Ergonomic injuries remain one of the most common and preventable hazards in Postal Service™ operations. Whether sorting mail, casing routes, lifting packages, or performing administrative tasks, employees across all functions can be affected by repetitive forceful motions and awkward postures that place unnecessary fatigue and strain on the body.
These risks often develop gradually, making early awareness and proactive prevention essential to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.
n Repetitive motions, such as sorting, lifting, reaching, or keying, can fatigue muscles and tendons over time, especially when performed with forceful effort and/or awkward postures without adequate time to recover.
n Forceful Effort, including lifting and handling heavy packages and mail trays, pushing and pulling MTE, and grasping or gripping mail pieces place strain on the joints, tendons, and muscles.
n Awkward postures, including bending, twisting, overreaching, or working with the neck or wrists at extreme angles, increase the physical effort required to complete tasks and can accelerate wear on joints and soft tissues.
Common early warning signs includes the following:
n Tingling or numbness,
n Muscle tightness or fatigue,
n Reduced grip strength, and
n Discomfort in the shoulders, neck, back, or hands.
Addressing these symptoms early helps prevent more serious musculoskeletal disorders.
Preventing injuries from repetitive motions in combination with forceful effort and/or awkward postures requires a coordinated effort between employees and management. Each plays a vital role in creating a safe, efficient, and ergonomically sound workplace and share responsibility for:
n Maintaining the workplace to promote neutral postures and reduce forces for optimum body mechanics to reduce strain on muscles and joints, including:
n Providing and using equipment such as container tilters and pallet lifters to enable the proper work zone.
n Avoid lifting heavy objects by storing and staging mail off the floor raised on stands or shelves.
n Avoid using damaged or inadequate MTE that is difficult to move or unload.
n Ensuring workstations and tools are properly set up, including case heights, chairs, computer equipment, and lifting aids, to support safe and efficient work.
n Using proper lifting techniques when lifting and having coworkers assist when the load is too much.
n Allow and take brief posture reset breaks to stretch, relax tense muscles, and prevent fatigue during repetitive tasks.
n Report discomfort or early symptoms promptly so adjustments or interventions can be made before injuries develop.
n Participate in ergonomic reviews, stand up talks, and safety discussions that reinforce best practices and apply what they learn.
n Promote open communication about ergonomic concerns and collaborate on solutions that improve comfort, efficiency, and safety.
n Support continuous improvement by participating in ergonomic reviews, providing stand up talks, and holding safety discussions that reinforce best practices.
Together, employees and management can help ensure that every task is performed safely and that ergonomic risks are addressed before they lead to injury.
Preventing ergonomic injuries requires awareness, communication, and consistent safe practices. By recognizing the impact of repetitive motions in combination with forceful efforts and/or awkward postures and taking steps to reduce them, requires consistent attention to how work is performed. When employees and management work together to identify concerns early and make practical adjustments, we strengthen safety, improve efficiency, and support long term well being across all operations.
— Occupational Safety and Health,
Human Resources, 7-9-26
