ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 3 1 4 /C&RL News Ergonomics: An ounce of prevention By Teri R. Switzer A step-by-step p ro g ra m y o u c a n u se in y o u r library O ver the past ten years offices have suc­cessfully made the transition from type­ writers, filing cabinets, and single phone lines to fax machines and personal computers com­ plete with multiple programs that perform man functions. While technology has made the work­ place more efficient, many offices are noticing an increase in workers’ compensation claims and employee absenteeism due to physical therapy, surgery and recuperation, and doctor’s appointments. In short, what should be a streamlined workflow has become one plagued by the diseases of the ’90s, cumulative trauma disorders such as repetitive stress injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Asso­ ciation (OSHA) has been working on establish­ ing general ergonomic standards since 1991. As Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole testified in 1990, “Repetitive motion illnesses can be minimized through proper workplace engineer­ ing and job design and by effective employee training and education.”2 In concert with Sec­ retary Dole’s comments, Robert C. Gombar, chief legal counsel for the OSHA Review Com­ mission, advises organizations to be proactive and develop an ergonomics program.3 This is exactly the stance that Colorado State Univer­ sity (CSU) Libraries has taken. Realizing that prevention is the best technique for treatment o f repetitive stress injuries, the University Li­ braries committed itself to an intense five-year ergonomics program. During that time, both the administration and the staff became inte­ gral pieces of the success of the program. Fol­ lowing their lead, any academic library can de­ y 1 velop a cost-effective ergonomics program by using the following six steps as a model. Develop a statement of responsibility A statement of ergonomic responsibility should list the responsibilities of the library adminis­ tration, the library’s personnel office, the de­ partment/unit heads, the systems office, and the employees. Using an ergonomic statement of responsibility issued by Michigan State Uni­ versity Libraries as a guide, the CSU Libraries wrote its own which addresses ergonomic is­ sues that are pertinent to the libraries. While wording will vary from institution to institu­ tion, the premise will remain the same, that of detailing each person’s responsibility to his/her own ergonomic safety. Compile a packet of information The words “each” and “worker” are key terms. Who are your workers? Most libraries not only have permanent staff, they may also have hourly employees and volunteers. No one should be overlooked. While some may be at greater risk than others, all workers are at risk to some degree. If prevention is aimed at the whole, treatment will be aimed at only a fraction. What should be included in the information packet? Cornell University Libraries has put to­ gether a folder consisting of articles on repeti­ tive motion injuries and stretching exercises to do either at the terminal or in the workplace. The University of Missouri-Columbia Libraries distributes booklets on topics such as prevent­ ing repetitive strain— commercially published by Krames Communications— to each of its staff. The packet distributed by the CSU Libraries is a combination of these two examples and in­ cludes the statement of ergonomic responsibil­ ity. Regardless of the contents of your hand- Teri R. Switzer is personn el librarian a t Colorado State University; e-m ail: tswitzerMvines.colostate.edu May 1 9 9 5 /3 1 5 3 1 6 /C & R L News book, stress the importance o f reading the material. S c h e d u le sm all group meetings to review the ma­ terials and ensure that staff know the basics o f ergo­ nomics and the various cu­ mulative trauma disorders. This also gives the staff an opportunity to ask ques­ tions about the materials they have been given and the program plan. Encour­ age staff to become will­ ing participants in the pro­ gram. Not only is it for the benefit o f the library to Figure 1. An adjust have injury-free and pro­ essen tial in red u ci ductive staff but it’s also for the benefit o f each individual staff member. Ergonomically evaluate each employee The initial part o f the CSU Libraries’ five-year ergonomics program was to provide an ergo­ nomics evaluation o f each permanent employee and his/her workstation and work area. Each year approximately one-fifth of the staff were reviewed by one o f the university’s physical therapists who specializes in ergonomics. In addition to the individual reviews, some prob­ lem work areas such as the discharge station and the circulation desk were videotaped and analyzed by the ergonomics specialist. While work flow had to be redesigned and some spe­ cial equipment purchased, these modifications were easily and inexpensively accommodated. Use ergonomically correct equipment As part o f an ergonomics evaluation o f both individuals and workflow/work areas, recom­ mendations regarding the type of ergonomi­ cally correct office equipment that is needed are usually made. If this is not done by the specialist, a good resource to check is the A m eri­ ca n N a tion al S tan d ard f o r H u m an F actors E n­ g in eerin g o f V isual D isplay T erm in al W orksta­ tion s, published by the Human Factors Society. Many office consultant com panies are also versed in this area and can give information about several models o f ergonomically correct chairs, desks, and computers. In choosing ergonomically correct furniture it is necessary to consider each employee’s duties and body size.5 Because employees are mobile, it is more cost-effective if all equip­ ment is adjustable, includ­ ing desks and/or computer workstations (see Figure 1 ). T h e p la c e m e n t o f equipment is as important as the equipm ent itself. The general rule o f thumb for placement o f a com­ puter w orkstation is to place the monitor screen between 18 and 30 inches from the eyes and the key­ b o a rd a p p ro x im a te ly 23– 30 in ch e s from the floor. It may be necessary to lower the monitor for le w ork statio n is those who wear bifocal stre ss injuries.4 lenses. Incorrect position­ ing of the monitor affects he posture