Ergonomics Basics Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other

elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which can develop over time and can lead to long-term disability. In a nutshell"When you have a nerve irritated there is no good chair, when the nerve irritation is corrected there is no bad chair." - Dennis OHara DC There is 125# psi on the L5 disc when you stand and 225# psi when you sit. While standing; for every 10 degrees you bend forward you increase the strain on the L5 disc by 123%. Therefore, if you bend forward at the waist with your knees locked you put 1,400# psi on the L5 disc in the wrong direction. For comparison, a hydraulic cylinder on a loader applies 1,200# psi. - Industrial Safety curriculum at ISU. Basic Rules: 1) Eyes should be centered to the bottom 1/3rd of the monitorno bifocals. 2) Split keyboards help keep elbows out and the wrists are not flexed or angled. 3) Elbows at 90 and shoulders are relaxed. 4) Sit back against the lumbar support and your knees should be below the hips. 5) 3-way adjustable chair/adjustable arm rests, a saddle chair, or an exercise ball. 6) Alternating standing/sitting desk with 14 change in height. 7) Both feet flat on floor when sitting and use a 4 block when standing on one foot. 8) Use a bookstand to prop your reading material up at steep angle. 9) Avoid looking in one direction for a prolonged time. 10) Place documents in front of you so you dont have to turn to read them. 11) Use a headset. 12) 50/10 Rule: For every 50 minutes of sitting, you need 10 minutes of motion. 13) Give your eyes a break by looking up from your computer. In your vehicle: 1) Sit back against the built in lumbar support or small travel pillow with the seat back more upright. Adjust the seat so you can place your arms at the 10 & 2 positions with the elbows slightly bent and relaxed. 2) Keep weight even on the hips as you sit. Try not to lean one way or another onto arm rests. Keep wallets out of back pockets. Keep feet/knees in relatively same position & relaxed. Do not rest the feet on the sides of the ankle. 3) On long car rides, take breaks every 60-90 min so you can get out and stretch. 4) Bring a small cooler with ice and alternate a cold ice pack in the low back hourly. 5) When getting into the car, sit down on the seat first with both legs still outside the car. Then turn your entire body with your legs into the seat. Do the exact opposite when getting out of the car.