Safety Tidbits

Safety Tidbits– Click here for this week’s tidbits including information on ergonomics.

Some Ergo Tips:
-Use posture-friendly props when sitting. Supportive ergonomic “props” can help to take the strain and load off of the spine. Ergonomic office chairs or chairs with an adjustable back support can be used at work. Footrests, portable lumbar back supports, or even a towel or small pillow can be used while sitting in an office chair and while driving. Using purses, bags, and backpacks that are designed to minimize back strain can also influence good posture. Proper corrective eyewear, positioning computer screens to your natural, resting eye position can also help to avoid leaning or straining the neck with the head tilted forward.

Exercise to help prevent injury. Regular exercise such as walking, swimming, or bicycling will help the body stay aerobically conditioned, while specific strengthening exercises will help the muscles surrounding the back to stay strong. These benefits of exercise promote good posture, which will, in turn, further help to condition muscles and prevent injury. There are also specific exercises that will help maintain good posture. In particular, a balance of trunk strength with back muscles about 30% stronger than abdominal muscles is essential to help support the upper body and maintain good posture.

The Wisdom of a Child

One of my favorite authors, Leo Buscaglia, once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the Most Caring Child. When the judging was over, the winner was announced. The winner was… A four-year-old boy!

The boy’s next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his wife of many years. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy looked at his mother and said, ‘Nothing, I just helped him cry.’

Thanks, WK