Interviews the employee(s) experiencing symptoms, and
discusses expectations and goals with relevant managerial staff.
- Analyzes and measures each workstation and observes and
photographs employees performing job tasks.
- Reviews findings with the employee(s) and manager or
administrator.
- Writes a detailed report and submits it to the relevant
persons (who may include employee(s), managers, Workers Compensation case
manager, and physician).
- Recommends workplace and behavior adaptations that will
reduce the chance of further injury.
- Educates employees and management staff about ergonomic
principles.
- Provides addtional training, such as Back Schooll seminars, as
indicated.
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