| The French poet Charles Baudelaire observed | | | | program is aimed at businesses of all sizes. OSHA |
| back in the 1800s, "Inspiration comes of working | | | | wants companies to take a proactive stance |
| every day." Most people do work every day, and | | | | when it comes to preventing RSI. To help |
| unfortunately it's not only inspiration that comes | | | | employers, OSHA designed an extensive array of |
| of it. Repetitive stress injuries (RSI) are also the | | | | tools that educate, analyze, and train people |
| result of every day tasks performed again and | | | | regarding the ergonomics of their jobs. Available |
| again while operating a computer. Relief is in sight, | | | | to the public for free on the OSHA website, the |
| however, thanks in part to a particular | | | | computer workstation portion of the Ergonomics |
| government agency. This organization is raising | | | | eTools is a comprehensive guide to proper |
| awareness and promoting solutions 24/7. | | | | computing techniques. |
| The Occupational Safety and Health Administration | | | | Included in this section is: |
| (OSHA) has a mandate to protect employees | | | | Good Working Position (talks about every part of |
| from being hurt in the workplace. James Hodgson, | | | | the body and what the best placement is for |
| Secretary of Labor, established OSHA within his | | | | preventing RSI) |
| department in 1971. This was in response to the | | | | Workstation Components (all the technology and |
| Occupational Safety and Health Act, legislation he | | | | furniture you commonly use is listed here with |
| helped author. For the first time in U.S. history, the | | | | possible hazards, solutions, and tips) |
| government stepped in to make sure that | | | | Checklist (a great way to evaluate how you're |
| workers were as protected as possible from | | | | doing ergonomically while you operate a |
| illness, injury, and death on the job. And OSHA | | | | computer) |
| had its work cut out for it. Construction, chemical, | | | | Work Process (focuses on the physical |
| and agricultural workers were among the many | | | | movements of computer use, with hazards to |
| who needed better safety standards in their | | | | watch for, more solutions, and tips) |
| industries. | | | | Workstation Environment (information about |
| But as computer use rose, and the related RSI | | | | factors people often don't think about such as |
| grew, OSHA turned its attention to this new | | | | lighting, ventilation, and glare) |
| problem. In recent years, OSHA has developed a | | | | But Outreach and Assistance is more than the |
| four part program designed to reduce injuries and | | | | Ergonomic eTools. It has industry guidelines, |
| illnesses associated with computer use on the job. | | | | cooperative programs, ergonomic analysis info, |
| The four parts are | | | | and success stories. It even has a checklist with |
| Guidelines, Outreach and Assistance, Enforcement, | | | | tips for new purchases. It is chock full of valuable |
| and the National Advisory Committee. | | | | information for everyone from the individual |
| Guidelines are recommended practices that are | | | | computer user to the captains of industry. |
| developed for specific tasks and industries. These | | | | OSHA persists in its campaign to help employers |
| are voluntary, not mandatory. Employers use the | | | | and employees prevent Repetitive Stress Injuries. |
| guidelines to identify and modify risks in the | | | | If the folks at OSHA have their way, inspiration |
| workplace. Implementing these practices reduces | | | | will be the only result of long hours of work in |
| injuries related to the way people do their jobs. | | | | front of a computer. |
| The Outreach and Assistance component of this | | | | |