of the operator; if a monitor screen is too low, the operator will slouch. This can produce aching shoulders, back, and neck. Lighting is an area that is often overlooked hen equipping an office. Workstation light­ ing should provide a 10:3 ratio, meaning screen characters should be 10 times brighter than the monitor background and the room lighting should be three times brighter than the moni­ tor background.6 Traditional office lighting con­ sisting of fluorescent lights and desk lamps is not the best for offices with computers. Instead, fixtures which illuminate with a downward dis­ tribution o f light not exceeding 45 to the verti­ cal and either built in louvers or baffles or curved mirrors are more suitable. It also is rec­ ommended that most workstations should have an adjustable shaded lamp and any overhead lighting should be equipped with baffles.7 Glare (also referred to as reflection) can be a product o f light from a window or from artificial light­ ing. A monitor facing a window will receive reflected glare and a window facing the com puter operator will produce a direct glare. Glare on monitor screens is annoying and, over a period of time, can cause eye strain and fa­ tigue. To lessen both glare and reflection, po­ sition the computer at a right angle to the win­ dow. I f glare is still present, inexpensive “blinders” can be purchased to fit on the moni­ tor. Shades, blinds, or curtains can also reduce glare from a window. Radiation and electromagnetic fields have been a concern to ergonomists for the past few years. While most studies take the position that x-ray emissions from late-model personal com- t w ab n g May 1 9 9 5 /3 1 7 puters are within accepted safety standard lim­ its, there are still factions that believe the op­ posite.8 Nonetheless, in group office areas it is becom ing m ore com m on to see com puter monitors separated by room dividers or screens. Provide continuous training Ergonomic training should not be done once and then forgotten. The most expensive and best ergonomic equipment cannot take the place of training. Staff need instructions on how to adjust their chairs and other equipment, how to pick up books, how to lift and carry objects, and what to do if an injury occurs. Even though handouts and ergonomic tips published in the in-house newsletter are effective, they don’t take the place o f a semiannual “refresher” workshop. While it would be nice if this could be con­ ducted by an ergonomic specialist, many bud­ gets don’t allow this type o f expense. Instead, the library’s personnel office or a committee of library staff could be formed to take on some o f the ergonomics and wellness issues. Such a committee was formed at CSU Libraries in 1992; the Libraries Ergonomics and Wellness Com­ mittee has the fundamental charge o f address­ ing wellness issues through noontime brown- bag programs and promoting other campus wellness initiatives. It is planned to provide the committee with training in basic ergonomic is­ sues such as recommended placement o f com­ puter terminals and exercises to do while at the terminal or work area. Forming a committee to address ergonomic issues serves a twofold purpose. It not only allows the library to provide “refresher” work­ shops on ergonomics, but also gives a sense o f “ownership” or buying into the ergonomic pro­ gram by the staff. Even though the administra­ tion must be in favor o f an ergonomics pro­ gram, the success depends on staff acceptance. Reevaluate the program regularly Just as the most expensive ergonomic chair won’t keep cumulative trauma disorders from occurring, neither will having an ergonomics program. As issues change, staff change, job duties change, and workflow changes, so must the program itself. When new issues arise, ad­ ministrators must respond. As a follow-up to the ergonomics program instituted at CSU Li­ braries, a survey was sent to the employees who had been evaluated. The survey asked questions such as what equipment was fur­ nished and has the individual experienced a cumulative trauma disorder since the program had been in effect. More than 75% o f the sur­ veys were returned. O f these, 99% o f the re­ spondents regularly adjust their workstation/ desk chairs and other office equipment to fit their personal needs. While this reflects a posi­ tive outcome, the most encouraging statistic is that only .03% o f the respondents have had a cumulative trauma disorder since being ergo­ nomically evaluated. Prior to the initiation of the program, one staff member found it neces­ sary to receive disability retirement due to a repetitive stress injury. The survey also made it apparent that all staff now using a pointing de­ vice such as a mouse are beginning to be con­ cerned about potential problems with their arms and shoulders as a result o f constant reaching for their mouse. That has prompted us to hold a special workshop on proper placement of pointing devices (a mouse, wand, or joystick). Conclusion As job duties change and staff spend more hours at computer terminals, the emphasis on ergo­ nomics must b e made. To be effective, an er­ gonomics program needs to be simple to un­ derstand and follow and must be accepted by the staff. Creating a sense o f “ownership” and helping staff realize that their w ell-being is important are key elements to a successful pro­ gram. With soaring costs o f health care and workers’ compensation insurance, prevention becomes an important management tool. Notes 1. "Ergonomics: Guidelines Out, Regulations Coming,” O ccu p a tio n a l H a z a rd s 52 (Novem­ ber 1990): 13. 2. Ibid. 3. "An Ergonomics Standard,” O ccu p a tio n al H a z a rd s 52 (June 1990): 11. 4. Diagram first printed in A N a tio n a l Strat­ eg y f o r O ccu p a tio n a l M u scu loskeletal In ju ries: Im p lem en tation Issu es a n d R esearch N eeds (U.S. Dept, o f Health and Human Services, 1992). 5. Kathleen A Rickert, “Ergonomics in the Office,” R isk M an agem en t 39 (August 1992): 19. 6. VDT’s a n d V ision: A User’s G u id e to R e­ liev in g E yestrain , H e a d a c h e a n d V isu al Stress (Optometrie Extension Program Foundation pamphlet, 1983). 7. Etienne Grandjean, E rg on om ics in C om ­ p u teriz ed O ffices (Philadelphia: Taylor and Fran­ cis, 1987), p. 53. 8. Ibid., p. 195. 3 1 8 / C&RL News