Office Ergonomics

Overview/Description
 Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) result when there is a mismatch between the physical capacity of workers and the physical demands of their jobs. Each year 1.8 million workers in the United States report work-related MSDs such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and back injuries. About 600,000 of these types of injuries are serious enough that workers must take time off from work to recuperate. Learning about the applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely, otherwise known as Ergonomics, can help reduce these injuries. This course teaches learners about inherent risk factors involved in the office environment, signs and symptoms of trauma caused by improper ergonomics, and methods to reduce the risk of MSDs associated with repetitive tasks. In part, this course addresses the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) General Duty Clause, OSH Act of 1970 section 5 (a) (1), as set forth in OSHA's Effective Ergonomics: Strategy for Success Guidelines. This SkillSoft Corporation training course has been reviewed by attorneys from the law firm of Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green, PA, of Manchester, New Hampshire and Boston, Massachusetts for accuracy under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (the "Act") and certain regulations promulgated pursuant to the Act by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA"), as to the matters covered and as of the date reviewed. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Target Audience
 Office employees and employers in general industry

Expected Duration
3.5 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Ergonomic Basics

  • identify the benefits of understanding the basics of ergonomics.
  • identify situations in which ergonomic techniques may cause pain or musculoskeletal disorders.
  • match areas of ergonomic risk factors with the proper examples.
  • predict ergonomic risks for a given situation.
  • match areas of pain to specific office work situations.
  • recommend possible solutions to pain caused by improper ergonomic practices in a given situation.

    • Controlling Ergonomic Risks and Preventing Injuries

  • select the benefits of learning how to control ergonomic risks and prevent injuries.
  • Identify the seven areas in which ergonomic engineering controls are generally implemented in an office environment.
  • apply engineering controls to set up a proper workstation environment in a given scenario.
  • match the general categories of work practice controls with proper examples.
  • apply work practice controls to a given situation.

    • Course Number: SFTY0091