Avoid Injuries and Stay Healthy — From Head to Toe!
By Gregory Grabowski, PE, LEED AP

If you’re like most home business owners, you probably spend the majority of your time working at your desk. Sure, you get up and walk around and maybe stretch a little as you refill the coffee cup, but you’re spending 6 hours of each workday seated, with your arms on your desk working at your computer, staring at your monitor. As with any repetitive motion, this can lead to stresses on important parts of the body including your back, wrists, eyes, and neck. To identify and resolve potential issues of office health and injury prevention, we turn to the field of Ergonomics.

Ergonomics is the applied science of workplace equipment and furniture design as well as work processes intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, repetitive motion, such as grasping tools, scanning groceries, and typing, resulted in the longest absences from work among the leading events and exposures in 2002 — a median of 23 days. (See sidebar.)

Think about this the next time you feel a twinge in your wrist as you type. As a home business owner, can you afford to miss 23 days of work? Or if you’ve ever had back problems, you know how debilitating back-pain can be. We are going to look at some strategies that we can use every day to avoid these simple injuries. Some of these might save your home business.

Ergonomic Myths and Facts
We are trained from a very young age to identify dangerous activities and mitigate the injuries potentially associated with them. The obvious dangers are the easiest to avoid — who wouldn’t wear personnel protective equipment at a construction site?

Now let us consider the “safe” environment of the home office. Ninety percent of injuries happen in the home! Let’s look at some of the basic issues surrounding office furniture and body positioning as it affects your health and safety, and address some of the myths and facts in this area today.

Myth: Your computer monitor must be less than 2 feet away.
Fact: The best distance is as far away as possible without straining your eyes to read. Longer distances allow the eyes to avoid what’s called parallax (the crossing of your eyes ever so slightly) and allows the eyes to relax and focus in a more naturally straight line. You’ll want your eyes to be straight and natural for those 6 hours a day.

Myth: The height of your monitor screen should be at eye level.
Fact: Although this is the highest that your monitor should be, a more natural position for your head and neck is for the center of your monitor to be about 15 degrees below horizontal. It may seem odd, but think about a relaxed reading position, and you get the idea.

Myth: Your keyboard should be as close to the edge of your desk as possible.
Fact: As long as you can maintain a supportive work surface for your forearms and keep your wrists naturally straight, you can put your keyboard wherever it feels the most comfortable. However, your work surface should be lower than your forearms. Also, keep your mouse as close to your keyboard as possible so that you avoid “reaching” for it all day. Got shoulder pain in your mouse arm? Grab that mouse and rein it in!

Myth: Your chair must be positioned such that your feet are flat on the floor and your legs are bent 90 degrees at the knees.
Fact: Although this position is not necessarily injurious, you have more flexibility when you can move your feet and legs naturally to assure circulation. The height of the chair should be such that your keyboard is lower than your elbows. You might find that a sliding keyboard tray affixed to the underside of your work-surface is necessary to get this ideal height. If you can’t get a tray installed or even lower your desk, you can raise your chair so that your elbows are above your keyboard (always the goal), and use a footrest. As far as footrests go, they can keep your feet in one spot and discourage movement, but it’s better than the potential wrist injuries associated with a high keyboard!

Myth: You must always be sitting upright, with your hips at a precise ninety degrees.
Fact: More recent findings indicate that a wider stance can enhance comfort and facilitate circulation. Also, a great deal of research supports the idea of a much wider hip angle beneficial to more natural lower back vertebrae alignment. Be careful. You can spend over $1,000 on an excellent chair, but you can also purchase a “good enough” chair for less than $300.

Rest and re-Lubricate!
In addition to the required-by-law rest breaks for non-exempt employees, recent research indicates that frequent short breaks from repetitive motion activity can significantly decrease the incidence of injury. Perhaps a minute of rest every 10 minutes or so to allow for wrist, arm, and leg circulation, as well as a short walk and stretch for the back.

The discs in the spine need lubricating fluid between them to maintain a healthy back, and constant pressure of prolonged sitting (or even standing) will prevent the natural flow of lubricant between the discs. Get up and move! Stretch gently and often to keep everything loose and healthy.

You Only Have Two Eyes
Eyestrain in the home office is a real issue. Do you suffer from sore, tired, burning, or itching eyes? Are they watery or overly dry? Do you have blurred or double vision? What about head or neck ache? Do you have trouble shifting your focus between your computer monitor and paper documents? What about afterimages when you look away from the monitor?

According to the US National Library of Medicine, these are all potential symptoms of eyestrain. Ask yourself if your monitor is at the correct height and distance. Are you working with enough light? If you wear prescription glasses or contacts, is the prescription current? Does changing any of this relieve your eyestrain? Again, eyes are important so this may be the time to see a doctor to get a diagnosis.

Consult a Professional
Many Workers Compensation insurance companies will work with small employers to assess ergonomic issues with the workplace and train workers on the best methods and seating postures to avoid injury. Occupational Therapists are dedicated professionals who also understand the issues surrounding workplace injuries. If you experience any kind of worker fatigue issue, consult with an ergonomic professional or occupational therapist, to perform an assessment of the optimum solutions to your needs and make recommendations to avoid injuries.

Self-Assessment
The next time you have a few minutes, take a fresh look at the workspace where you spend the most time. Identify the repetitive or static motions that you must perform every day, and determine how many hours a day you must do these activities. Think of innovative ways to change things up a bit. If you are standing all day, find a way to sit. If you are sitting, find a way to stand. Keep moving (but not repetitively), and stay loose, relaxed, and healthy!

Gregory Grabowski, a registered Professional Engineer and reserve Naval Officer, focuses his Project Management talents to design and build facilities for corporate and government clients worldwide. His professional experiences have taken him to six of the seven continents. He resides in Southern California and enjoys adventure sailing.

Previously published in the December 2008 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($15.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com