**Ergonomics Education for Office Computer Workers: An Evidence-Based Strategy An Evidence-Based Strategy**

**Ergonomics Education for Office Computer Workers:** 

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.72221

Karthik Mani Karthik Mani Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72221

#### **Abstract**

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have become a growing concern in today's society due to their impact on insurance costs, productivity, and employee wellness. Computer workers are at risk of developing WMSDs due to the nature of their work and their work environment. To reduce the prevalence of WMSDs among computer workers, it is critical to promote awareness of various risk factors associated with WMSDs and educate them on healthy work behaviors. This chapter advocates ergonomics education as an evidence-based educational intervention to prevent WMSDs among office computer workers.

**Keywords:** computer ergonomics, educational intervention, musculoskeletal disorders, prevention, risk factors

#### **1. Introduction**

One of the contemporary health issues in today's society is work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries and illnesses that affect the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, or spinal discs. According to the United States (US) Bureau of Labor Statistics, MSDs include pinched nerve, herniated disc, meniscus tear, sprains, strains, tears, hernia (traumatic and nontraumatic), pain, swelling, numbness, carpal or tarsal tunnel syndrome, and Raynaud's syndrome; when the event or exposure leading to these injuries or illnesses is overexertion, bodily reaction, repetitive motion involving microtasks, and vibration [1]. Work-related disorders are prevalent among myriad occupational groups such as factory workers [2], truck drivers [3], hair dressers [4], allied health professionals [5], field workers [6], and computer workers [7, 8]. The regions that are prone to developing musculoskeletal injuries are the lower back, upper back, neck, and upper extremities [9].

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

WMSDs have enormous economic implications. The Institute of Medicine estimates that the total economic burden of WMSDs could be as high as \$54 billion annually [10]. Ergonomic injuries related to computer work constitute a significant portion of WMSDs. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimated that employers are "spending \$20 billion a year on worker's compensation costs related to ergonomic injuries and illnesses" [11, p. 106].

Occupational injuries and illnesses have many direct and indirect cost implications. When calculating cost implications of WMSDs, one must give due consideration to all factors. Workers' compensation costs and charges involved in medical care and rehabilitation are considered direct costs, while lost productivity, lost time, training new staff, administrative costs, and temporary staffing are considered indirect costs. Web resources may assist employers to calculate cost implications of occupational injuries. For example, the OSHA Safety Pays website calculates the estimated total costs (direct and indirect) of common work-related injuries based on national worker's compensation data of the US [12].

In today's age, computer use has become an integral part of daily life. People use computers for various work-related and non–work-related tasks (social media, banking, shopping, etc.). Office computer workers (OCWs) use computers on an average of 6-12 hours a day [13]. The surge in computer use has also created a surge in computer work-related MSDs. Rehman et al. [8] stated that around 27% of computer users report backaches or discomfort. The chance of sustaining WMSDs is high when computer workers spend long hours on their computers. As the scope of this chapter is limited to the discussion of ergonomics related to the office computer worker population, the following sections review the risk factors related to office computer work, present ergonomics education as an effective intervention for OCWs, and highlight the role of employers and employees in preventing WMSDs among OCWs.

shoulder, curved sitting (bending the torso toward the monitor), slouched sitting with legs placed on an object under the work surface, and sitting on a high chair with dangling feet are some examples of awkward postures during office computer work. Postures with elevated or abducted shoulders are also considered awkward postures. These postures, when sustained,

Ergonomics Education for Office Computer Workers: An Evidence-Based Strategy

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72221

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As computer workers often engage in tasks that demand high level of concentration, they get absorbed in their work and assume a given posture for long periods of time. During prolonged static sitting, the muscles that sustain body posture undergo a prolonged state of contraction, leading to decreased transportation of sugar and oxygen to dynamically contracting muscles. This causes an accumulation of waste products such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide in those muscles, leading to muscle spasms and fatigue. Prolonged sitting also contributes to myriad health issues such as low back pain [20], coronary artery disease, and kidney disease [21].

Poor work environments augment the risk of WMSDs. Office work environments that are not conducive to their users can be referred to as "poor work environments." For instance, a workstation where the keyboard and mouse are placed at different levels, causing the user to elevate/abduct shoulders can be considered a poor workstation. A workstation without adjustable components (work surface, office chair, etc.) and necessary accessories (hands-free phone, document holder, etc.) can also be construed as a poor work environment. Further, environments with the heightened noise level, increased glare, and extreme temperatures are

A computer worker may also become prone to developing WMSDs due to personal factors such as health history and poor work behaviors. Individual-related factors contribute to

strain the lower back, shoulders, and neck muscle groups.

**2.2. Environmental risk factors**

Awkward and prolonged static postures

Bending and twisting Excessive work

Monotonous activity

**Table 1.** Risk factors for WMSDs.

Pace of work Repetition Vibration

Force Glare Job strain Lifting

considered as poor work environments.

**2.3. Individual risk factors**
