Title: 
Ergonomics Outside The Office

Word Count:
501

Summary:
When people think about the science of ergonomics, they often think of office furniture, like desks, chairs and computer keyboards. Ergonomics has taken a fresh turn in new industries. One such industry that is researching the benefits of ergonomics is the wine industry.

Those who work in the wine industry spend long hours lifting, carrying, bending and grasping tubs as well as trying to maneuver said tubs into a location that is convenient while they do their picking. Man...


Keywords:
laptops


Article Body:
When people think about the science of ergonomics, they often think of office furniture, like desks, chairs and computer keyboards. Ergonomics has taken a fresh turn in new industries. One such industry that is researching the benefits of ergonomics is the wine industry.

Those who work in the wine industry spend long hours lifting, carrying, bending and grasping tubs as well as trying to maneuver said tubs into a location that is convenient while they do their picking. Many agricultural accidents happen, and grape growers in the wine industry are taking a long hard look at what ergonomics can offer their employees.

Simple Changes

A simple change that is improving the lot of many farm workers is a change in the size of the tub they use for picking. Most owners want to reduce the number of agricultural accidents and ergonomics is proving to be the perfect solution to many of these problems. It is said that many factors involving ergonomics can reduce the number of incidents that farm workers experience.

The new tubs that are being introduced are at least ten pounds less than the old tubs. This means that worker can carry and lift a load that is lighter, thus ensuring that injuries to their backs are minimized. When you reduce the load by only ten pounds, it helps to keep the workers healthier which benefits the farmer in the long run.

Consequences of Picking

It has been reported that most farm workers complain of back pain. This is most apparent around the middle of the picking season. When the weight of the tub was decreased, the complaints from workers decreased. There were only 25% of workers who reported persistent back pain after the lighter tubs were implemented.

Research shows that almost half of the injuries experienced are due to agricultural injuries that are non-fatal and involve sprains. Forty percent of the strains were related to back injuries. These injuries to workers have spurred the grape growing industry to find new ways of picking that are just as efficient if not more so, and develop equipment that will aid their workers which in turn increases productivity on many levels.

What Can Be Done

Those who are involved in agricultural pursuits and not just grape growing need to address the needs of workers, not just for the benefit of their employees, but to increase the productivity levels too. When a business owner studies the science of ergonomics that has to do with their particular venue, they can increase the overall health of employees and make more money while they are doing it.

Ergonomics is not just something that benefits owners; it benefits workers and government agencies as well. If workers are experiencing less injuries and illness, insurance rates can go down and everyone benefits from this. It is well worth the business owners while to research and explore all modes of ergonomics. It can end up costing much less in many areas of your business and can increase your profits considerably.