Eye on Rehab – Winter 2012
In this Issue:
I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape. Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn't show. - Andrew Wyeth
Ergonomics in Occupational Therapy
All occupations have some form of associated ergonomic risk factor either as a result of vibration, force, repetition, posture, contact stress, physical environment or organization, therefore all occupations can benefit from ergonomic assessment. Performed by an Occupational Therapist, ergonomic assessment in the workplace is included in work site assessments, return to work programs, and modifications of daily job demands and working environment to facilitate optimal function. Ergonomics in this capacity is the science of altering the job to fit the worker, not the other way around.
There are a wide variety of reasons why organizations and individuals request ergonomic assessments. Employers and/or corporate health and safety committees request it for preventative/proactive purposes (fixing a problem before it escalates) or reactive purposes (in response to an employee experiencing discomfort at work). Private and public insurance companies request assessments in response to work related injuries or on behalf of individuals who are experiencing discomfort at work, or are returning to work after non-work related injury or illness.
Ergonomic assessment benefits workers, employers and insurance providers. Workers benefit from education, resources and recommended equipment or tools to maintain safe and sustainable working postures and habits, resulting in a more comfortable and efficient workday. Employers benefit through increased employee job satisfaction, reduced absenteeism, safety and long term retention, and insurance providers may lower the cost of a claim by ensuring injuries are not exacerbated by unsafe working postures and/or ill-fitting equipment.
An ergonomic assessment takes approximately one to two hours to complete, depending on the nature of the assessment, and can be performed either on an individual basis or as a group. Group assessments are typically requested by companies on behalf of their employees for preventative/proactive purposes. Individual assessments tend to be of a “reactive” nature following specific injury or illness. JR Rehab has performed assessments for groups as large as fifty or as small as three. A typical ergonomic assessment starts with a brief interview of a worker’s employment history, working hours, responsibilities and details of current symptoms, if any. This is followed by a review of current equipment set-up and use. The worker will then be asked to demonstrate their current duties within their workstation/worksite so the OT can determine what adjustments need to be made. The OT then provides education on proper equipment use, advisable working postures and makes adjustments, if possible, to existing workstation/worksite. A report with recommendations is then provided within 7 working days.
A commonly held belief of those working in sedentary positions, such as in an office environment, is that they are fairly safe from injury. Over time, however, assuming a worker hasn’t had any injuries or illnesses, simple things like mouse and keyboard placement or the settings of an office chair can cause not only discomfort but detrimental effects on productivity at work and general well-being. The most common physical complaints related to ergonomics are neck and back pain, wrist pain, eyestrain and numbness in feet and legs.
Below are three simple ergonomic adjustments that can be made to a workstation to improve comfort and minimize the possibility of injury:
- Ensure a 90-90-90 degree angle of the knee, hip and elbow.
- Monitor viewing distance and height: Place monitor at an arms length away. Eyes should land 1/3 of the way down the screen while looking straight ahead.
- Contact: Ensure back to backrest contact, feet to floor contact, and avoid contact stress, ie. wrists resting on desk edge.
Although primarily associated with work environments, ergonomics also provides benefits around the home with the most common ergonomic mistakes related to poor bending and reaching postures. To improve ergnonomics around the home:
- Take movement breaks throughout the day, one every thirty minutes.
- Create primary and secondary work zones in work areas, such as the kitchen (primary for items most frequently accessed, secondary for those less frequently accessed). This helps to avoid repetitive and awkward reaching postures.
With a few simple ergonomic changes, functioning in work and home environments can be improved resulting in reduced sick days due to discomfort or injury, improved job satisfaction and better physical health now and into the future.
Merry Christmas From JR Rehab!
New Face at JR Rehab
JR Rehab is pleased to introduce Occupational Therapist Kevin Leaker to the JR Rehab Team. With experience as both a Kinesiologist and OT, Kevin brings extensive knowledge in the field of rehab to his clients, who he will be assisting in the areas of Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and Coquitlam. Learn more about Kevin and the entire JR Rehab team.
Workshops 2012
Attention and Information Processing: Advanced Cognitive Rehabilitation
May 14 and 15, 2012 – 9:00am to 5:00pm
Segal Graduate School of Business, Vancouver, BC.
Lead by the creators of Brain Tree Training, Kit Malia and Anne Brannagan, this two-day interactive workshop is suitable for professionals working with adults who have cognitive problems following brain injury. The course focuses on developing clinical expertise in the rehabilitation of attention and information processing deficits. Course content will include:
- Review of Sohlberg and Mateer Basic Levels of Attention. The importance of attention. Historical development of theories of attention. What is attention?;
- Neural Networks: Vigilance system, Orienting system & Control system;
- Internal and External Attention: Attention tests correlated with the 3 neural networks. Treatment efficacy. Neural networks and treatment;
- Case studies for assessment, based on the 3 neural networks. Types of tests to use. Hypothesis setting. Reporting the findings;
- Case studies for treatment, based on the 3 neural networks. Setting goals. Designing and implementing treatment activities. Evaluation and clinical reporting;
- Information processing terms, theory & models: Capacity & Plasticity. Relationship between attention and information processing. Overload. Controlled vs. Automatic processing. Capacity, Speed & Control. Relationship to working memory and long-term memory. The concepts of assimilation, accommodation and schema. Redundancy. Association networks;
- Practical guides to assessing and treating information processing deficits following brain injury.
THIS WORKSHOP IS CURRENTLY SOLD OUT.
To be added to the wait list, please contact JR Rehab at info@jrrehab.ca or 604.254.0444.
JR Rehab Launches New Website
In November 2011, JR Rehab launched its revamped website with a new look and expanded company and industry content. Other exciting changes include an easier to navigate referral form, interactive staff map, calendar of events, videos, news and more! Please take a few moments to explore the new site at www.jrrehab.ca. Should you have an event or news article you would like to see included, please contact JR Rehab at info@jrrehab.ca.
