Keeping a car in neutral gear is not a desirable action because the car wasn’t designed to move down the road in neutral. Keeping a neutral posture on the job, however, is the most desirable action to take because the human body was designed to work in a certain position in order to be most effective.
Neutral posture = good posture and is an essential part of ergonomics, which is the study of fitting jobs to the people who perform them. Train your employees to achieve and maintain a neutral position as they work in order to avoid musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Give your employees these specifics about their body’s position while performing a variety of tasks. Neutral posture is:
- Head straight and facing forward. Extended periods of tilting, turning, or bowing your head put strain on your neck.
- Straight back posture. Extended periods of twisting to the side or bending forward put strain on the back.
- Arms hanging comfortably to your side. Keep shoulders unhunched, elbows close to your side, and forearms parallel to the ground. Working with your arms over your head, extended forward, or out to the side puts strain on your shoulders and elbows.
- Wrists in a straight line with your forearms. Hands flexed up or down, bent to the side, or twisted for extended periods puts strain on your wrists.
- Standing with your feet a shoulder width apart and your weight balanced.
- Not squatting or kneeling for extended periods—these positions put strain on your knees.
- Sitting with thighs parallel to the floor, knees bent about 90 degrees, and feet resting flat on the floor.
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In addition, train your employees in what steps to take to improve their work space so they can maintain a neutral posture. Show them how to:
- Adjust their work surface to an ergonomically correct height for them.
- Use antifatigue mats and footrests to help reduce back strain if they stand for most of their work shift.
- Adjust their chairs so their back touches the chair back and their feet rest on the floor or on a footrest if they sit for most of their work shift.
- Place their computer monitors directly in front of them at arm’s length and facing them. They should not have to turn their neck to look at the monitor. They should place the monitor so that their eyes are aligned with a point 2 to 3 inches below the top of the screen.
- Place their keyboard so they can place their hands and wrists in the neutral position with elbows close to their bodies, wrists flat and in line with their forearms, and wrists not angled up or turned in or out. They should not rest their wrists on a wrist rest when typing.
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Help your employees avoid MSDs by training them how to maintain a neutral posture in every task they perform.
Why It Matters
- MSDs account for about 30 percent of workplace injuries that require time away from work every year.
- In one recent year, almost 340,000 MSDs were reported.
- That amounts to about 35 cases per 10,000 employees.