Ergonomics is the study of the relationship between people and their work environment. The goal of ergonomics is to adapt workplace conditions in order to ensure the safety and comfort of the worker. Some daily activities in the workplace can, if carried out improperly, lead to a slow development of injuries because we tend to make adjustments to ourselves instead of our work environment. It is important to give our bodies needed breaks from repetitive work or we can, over time, develop cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) or repetitive motion disorders.

What can cause CTDs:

• Do you spend several hours working at a computer terminal each day?
• Does your computer work require use of a mouse or other pointing device?
• Does your job require repetitive tasks for long periods of time (e.g. filing, lifting, sorting, etc.)?

To provide safe working conditions for our employees and reduce workers compensation losses, the System Office of Risk Services has developed an ergonomic program. The program consists of education, information resources, and, for departments with limited resources, financial assistance in equipment modification or procurement. Some campus ergonomic programs include assistance through the SW Loss Prevention program.