16.4. Occupational Hygiene: Ergonomics

Occupational Hygiene is a science dedicated to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of environmental factors or stress originating in the workplace or due to it, which can cause illness, damage to health and well-being, or significant discomfort and inefficiency among workers or among citizens in the community. Within Occupational Hygiene, Ergonomics is an area of ​​extreme interest and relevance.

Ergonomics is the discipline that seeks the comfortable and productive adaptation between man and his work, equipment he uses, the tasks he performs and the environment in which he works. Ergonomics is often defined as how a job is done, rather than the job itself.

Ergonomic problems can be divided into three categories: physical problems, such as musculoskeletal injuries; organizational problems, such as workload, working hours, breaks, pace of work, monotonous and repetitive tasks; and environmental issues such as lighting, noise, and temperature.

Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common cause of absence from work and can be prevented with good ergonomics. Ergonomics can help you avoid injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, repetitive strain injuries and back injuries. Ergonomics can also help prevent fatigue and physical discomfort, which can reduce productivity and work quality.

Ergonomics can also help improve work organization. This may include changing workload to avoid peaks in demand, introducing regular breaks to prevent fatigue, changing work hours to suit the worker's circadian rhythm, changing work pace to avoid monotony and repetition, and changing the way work is done to avoid mental health issues such as stress.

Ergonomics can also help improve the work environment. This can include changing the lighting to avoid glare and eyestrain, changing the noise level to prevent hearing loss and stress, changing the temperature to avoid thermal discomfort, and changing the layout of the workplace. to avoid accidents and injuries.

In summary, ergonomics is an essential part of occupational hygiene. It can help prevent a wide range of health and safety issues, improve productivity and quality of work, and improve worker well-being and satisfaction. It is therefore essential that all workers and employers have a good understanding of ergonomics and how it can be applied in their workplace.

This Workplace Safety e-book course will provide a comprehensive introduction to ergonomics, including how to recognize and assess ergonomic problems, how to implement effective ergonomic solutions, and how to maintain an ergonomic work environment. It will be a valuable tool for anyone interested in improving health and safety in the workplace.

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