Photo: Luis Alvarez/gettyimages
Throughout your workday, do you find yourself bending, kneeling or squatting for extended periods of time?
These actions put strain on your knees, hips and back, says the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
“Having your work too high or low causes fatigue, harms work quality and wastes time,” L&I adds.
The agency offers a message: “Don’t waste time, work at waist height.”
Here are some simple ways you can do that:
- Raise your work to a comfortable level. You can use “sawhorses, carts, workbenches, tables, pallet lifters or scissor lift tables” to help you adjust your workstation.
- Use long-handled tools so you don’t have to bend to work.
- Sit to get closer to your work if you’re unable to raise it to waist level, but make sure to adjust your chair or stool to “a height that is right for the task.”
If you do have to work “down low,” L&I recommends you “switch between bending, squatting and kneeling.”
Also recommended: using cushioned mats to help protect your knees.
Don’t forget about hand and arm comfort. “Working with your hands and arms at the wrong height for you can be tiring and make you uncomfortable,” L&I says.
For tasks that require you to use hand and arm force, such as kneading dough, place the work below elbow height.
If your work task requires “lighter, more precise movements,” place the materials slightly above elbow height.
McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.
Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com
Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication