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- Computer
Health For Children
-
- Ergonomics and Body Maintenance
- A straight forward manual that offers a nonsurgical
approach
solution
to upper body
musculoskeletal disorders.
-
- Instructional
Manual for Instructors and Children, Ages 5-17
Workstation
setup
- Preparation for using the computer
-
- Correct
posture
- Body
maintenance
- Preparation of the body, rest periods, 5 minute
restoration ritual
of the body, completion of work
-
- Foreword
-
- Technology
and the 21st century are rushing at us with supersonic
speed. Computers are now a part of
everyone's life.
Unfortunately we
are coming to depend on them for almost everything. The epidemic
of musculoskeletal injuries that has crippled the working force
of the 20th century is on its way to affecting future
generations.
Our children are our future.
If they are not shown how
to setup and prepare a workstation and learn how to take care of
their bodies, they too, will become a statistic in the
debilitating
injuries
of carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis of the elbow,
shoulder,
neck and back disorders.
Not to mention possible vision and
hearing problems. Our
children are growing and are at risk of not making it into the workforce due to improper education in this
area.
-
- This
manual is designed to instruct children and young adults,
ages
7-17
along with help from teachers and parents in how to prepare the
workstation prior to beginning work, and secondly, how to manage
and maintain the body to avoid musculoskeletal injury.
-
- My
true hope is this epidemic will cease to exist in the 21st
century
due
to the willingness of the alleopathic medical profession to
open its
eyes to the use of complimentary therapies.
Surgery should not be
an option for our children.
-
- Understanding
Ergonomics and
the Workstation Setup
-
- This
chapter will address correct workstation setup and
preparation.
-
- Part
I. Preparation of
the workstation
-
- Graphic
of setup of workstation
-
- All equipment should be adjusted to fit the individuals
body
comfortably
to enable them to sustain an 2-8 hour working day. Each
child in accordance with their height and size should have equipment
to fit their body comfortably, no matter how long they
sit
at the computer. Dimensions
of the workstation layout will vary
due
to the height, arm reach, leg length and general size of the child.
-
- There
are several factors to be looked at in the workstation setup.
-
- 1.
Equipment that supports the body comfortably.
2. Layout of the
workstation
3. Size of the workstation area
- 4. The
workstation
should
be able to be adjustable for each child/young adult prior to
using
the workstation. The
correct workstation preparation and the environment is especially important for mental concentration and physical
relaxation to maximize work efficiency.
-
- 1.
Proper Equipment to Support the Human Body
-
- Postural
effects within the workstation area.
-
- 1.
Reach limits:
-
- The
workstation design should allow the individual to face
forward,
whether
standing or sitting. Reaching
for objects should be within the
normal reach and without straining or twisting to retrieve an
object.
-
- Rules
to go by:
-
- 1.
Avoid reaching behind you and twisting the spine backward.
- 2.
Avoid reaching across the body with one or two hands, twisting
forward.
- 3.
Avoid overreach distances.
Place objects within arms length.
- 4.
Keep frequent, fast and forceful movements within limits.
- 5.
Allow for efficient movement.
-
- 2.
Height limitations: Chair and Desk
-
- Optimal
heights for a chair and desk depend on the individuals proportions.
A work area that is too high will create stressful shoulder
and arm positions. An
area that is too low will create stressful
bending of the neck and trunk of the body.
In children
these
measurements will depend on the age of the child and
proportions.
A rule of thumb is to be able to maintain a 90 degree or
less for stability of the joints of the elbows and knees. For the knees,
it is good to allow a slight relaxation of this joint to allow
for
increased
circulation in the legs.
-
- Correct
posture and support of the body is essential.
Sitting upright, shoulders back and down, head sitting
squarely on the shoulders, lower back supported and feet flat of
the floor or on a foot stool.
-
- Chairs:
-
- Chairs
should accommodate each
individual and should be adjusted
to
fit that persons body. Each
chair should have safe and easy control
knobs and it should be obvious to the individual. Where there
are many users, taking the time to adjust the chair can mean
hours
of comfortable work.
-
- Adjusting
the chair: To be
adjusted are the seat, seat pan, arm rests,
backrest,
and footrest.
-
- 1.
Adjust the seat of the chair to the proper working height,
where
your
feet sit flat on the floor and your knees are approx. 2-4
inches below
the desk height.
- 2.
The seat pan should be large enough or small enough to
fit the
individual.
- 3.
Not too deep that the backrest cannot be used.
- 4.
Not too long, that it puts pressure on the back of the knees
or
calves
to inhibit circulation
- 5.
It should be a rounded front edge to minimize pressure on the
back
of the thighs;
- 6.
The fabric of the seat pan should be non-slip, breathable with
sufficient
padding to provide comfort.
-
- Backrest:
-
- It
should fit the contour of the individuals back to maintain the
natural
curvature of the spine. It
should provide firm support for the
lower and middle back and with sufficient padding for comfort.
There
should be an adjustable knob for the lower back. If not, place a
medium to firm pillow in the curve of the low back. This will
help
to
eliminate back fatigue.
-
- Armrest:
-
- Armrest
are recommended for all types of chairs unless they get in
the
way of the work.
- 1.They
should be padded, and be wide enough
for elbow comfort.
- 2.
The height and distance apart should provide comfortable
support
allowing for easy movement and correct positioning of the chair.
- 3.
The armrests should not be too wide to not be used
-
- Footrest
or support stool:
-
- A
footrest should be provided to help maintain the support and
angle
of the legs. For
children this is a must.
The footrest should have
complete contact with the floor and a minimum base of 68 cm.
It
should not be able to roll and if castors, they should be of
the locking
type.
-
- Footrests
are used to bring the upper legs parallel to the floor.
Separate
footrests are preferred because they are more stable and do
not require a backward angle of the lower leg.
-
- 4.
Chairs with wheels or castors are best. They should not
restrict
movement
and are best to avoid twisting movements
and awkward postures
of the body. They
decrease fatigue from having to get up or
down. The chair should be designed to protect against tipping
over
or slipping.
-
- Chair
heights and support for the body
-
- Developing
early on correct preparation at the workstation can save hours
of inefficient and unproductive time due to musculoskeletal discomfort
and pain.
-
- Part
II. Preparation
for the body before, during and after work
-
- CTS
book. 1-12 steps
for children.
-
- Range
of motion exercises for the arms and hands.
CTS book
-
- Visual
display terminals and monitors.
-
- Understanding
the work-rest cycles in an eight hour work day.
-
- In
order to avoid stain and tension in the muscles, one must
first understand
it is necessary to stop and take several
rest breaks throughout
the work day. The
lack of productivity is enhanced by the
amount of fatigue one starts to feel.
There is an increase risk in musculoskeletal
injury.
-
- The
work rate and amount of risk varies with the amount of continuous
and repetitive work the individual performs.
Each person is
unique to their own body and some may need longer periods of rest
to recover. Having a flexible production system will help to
accommodate for individual differences in physical
tolerance.
-
- Rules
for work rate are:
-
- For
every hour, the individual should have
5 minutes rest period - this
time should be spent correcting posture, performing techniques
to
help align and stretch the body.
At lunch time, the 30 minutes
allowed
should be spent with personal issues but preparing the body
to work into the second half of the
day.
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