This document discusses ergonomic risks both at work and at home. It provides tips to reduce ergonomic risks for common household tasks like gardening, cooking, and working on a computer. Some key risks include awkward posture, forceful exertions, repetitive motions, and vibration. The document recommends maintaining good posture, using tools that reduce force, taking breaks, and doing stretches to improve flexibility and strength. The overall message is that ergonomic risks can occur both at and away from work, so it's important to be aware of proper techniques to prevent injuries in all aspects of life.

1. Ergonomics - At Home
May 2006

2. Slogan
At home or away, protect
yourself.
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3. In This Training…
• A recap of the best way…….
• General ergonomic risk factors
• Household tasks and activities that
increase risk
• Basic control methods and things to
remember
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4. We Have Come a Long Way
Since the start of the training, we have
learned many things:
• Awkward posture, force, and repetitive
motion are the most common ergonomic
risk factors in most packaging plants
• The earlier that we identify and address
discomfort the better off we will be
• Sometimes simple fixes make a big
difference
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5. We Have Come a Long Way
Since the start of the training, we have
learned many things:
• Each joint has a position in which it has
the greatest strength, deviations from that
position reduce strength
• Preventative maintenance for our bodies
is important, and comes in the form of
exercise (and maintaining a healthy diet!)
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6. Life Outside of Our Jobs
All of us engage in activities outside of the
workplace
Many of these activities pose the same or
very similar ergonomic risk factors
Some of these activities provide a
completely separate set of ergonomic risk
factors
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7. Name That Risk Factor!
Work Activities Risk Factors Non-Work
Activities
• Driving a Forklift Awkward Posture • Mowing the Lawn
• Hand-stacking Force • Folding Laundry
Boxes Repetitive Motion • Playing Pool
• Lifting Ink Contact Stress • Repairing a Car
Buckets Static Posture Engine
• Pushing a Load
Vibration
Down the
Conveyor Line
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8. Home Work
Let’s take a closer look at three groups of
activities that may take up some of your
time outside of work:
• Working in the yard or garden
• Preparing food in the kitchen
• Working (or playing) at your home
computer
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9. Ergonomic tips: In the Yard or
Garden…
• Use a hand truck to move heavy items such as
large rocks and bagged soils or fertilizer
• Limit time spent using trimmers, lawn mowers,
and other power tools to reduce exposure to
vibration
• Use kneeling or knee pads and
change position frequently when
working close to the ground
• Use long handled tools for
weeding to prevent the need to
stoop continuously
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10. Ergonomic tips: In the Kitchen…
• Maintain a clear path between
the sink, refrigerator, and the
stove
• Look for tools and utensils that
have large soft handles to reduce excessive grip
strength
• Keep knives sharp to reduce force needed for
cutting
• Use food choppers or processors to save time
and reduce repetitive motions
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11. Ergonomic tips: In the Home
Office…
• Make sure you have a comfortable and
adjustable chair
• Set a good example. If you are hunched over the
keyboard or clicking your way around the world
on the Internet for hours, your child will get the
message it is okay to damage his/her body this
way.
• If possible, arrange
lighting to minimize glare
on the screen and help
prevent eye strain.
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12. Ergonomic tips: In the Home
Office…
• Strategically place
materials on your desk to
minimize reaching, twisting
and lifting movements.
• Try to take short periodic
breaks when working for
long periods of time. This
allows your muscles and
tendons to recover.
Moving around or
changing position is also a
great idea.
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13. Exercise and Ergonomics
Exercise is known to improve muscle
strength and flexibility
Both of these qualities are of great
importance in reducing our risk of
developing a soft tissue injury.
Additionally, we need to take a look at the
work that is being done, identify
ergonomic risk factors, and take steps to
reduce the risk.
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14. Remember those Stretch
Sheets?
Many of the training modules came with
stretching exercises.
They covered the following topics: the back,
the shoulders, the hands + wrists, and the
knees + legs.
When all of these are put together they
provide an excellent full-body stretching
program.
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15. Please Remember…
• Continue to report signs and symptoms of
soft tissue injuries to your supervisors as
early as possible
• Use the tools you are given (stretch
sheets, knowledge, RADAR, etc.) to
protect yourself
• ~ Safety First for a healthy body 
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