Ergonomics

A recent incident occurred on a sit-stand desk in which a power cord dislodged from the control box and unseated the receptacle exposing “live” terminals. This condition could have caused an electrical shock to a person if handled. Learn how to properly manage sit-stand desk cables.

Working directly on a laptop can pose safety risks since you may bend your neck unnaturally and have your hands and arms positioned awkwardly. Working directly on the laptop has resulted in several injuries at Berkeley Lab. Learn how to work safely on a laptop.

Working with the body in a neutral position reduces stress and strain on the muscles, tendons, and skeletal system and reduces your risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). Learn more about how to prevent repetitive motion injuries.

RSIGuard is a break reminder software available for free to all Berkeley Lab Mac and PC users. It is customizable and includes a ‘smart timer’ that is based on the amount of typing and mousing. It can provide cues for those times you get in the zone and forget to move or change positions often enough. Learn more about using RSIGuard.

Ergonomic risk and discomfort levels are determined when personnel complete EHS0058 “Ergonomic Self-Assessment Training." In some cases, the risk is identified as “high” and/or the discomfort level can be identified as “frequent” or “constant.” This is can be triggered by factors such as exclusive use of laptop computers or poor workstation set-up. Learn about how to reduce your recorded risk or discomfort levels.