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ACG Ergomate
helps businesses identify and avoid
workplace hazards. Through our
cost-effective ergonomics training and
consulting services, we can help you
identify and eradicate illnesses and
injuries related to Repetitive Stress
Injuries (RSIs) and Cumulative trauma
disorders (CTDs).
Ergonomics: What is it?
Ergonomics is the study of man in relation
to his work and work surroundings.
When there is a good fit between man and his
work surroundings, productivity is up.
When there is a bad fit, there is a
potential for injury.
The Trend
Today, American companies spend
approximately $30 billion on
CTD-related
injuries annually
– 61% of which are either back or wrist
related. These injuries could be prevented
or lessened in severity through ergonomics
health and wellness training.
What are CTDs?...
Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs) or
Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs) are
injuries to the musculoskeletal system
caused by unhealthy postures. CTDs occur
over time because of a mismatch between
human capabilities and the requirements of
the workplace.
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These musculoskeletal injuries can arise
from unhealthy postures and frequently
affect:
ACG Ergomate ergonomics health and wellness
services include:
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Ergonomics Health and Wellness Training
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Proper Lifting and Back Injury
Prevention Training
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Office Workstation Assessments
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One-Day Audits of Workplace Risk
Assessment
Our Mission
Our
mission is to help you keep your employees
healthy and productive at work.
RSIs and
CTDs are injuries to the
musculoskeletal system caused by unhealthy
postures. They usually develop over time
because of a mismatch between the human
body’s capabilities and a job’s
requirements. Some examples of RSIs and CTDs
include: carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis,
tenosynovitis, bursitis, sprains, strains
etc.
How do you know if you need to be
concerned about ergonomic injuries?...
Typical indicators of a need for our
services include:
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Employees are spending more than two
hours per day on a computer, Reuters,
Bloomberg etc.
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Employees are experiencing sore wrists,
necks, shoulders, eyes, elbows or backs
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Company is planning to move, purchase
chairs or other office furniture for
employees
What are the goals of an ergonomics
program?
The goals of a successful ergonomics health
and wellness training program are to:
How can you benefit from implementing
ergonomics health and wellness training?
The benefits of ergonomics health and
wellness training include:
Other benefits of ergonomics programs
include:
Doesn’t training people interrupt their
workday?
ACG Ergomate recognizes the importance of
minimizing the disruption to daily work
schedules. Our cost-effective training
programs run from two hours to two days
depending on your employees’ availability.
In addition, they usually pay for themselves
within the year by decreasing time lost from
work and increasing employee morale.
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More about Cumulative trauma
disorders (CTDs)...
Cumulative trauma disorders
(CTDs) are 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, and/or mechanical
stress.
As technology and other
innovations invade our offices,
a secretary or an accountant can
suffer injuries - often without
leaving their desks. During the
last decade, an occupational
illness identified as cumulative
trauma disorders (CTD) has been
occurring in epidemic
proportions.
The best known of cumulative
trauma disorders potentially
disabling injuries is carpal
tunnel syndrome, a cumulative,
or gradual, injury to the wrist
that is caused by repetitive
motion (such as that used to
work a computer keyboard).
In addition, a variety of
occupational illnesses/injuries
- such as tendonitis, bursitis,
and a majority of injuries to
the lower back - can be
considered cumulative trauma
disorders.
By one characterization,
cumulative trauma disorders have
been called the "plague" of the
last 15 years. In fact,
according to the U.S. Department
of Labor, there were more than
335,000 musculoskeletal
disorders reported in 2007 --
requiring a median of 9 days
away from work, two more days
than the median for
all-days-away-from-work cases.
Studies reveal that most serious
and costly injuries to workers
are caused by strains - injuries
that occur because employees
exceeded the physical limits of
their bodies; lifting, lowering,
overreaching, pushing, pulling,
and carrying products or
supplies are the main culprits.
In contrast strains in office
personnel occur not from routine
lifting of heavy materials but
from routine sedentary behavior.
Many employees suffer back
problems from performing jobs
that keep them in one position
most of the day, such as sitting
at a desk or operating a
computer terminal.
Others suffer injuries from
being sedentary most of the day
and then suddenly lifting a box
of computer paper or reaching
for an object on a high shelf.
The cost of cumulative trauma
disorders injuries can be quite
high.
When you consider that the
average cost for back surgery is
$40,000 and the average cost for
carpal tunnel surgery is $29,000
-- these claims add up quickly.
In addition, one has to factor
in the cost of time lost from
work, retraining, worker
turnover, workers' compensation
claims and OSHA fines.
Recently, a Colorado-based
luggage manufacturer was fined
close to $500,000 for exposing
1,200 employees to excessive
ergonomic stress, which resulted
in cumulative trauma disorders
such as tendonitis, bursitis,
ligament strain, and lower back
pain.
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Cumulative Trauma Disorders Preventive
Measures
Protecting employees from occupational
cumulative trauma disorders poses two
challenges: identifying work-related risk
factors and instituting appropriate
modifications of work stations, tools, work
organization, and tasks.
Practical approach to job modification to
avoid cumulative trauma disorders should
include:
Identification of the occupational risk
factors of cumulative trauma disorders
Assessment by the employee and employer of
the risk factors of cumulative trauma
disorders that can be modified; and
Assessment of the options to modify exposure
by changing the work process, using
alternative tools, reducing time on a
high-risk task through job rotation or
transfer, or using protective equipment.
RSIs and CTDs frequently affect:
Secretaries/administrative assistants;
computer programmers; CAD users; editorial,
customer service, trading floor and back
office personnel; sales people who
lift/carry objects weighing in excess of 20
pounds; mail room staff and many others.
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Typical indicators of a need for our
services:
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Company employees are experiencing sore
wrists, necks, shoulders, eyes, elbows,
or backs
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Increasing Workers’ compensation claims
or group health claims
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OSHA recordable illness or injury (such
as any RSI or CTD injury)
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Company is planning to move, purchase
chairs or other office furniture for its
employees
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Company employees are spending more than
two hours per day on a computer,
Reuters, Bloomberg etc.
Key contacts at your company, who may handle
ergonomic health policies:
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Vice President or Director, Human
Resources
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Vice President or Director, Management
Information Systems
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Director of Risk Management
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Chief Financial Officer
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Safety Director
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Specific services:
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Training employees to establish
ergonomically safe work habits
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Training employees on proper lifting and
back safety techniques
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Training in-house ergonomic teams
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Consulting & recommending ergonomic
workstations and offices
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½ Day audits of workplace risk
assessment
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Office workstation assessments
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Back injury prevention programs
 Sarra Kennedy,
principal of ACG Ergomate, helps employees
improve their ergonomic health to avoid:
carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, lower
back pain, golfer's or tennis elbow, and eye
fatigue.
ACG Ergomate services can help you make more
¢ents out of ergonomics!
Call (203) 372-2415 now to learn how...
More on Sarra's complete biography
here.
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