Maintaining a Healthy Work Team
Job rotation is one way to achieve an ergonomic solution

About a half dozen relatives from my wife Lois Kay’s family decided it would be a good time to get together for breakfast in Winchester, Ky., on Memorial Day morning.

As we all sat around the table drinking fresh hot coffee and telling tales, one member of the group related that she had recently undergone surgery on her right hand. I asked about the kind of work she did. She said, “I do package labeling all day long with this hand and it began to hurt a few months ago.” Then she added, “I love my job, but it requires me to do the same motions with this hand all day long,” As she talked she modeled the motions with her right hand.

“Really?” I replied. “Don’t you ever switch off to other jobs during the day?”

“No,” she answered. “There are about 25 of us. We are trained on our different jobs. We never switch work assignments, but we do work together to get production out. We do not have time to rotate assignments.”

“I’m not a doctor that can fix anything,” I answered, “but I suspect your hand problem could have been prevented if you and your co-workers had practiced job rotations. It sounds like you may have an ergonomics problem with your work situation.”

She stated, “I did ask my doctor about that but he said he could not be sure.”

“It does sounds like you and your co-workers enjoy what you do,” I said. “However, enjoying work and doing work in a healthy way are two different issues. Joints do sometimes wear out under similar conditions, as I understand it, due to long periods of repetitive strenuous motions. It sounds like job rotations on a frequent basis may have been helpful to you. But job rotations do require additional training.”

She replied, “We have a wonderful boss and she is very supportive. But I’m not sure we could take the time for training. We have such a large volume of business, we have to work hard just to keep up.”

This story illustrates the importance of a healthy work situation; it is about health and work – ergonomics. The word “ergonomics” is a combination of two Greek words: “ergon,” meaning work, and “nomos,” meaning laws. We do have work laws embodied in our national government’s Occupational Safety and Health Act. These laws provide extensive dialogues on employer expectations regarding a safe and healthy work place.

Ergonomics is more than a bunch of work laws, however. Today, the word is used to describe the science of designing the work situation to fit the worker, not forcing the worker to fit the situation. Ergonomics covers all aspects of a job, from the physical stress it places on joints and body tissues to environmental factors which can affect hearing, vision and general comfort and health.

Key indicators of work-related health problems are the signals that the body sends to the brain. Pain in wrists, hands, fingers and back, following long periods of repetitive task performance are indicators of ergonomic problems. Their causes may be poor lighting, improper lifting, a low chair, having to use excessive force, vibrations from tools and so on.

What actions should you take if any of these symptoms appear? First, take frequent breaks from repetitive tasks to give your body rest. The way your workstation is designed to fit you is the most important consideration.

Remember, your body will tell you where the problems are. Just learn to listen to what your body is saying.

Dr. Arlie Hall is an adjunct professor for the Center for Robotics and Manufacturing at the University of Kentucky's College of Engineering.

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