Ergonomic-related injuries or musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) make up 25 to 30 percent of all recordable industrial accidents reported by Postal Service™ employees. MSDs are illnesses or injuries that affect one or more parts of the musculoskeletal system, which is the soft tissue and bone structure of the body. These injuries primarily involve the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that allow us to move and use our joints.
MSDs are caused by “wear-and-tear” of the body over time. They develop differently than sudden, traumatic injuries, such as cuts, bruises, or broken bones. MSDs can take weeks, months, or even years to develop.
MSD risk factors include:
n Awkward posture. When the body is in a posture that creates significant bending, twisting, or added stress to the joints and connective tissue.
n Forceful exertion. When excessive force is needed to perform a task, such as lifting a heavy object or pushing loaded mail transport equipment. Even something like holding an object between the thumb and fingers in a pinch grip can create excessive force to the hand.
n Repetitive motion. When a joint or body part repeats the same motion many times. This is especially an issue if the repetition involves the other risk factors of awkward posture and forceful exertion, such as in the task of unloading heavy objects from a pallet with bending, reaching, and forceful lifting.
Ergonomic practices help prevent MSD injuries by addressing these risk factors. Simply put, ergonomics is “fitting the task to the person.” Each task is evaluated to understand what it takes to perform the job and what risk factors may be present. Using ergonomic practices makes manual work less difficult, safer, and more user-friendly.
The Postal Service™ may initiate an ergonomic evaluation as part of an MSD injury investigation to determine the cause. Once the task is evaluated, an accident reduction plan would identify a viable ergonomics solution for the cause. When an employee is returning to work from an on-the-job injury, an ergonomic evaluation is often required to ensure the job meets any restrictions or limitations the employee might have. It’s often best if ergonomic evaluations take place initially in the design phase of equipment or workstations.
Ergonomic principles commonly used in USPS® facilities include:
n Modifying the workspace for reach reduction by moving the person closer to the object or perhaps recommending a reach extender tool.
n Raising the work with equipment, such as a pallet lifter or a container tilter to eliminate bending and overreaching when unloading packages or mail trays.
n Adjusting a computer workstation to ensure monitors are at the right height for optimum viewing, the keyboard and mouse are positioned at about elbow height, and everything is within easy reach.
n Improving methods, such as work practices and techniques, or applying administrative methods, such as job rotation, to help decrease risk factors.
Reduce the wear-and-tear on your body and help prevent MSDs by following the safety policies and procedures established at your facility and using proven ergonomic methods for every activity.
For more information about ergonomic practices, see the following resources:
n Ergonomic Safety talks module in the HERO system under “My Learning.”
n For a printable version of the Ergonomics poster, look under “Resources” at blue.usps.gov/hr/safety/ergonomics.htm.
n Safety Depends on Me videos: blue.usps.gov/corpcomm/uspstv/safety-and-health.
n A–Z Safety Topics on Blue: blue.usps.gov/hr/safety/a-z-safety-toolkit.htm.
n Wellness videos: liteblue.usps.gov/humanresources/benefits/health-wellness/wellness-videos.htm.
n Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): osha.gov/ergonomics.
n Centers for Disease Control (CDC): cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics.
n National Safety Council: nsc.org/workplace/safety-topics/msd.
— Occupational Safety and Health,
Human Resources, 2-9-23
