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Training smart is more than building the most muscle in the least time. It's eating right, hydrating properly and getting enough rest. Most important, and most often overlooked, training smart [...]

Introduction Cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) is defined as musculoskeletal disorders that can result from the body's inability to heal itself from the long-term effects of repetitive motion, exposure to vibration, [...], Clinical practice can place the dental hygienist at risk of acquiring cumulative trauma disorders (CTD). This article describes causative factors of CTD and suggests implementation of ergonomic intervention -- by way of clinical and environmental factors -- as a method of preventing and/or reducing CTD in the workplace. Included is a chronology of the rehabilitation process of a dental hygienist who has been disabled by CTD. Observing this clinician's re-training process, which included utilizing an ergonomically designed operator chair, arm and wrist supports, and modification of operator positioning, prompted an investigation into strategies to prevent CTD. Ergonomic design and protective operator techniques in dental hygiene practice may be key to preventing and/or reducing CTD occurrence. J Dent Hyg 1997;71:162-167 Keywords. Dental hygiene careers, ergonomics, occupational pain, occupational hazards, musculoskeletal complaints

If your company has been unsure how to proceed with an ergonomics program, here is a step-by-step plan for putting the power of good workplace design to work for you. [...]

The authors provide practical tips on integrating environmental, human, and organizational factors into the ergonomics process. They're often billed as a quick fix for organizational cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) pains. [...]

Does flooring make an impact on the safety of aerobics? Excercising minds wnat to know. Aerobic dance flooring has come a long way since the early days of the fitness [...]

1991: THE SAFETY PRO'S VIEW Robert Chambless, safety director for Sunbelt Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Inc., relaxes in his company's conference room and talks about his safety training efforts. Nearby, in [...]

Companies define the success of their ergonomics initiative in many ways. Sometimes it's a measure of reduced workers' compensation costs. Other times, it's related to a decrease in musculoskeletal disorder [...]

Trouble is, all three could be headed for problems if they don't change their ways. Clackers, loungers, grippers, and cradlers are descriptions of people who've adopted a certain posture and [...]

REPETITIVE-STRAIN INJURIES (RSIs) sneak up on you. A tingle here and an ache there may seem like nothing to worry about. But if ignored, repeated injury can lead to chronic [...]

If the first rule of medicine is to 'do no harm,' then the second must be if you do something, a positive effect should result. That capsulizes the arguments surrounding [...]

Injuries can be devastating to fitness professionals. Since exercise is a trainer's or instructor's job, not being able to workout can be financially draining and psychologically debilitating. Instructors generally suffer [...]

Funk is more than an attitude. It is the future of fitness dance. Based on African dances and techniques of classical ballet and jazz dancing, funk combines the intensity of [...]

In the course of the working week how many of us advise office staff about their work habits in an attempt to alleviate upper-limb symptoms? It appears to be a [...]

In a significant policy shift, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao announced there will be three national public hearings on ergonomics beginning in July to determine whether to regulate-or not regulate-occupational [...]

How to relieve--and prevent--repititive strain injuries After Alisa Strauss completed graduate school, a lengthy internship and a two-year stint as a reporter, she was elated to land her dream job [...]

For the first time since it was enacted in 1996, Congress last week used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the ergonomics rule issued in the waning days of [...]

Avoid severe hand and arm injuries by using gloves correctly and adhering to OSHA and voluntary standards, including the new ergonomics rule. Case 1: Joe is working on dry wall [...]

Federal regulations aside, it's obvious that injured workers cost your company money. A comprehensive response includes risk identification, careful shopping for equipment and ongoing education. Even before the Occupational Safety [...]

The new federal ergonomics standards could cause considerable financial pain in the business community, but one state has taken a different approach that promises to be less costly. After a [...]

How can you prevent repetitive stress injury in the workplace? Repetitive stress injury (RSI) has been called the workplace epidemic of the modern age. A disabling ailment whose symptoms range [...]

Introduction The occurrence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in oral health care professionals has been documented over the past 10 years in various dental and occupational health journals. A WMSD [...], Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have been reported frequently by dental hygienists. The practice of dental hygiene exposes practitioners to WMSD risk factors of repetitive motion, pinch-grasp, force, vibration, and prolonged awkward positions. The objective of an ergonomic program is to fit the job to the worker, rather than the worker to the work. Principles of the ergonomic process can be applied in private dental practice to design a program that meets the needs of each practitioner. The ergonomic process includes data collection, assessment, the ergonomic plan itself, and evaluation of strategies. The worker (dental hygienist), work processes, and the work environment are integral parts in the ergonomic process. The purpose of this article is to provide basic information on the ergonomic process so that individuals can develop a program that meets their need to reduce WMSDs. Keywords: occupational health, work-related disorders, ergonomics, musculoskeletal disorders

Introduction: Oral health care practitioners often maintain awkward postures for extended periods of time placing themselves at risk for cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) including one type of musculoskeletal CTD, thoracic [...]

