Workstation Safety to Prevent Muscular Skeletal Disorders
- Dr. Kishore Madani emphasizes safe working practices at computer workstations to prevent muscular skeletal disorders, which became prevalent during the pandemic due to increased remote work and online schooling.
- The warning label on keyboards highlights potential risks, including discomfort, pain, and injuries.
- Prolonged sitting, faulty sitting postures, improper typing techniques, repetitive movements, and an improperly arranged workstation can cause muscular skeletal disorders.
CREST Skills for Safer Computer Work
- Dr. Madani introduces the concept of ergonomics and outlines five skills for safer working at a computer workstation, represented by the acronym CREST: Chair, Reach, Eyes, Stress, and Time.
Chair
- Proper chair adjustment is crucial: elbows at a 90-degree angle, feet touching the ground, thighs parallel to the floor, and back touching the chair's backrest.
- Back support is essential to maintain the natural curvature of the spine and reduce pressure on the spinal discs.
- Sit-stand workstations are recommended to alternate between sitting and standing while working.
Reach
- Maintain the anatomical neutral posture of work, where the shoulder, arm, forearm, hand, wrist, and middle finger are in a straight line at a 90-degree angle.
- Deviating from this neutral posture can strain the body, especially when using smaller laptops.
- Connect laptops to a separate keyboard and mouse to maintain a straight line posture and keep hands at 90 degrees.
- Place the keyboard and mouse within forearm reach limit and the monitor directly in front of you at eye level.
Eyes
- Take rest breaks every 45 minutes to get up, walk, drink water, and return to your chair with proper posture.
- Do eye breaks every 20 minutes by looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds to reduce eye fatigue.
Stress
- Perform stretches for the neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists twice a day to prevent muscular skeletal pain.
Time
- Remember that sitting is the new smoking, so engage in aerobic activities, meditation, yoga, and hobbies to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
