The Ergonomics Center Of North Carolina - Reception Area


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WHAT IS ERGONOMICS?

Ergonomics, pronounced "ur go nom iks," is the field of study concerned with finding ways to keep people safe, comfortable, and productive while they perform tasks at work and home. Ergonomics is based on one simple principle: Make the task fit the person performing it without overly stressing the person’s abilities or ignoring limitations. The goal of ergonomics is to design equipment, tools, job tasks, and the environment to maximize productivity and efficiency by reducing worker fatigue and discomfort.

It is much easier to bend metal, form plastic, and carve wood to fit the human form than it is to try to bend muscle and bone in manners (or directions) in which they were not designed to go. The injuries that may develop as a result of ergonomic deficiencies are called musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)

MSDs are a category of injuries that affect the body’s muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. These disorders can be the result of an acute trauma, like a back injury or muscle strain caused by a single incident, or a cumulative trauma which is the result of stress on the body over a period of time.

Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs)

CTDs are injuries that can result from excessive exposure to physical stressors that tax the body’s soft tissues (musculoskeletal system) over a period of time. Sometimes, these injuries are described by other names such as repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), overuse injuries, repetitive motion injuries (RMIs), and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Physical stressors, or risk factors, commonly associated with the development of CTDs are

repetition and inadequate work/rest scheduling
forceful exertions
awkward and extreme positions of the body
sustained or static positioning of the body

Cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) include muscle pain, tendinitis, tennis elbow, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and other disorders.

Acute Trauma

Acute traumas, such as lacerations, fractures, muscle strains, and contusions or bruises, can generally be attributed to a one-time, specific, instantaneous event. These traumas are easier to diagnose and treat because the immediate causes and affected body regions are more readily identified. Not all acute traumas are related to ergonomic stressors. Low back pain, back injuries, and muscle strains are generally considered the ergonomics-related acute traumas, as they are usually associated with one or more ergonomic stressors.