A report Submitted in partial fulfillment for the Requirement of Dissertation.

FACULTY GUIDE: AUTHORS:

Dr. SUMEET SINGH JASIAL RAVI ARORA

Assistant professor raviarora4060@gmail.com

Amity University 099891887668

UMANG MEHRA

Umangmehra502@gmail.com

09999042297

TARUN SALGOTRA

salgotratarun@gmail.com

09811964192

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INDEXCHAPTER TOPIC PAGE NO.CH-1 Introduction 4

Importance 5Ergonomics focus 6Effects of Ergonomics 7-8Ergonomics stress area 9Controlling measures 10-13Ergonomically designed work station

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Improving ergonomics process

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CH-2 About “DELL” 19Working environment at DELL

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CH-3 GAP analysis 22Suggestions and recommendations

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Conclusion 24

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CHAPTER 1

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INTRODUCTION

Ergonomics as it is applied to work is fitting the task to the person. It deals with the interaction of work, technology and humans. Ergonomics applies human sciences like anatomy, psychology and psychology to the design of the work environment and jobs, and objects and equipment used in work. The objective of ergonomics is to make the best use of employees’ capabilities while maintaining the employees’ health and wellbeing. The job should never limit the employee or compromise an employee’s capabilities or physical and mental health because of poor job design. Good ergonomics shortens learning times; makes the job easier with less fatigue; improves equipment maintenance; reduces absenteeism, labor turnover, and job stress and injury; and meets legislative requirements for health and safety. In order to achieve these objectives, the job activity must be carefully analyzed, and the demands placed on the employee must be understood. The contribution of anatomy in ergonomics is the improvement of the physical aspect of the job: achieving a good physical fit between the employee and the things the employee uses on the job whether it’s a hand tool,a computer,a video camera,a fork-lift,or a lathe. Physiology is concerned with how the body functions. It addresses the energy required from the employee to do the job as well as the acceptable workload and work rate, and the physical working conditions—heat, cold, light, noise, vibration and space. Psychology is concerned with the human mind. Its objective is to create a good psychological fit between the employee and the job.

DEFINITION

According to International Labor Organization, ergonomics is the application of the human biological sciences in conjunction with engineering sciences to the worker and his working environment, so as to obtain maximum satisfaction for the worker and at the same time enhance productivity.

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IMPORTANCE

Generally people prefer a workplaces with more comfort, safety, simple and easy to use, the one with healthy environment and productive but it can be only possible with the science and art of ergonomic design.

• Ergonomics focuses on people – This particular concept is considered to be people oriented. Almost in all aspect individuals vary in their characteristics, looks, behavior and style. Ergonomics aims at developing a system that recognizes individual differences in every sphere from size to skills, from work styles to their respective trait.

• Performance and productivity enhancement- Whenever comprehensive ergonomics is applied at workplace performance of the employees tends to increase and which improve overall effectiveness and productivity of the organization. Comprehensive ergonomics aims at developing overall workplace from development task designing to overall sustainable working environment. It also consists of developing a plan which covers tools and technological aspect to reduce the ill effects on workers health.

• Training and development- Ergonomics may be inborn but people still need to be aware about how to use features by keeping in mind how some behaviors increase risk of injury. An organizational change does bring change in people behavior to a large extent. So, in order to minimize negative affect and maximize overall productive output and positive effect, communication through effective ergonomic training can bring downfall in employee illness due to working.

• Higher saving- Good ergonomics programs always generates more benefits in terms of both monitory and non-monitory terms and reduces overall expenses for both organizations as well as for employees.

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ERGONOMICS FOCUS

When focusing on the tool, the task, and the environment organization tends to find the best combination for their employees (the user/operator). If the right combination is not attained then ergonomic problems may arise which may lead to overall downfall in organizational productivity which may result in immediate or long-term damage to muscles, nerves, tendons, and joints. So, if proper workplace is not developed it may lead to employee’s injury which in turn increases employee’s absenteeism, leave and turnover or reduction in their performance and thus affecting overall organizational productivity and working.

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THE TOOLS

THE WORK STATION AND

ENVIRONMENT

THE TASK

WORKER

EFFECTS OF ERGONOMICS

1. Cumulative Trauma Disorders: - A cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), is defined as the excessive damage of tendons, muscles and sensitive nerve tissue caused by continuous use over an extended period of time. CTDs can develop from improper work positioning, repetition or force during the course of work.

