Back to Routine Doesn't Mean Back in Pain

Portland, ME (WorkersCompensation.com) - Back to school and back to work often means more time at a desk and in front of a computer screen. But those old desk jockey aches and pains don't have to return with you from your summer vacation.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, musculoskeletal injuries caused by poor ergonomics take nearly 400,000 workers out of work for an average of 8 days each year. And, while many of us can't avoid sitting in front of a computer for several hours a day, there are ways to decrease your chances of injury and time lost from work or school.

The first step is often an ergonomic evaluation of your work area and your body positioning as you sit at your computer. Here are some recommendations from MEMIC's Chief Ergonomist Allan Brown:

• Position your head so your ears are over your shoulders
  
  
• Place screen monitor 18-24 inches from your eyes
  
  
• Adjust your monitor's height so it's in direct line of your sight
  
  
• Relax your shoulders
  
  
• Keep upper arms in line with your torso
  
  
• Put elbows at 90 degrees with arms comfortably at your side
  
  
• Make sure wrists are in neutral posture; not be bent up or down
  
  
• Place mouse on same plane as your keyboard
  
  
• Use a chair with a good lumbar support
  
  
• Keep feet flat on the floor; if your feet don't reach the floor, use a foot rest

If you don't have access to an ergonomics expert or are unsure of your positioning, have a friend snap a picture of you at your workstation to see what your posture looks like.

But perhaps the most important piece of advice is to get up and move. Every hour you should take a stretch, go for a walk, talk to a friend, but make sure to get up and move throughout your day. Whatever your new fall routine looks like, make good ergonomics a part of it.

This article is part of the MEMIC Summer Safety Series

About the Author

Evan Johnston is a  contributing writer to MEMIC's communication department. This summer, she will be writing a weekly series that focuses on workplace safety with the expert input of MEMIC's safety management consulting team. Evan currently attends Tufts University in Massachusetts where she will graduate next spring with a degree in political science.

You may read the MEMIC Safety Net Blog here.

About MEMIC

Specializing in workers' compensation insurance, The MEMIC Group includes Maine Employers' Mutual Insurance Company (MEMIC), MEMIC Indemnity Company and MEMIC Casualty Company. MEMIC and MEMIC Indemnity are rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best. The MEMIC Group insures nearly 20,000 employers along the Eastern seaboard. The Group has offices in New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida.

The company maintains a dominant market share in Maine and has executed a careful growth strategy across the Northeast in recent years. Today, The MEMIC Group is the fifth largest underwriter of workers' compensation business in New England and is among the fastest growing workers' comp insurers in New York. In 2013, the company expanded further with a new office in Tampa, Florida.

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