In the computer, assembly, and manufacturing sectors of the economy – it is not at all uncommon to find some employees developing physical problems. Nerve compression syndromes (such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), tendinitis, bursitis, neck and back pain can often beset people who spend their days doing tasks with repetitive motions, grip or pinch patterns that place undue stress on the hands, and postural positions that place abnormal forces on alignment. Many of the physical problems experienced by employees can be minimized or eliminated by applying sound ergonomic principles to tools and work stations. And this can often be done with little, if any, investment in equipment.
Rehabilitation Associates, Inc. provides ergonomic consultation services to the businesses of Fairfield and New Haven counties in order to provide on-site Physical and/or Occupational Therapy to people who are suffering from a work-related problem; to decrease the incidence of job-related injury; and to assist the company in improving work sites and work stations in order to maximize productivity while creating a safe work environment for the employee.
Many interventions in the work place do not involve highly sophisticated equipment or expensive environmental designs. It is not uncommon that providing a foot stool, or instituting a simple stretching program, or readjusting the position of the computer monitor on a desk can make a tremendous difference in the amount of stress placed on the body. And reducing the stressful forces upon the body reduces the risk of injury. The net result of these interventions shows up not only on the bottom line but in employee morale.