Willett GW and Kuhfahl R. University of Nebraska Medical Center and Excel Physical Therapy Inc., Omaha, [...], Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of an onsite multi-disciplinary healthcare and work safety team on one company's musculoskeletal injury related expenditures. The multi-disciplinary onsite team consisted of a safety and health systems supervisor, assistant, a physical therapist, a registered nurse, and an ergonomic intern. Methods: The manufacturing company's healthcare expenditures for a population of manual laborers in the specific subcategories of irrigation, industrial products groups, and coating/galvanizing were compiled over a seven year period (1991 through 1997). The cost per total number of hours worked per year by the subject population was divided into the following categories: medical, indemnity, legal, and rehabilitation. Total healthcare costs as defined by the sum of these four categories were also assessed. This information was divided into three time periods: prior to implementation of the onsite multi-disciplinary team (91-93), the transitional period (94-95), and the established team (96-97). Analysis and Results: Descriptive statistics were used to illustrate the effects of the onsite program. Total healthcare costs per hours worked per year was $ 00.1934 from 1991-93, $ 00.3175 from 1994-95, and $ 00.0998 from 1996-97. Our analysis of the findings revealed notable increases in the subcategories of indemnity and medical expenditures and slight increases in legal and rehabilitation expenditures during the transitional period. Total costs reflect this trend as well. However, by the final 'established onsite team' period (96-97), costs in all analyzed categories and thus, total healthcare costs, were reduced in relation to the preceding two periods. Conclusions: The increase in healthcare costs which occurred during the transitional period was believed to be due to increased worker awareness and the availability of assistance for injured workers. This company's healthcare costs were reduced once the onsite multi-disciplinary healthcare and work safety team was well established in the company culture. The cost reductions were most evident in the medical and indemnity categories.

Ergonomics programs often require a team approach. Here are the three elements that dictate whether a team will be successful. Many companies have started multi-disciplinary ergonomics teams during the past [...]

Executives in four industry sectors say repetitive motion/cumulative trauma (RM/CT) injuries eat up a significant portion of lost time. According to a poll by intracorp, firms that invest in prevention [...]

Introduction Two stressors in the dental hygienists' work environment are insufficient opportunities to apply job-related competencies and musculoskeletal problems. These factors help us to understand structures that should be changed [...], Purpose. This study was designed to focus on the health and well-being of dental hygienists as a function of work environment and background. Methods. A questionnaire was mailed to 471 randomly selected dental hygienists from members of the Swedish Dental Hygienists' Association (SDHA) to collect data on health, demographics, lifestyles, and working conditions in various delivery systems. Seventy-seven percent responded. Results. Small dental practices were associated with better job control, work relations, management support, and development of job skills. In contrast, large practices were associated with higher finance-related and personal job demand, anxiety, collegial pressure, and demands on social job skills. In discriminant analysis, finance-related job demands, physically demanding patients, and colleague cooperation showed significant differences in working condition variables between the delivery systems and dental practices. Dental hygienists' control over their job functions and the clarity of information explained by management had a variance in the applied competencies dimension by 41 percent. Thirty-seven percent of the variance of musculoskeletal problems in the upper-body region were attributed to physical exposure from clinical job tasks, work breaks, and anxiety over role competition with dentists. Conclusion. More job control and clearer information from management enables dental hygienists to optimally apply their competencies in the workplace. Physical job exposure, such as demands on manual/motor job skills, should be decreased and work breaks, as well as working relationships, with dentists should be improved to promote health and well-being. Keywords. Dental hygienists, job control, professional skills, leadership, management, applied competency, competencies.

You're on the third mile of your five-mile jog and you feel a tearing, knife-like stab in the inner portion of your shin. 'Just a shin-splint,' you convince yourself, as [...]

SIMPLE WAYS TO ALLEVIATE stiffness ASSOCIATED WITH LONG PERIODS OF COMPUTER WORK. You may know all about computer virus prevention. You may even be fortified and protected against a computer [...]

The Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) of VA Pittsburgh has moved. After being housed at the Pittsburgh Highland Drive VA campus since its founding in 1993, HERL relocated to new [...]

Arnold did it in the gym, Tarzan did it In the trees, and now researchers at Ithaca College have determined that going barefoot could help with a whole host of [...]

CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL disorders associated with repetitive work are of increasing concern to industry, employees, workers' compensation insurance carriers, and regulatory agencies. The incidence of these conditions, known collectively as cumulative [...]

When IBM employees suffer from eye strain due to excessive computer use, they go to the doctor and IBM foots the bill. No questions are asked as long as the [...]

The National Institute of Health reports only 20% of the adult population exercise with enough intensity and regularity to make improvements in cardiovascular function, 40% exercise sporadically and the other [...]

Ergonomic improvements undertaken Disorders associated with repetitive trauma are among the most common types of on-the-job injuries, costing industry an estimated $20 billion annually. L.L. Bean, a Freeport, Maine-based manufacturer [...]

After months of delays that exasperated organized labor, OSHA Administrator John Henshaw released the broad outlines of a business-friendly, four-pronged approach to repetitive motion injuries. At an April 5 press [...]

If your favorite pastime requires repetitive hand movements (playing a musical instrument, knitting, wood-working, needlepoint, quilting, or sculpting), you may be at risk for an overuse injury. The symptoms: pain, [...]

Ease work-related pain with a lighter touch Anyone who spends long hours at a keyboard is at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and other Work Related Upper Extremity Disorders [...]