Office Ergonomics-Contact Stress: This Is What Professionals Do

 

Contact Stress-

Contact stress results from occasional repeated or continuous contact between sensitive body tissue and a hard or sharp object contact stress commonly affects the soft tissue on the fingers, palms, forearms, thighs, calves and feet. Prolonged contact stress can inhibit blood flow, tendon and muscle movement and nerve function.

One common example is resting wrists or elbows on the sharp edge of a desk or workstation, while performing tasks this can take place, while typing with the keyboard either too close or too far away using the mouse for a prolonged period of time can also lead to contact stress.

The stress can be prevented by repositioning commonly used workstation items floating hands above the keyboard and reducing tension in the shoulders eliminates potential contact stress using a keyboard tray eliminates contact with a work surface edge and keeps your arms in a neutral position.

Optimal neutral arm position has the arms relaxed at the side of the body with a 90 degree elbow angle and a level wrist, while keying this also applies to mouse use an ergonomic mouse is a great alternative to help relieve stress on the wrist, they come in multiple sizes and provide a more natural grip, better support for the hand and reduce tension and energy.

When moving prolonged sitting can lead to contact stress on the back of the thighs and calves, this results from the edge of the seat pan having no padding or being too long or too high sitting forward to relieve, this stress leaves the back with no support so make sure the chair you use is comfortable for your body, mechanical force is another example of contact stress and occurs when tasks require forceful exertion.

The force adds to the pressure created by repeated contact between soft tissues and a hard object, handle grips that are too small or have indentations can also contribute to contact stress, the edge of the handle can dig into the operator’s skin and restrict motion of the tendons and bruise or reduce blood flow to the muscles, to avoid this stress try using a form-fitting grip on the tool or wear a proper pair of gloves while working, pay close attention to the contact between your body and objects, you may have to interact with a little discomfort now can lead to a lot of discomfort later and maybe even do some permanent damage.