At the place of work it is generally caused by:-

Awkward posture and position like bent wrists, elbows held away from the body, outstretched arms or slumped shoulders

Repetitive action from typing, keying and sorting operations Use of excessive force when typing ergonomically designed system and

taught position.

2. REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURIES: - also known as repetitive stress injury is a general term encompassing injuries that affect tendons, muscles, nerves and soft tissues. These types of injuries cause continual and recurring pain most often in the neck, shoulders, hands, wrists and lower limbs and which takes a savior face with time. Jobs that require employees to perform the same type of task over a period of time, including working on assembly lines or using a computer all day, can result in RSIs. A work which involves high computer involvement there has resulted in injuries of the hands, arms, shoulders, backs and neck's. Thousands of repeated keystrokes and long periods of clutching and dragging with the mouse accumulate damage to the body leads to such injury.

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3. MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDER: - Musculoskeletal Disorders or MSDs are injuries and disorders that affect the human body’s movement or musculoskeletal system like muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs, blood vessels.

Common MSDs include:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Tendonitis Muscle / Tendon strain Ligament Sprain Tension Neck Syndrome

Other common names for MSDs are repetitive motion injury, repetitive stress injury, overuse injury and many more. It implicates a singular cause for damage to the musculoskeletal system – repetition and stress. 

MSD account for: 1/3 of all lost day injuries each year These injuries cost business $15-20 billion in worker’s

compensation each year

At workplace it is generally caused by:-

High task repetition Work which has extra body force Repetitive or sustained awkward position

Such factor leads to the worker’s body beyond their ability to recover, leading to a musculoskeletal imbalance and eventually an MSD.

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EGONOMICS STRESS AREAS

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CONTROLLING MEASURES

1. ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLAdministrative controls aims at modifying scheduling of work which in turns reduces the ergonomic risk factor for betterment of employee’s health. It can be better attained by altering the way work is done in order to reduce the side effect of workplace hazard.Followings are the administrative controls in order to reduce workplace hazard:-

1. Employee rotation/job task enlargement- job rotation can be a favorable instrument to achieve this as employees move from one task to another which leads to non-repetition of same tasks which minimizes chances of MSDs and RSIs at the place of work. Job enlargement can be another way where by employees can perform different task over a period of time.

2. Adjust work pace- Difficult to implement but an important factor because slowing down the working will ease the body stress and will tend to be more productive as compared to the paced one which tends to lose efficiency in short duration due to high speed continuous working and thus getting more prone to injury.

3. Designing the work: - ERGONOMICALLY designed work is considered to be best and most productive for the organization which reduces stress and injury at work place which results in better performance of task and thus proving to be more productive and profitable from organization point of view.

4. Breaks- during work break considered to be an important factor in order to reduce the injury during work especially when work is physical in nature and require a lot of body efforts and moments. Encourage motion rather than static positions. It is always advisable to take 1 or 2 minute breaks after every 30 minutes while performing stationary type jobs. It is also preferred to move around after every few hours of work.

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2. WORK PRACTICE CONTROLWork Practice Controls may be defined as the measure that helps to control and give better exposure to the way a job or physical activities are performed in order to reduce the factor of MSD at work. Work practice controls also act on the source of the hazard. It basically deals with behavior of managers, superior and employees which enables them to follow proper way of doing a work. It develops a proper standard and procedure for safe and proper way of doing work which needs to be followed at all levels within the organization. Examples

1. The work techniques could include proper positions and angles when sitting at your computer station to standing and performing tasks.

2. Training recognition of hazards and work techniques that can reduce exposure or ease task demands and burdens.

3. Supervise the employees performing the tasks to ensure understood the training and are performing correctly. If not provide additional training.

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3. ENGINEERING CONTROLS

Engineering controls may be defined as the physical change or up-gradation to the job that enables managers and organization to control exposure to MSD. Such measures do not depend on the employees to take self protective measures.

STANDARD WAY

Adjustable workstations- develop a ergonomically designed work station taking into consideration average height of the employee. It should be developed in such a way that the employees’ arms should rest at the employee’s sides and the employee’s back/neck should be kept straight.

Adjustable chair-all kinds, the seat adjusts, the back may adjust, the arm rests, Make sure adjust to fit you correctly as Ergonomic chairs are not all the same. A rolled towel or a lumbar pad may be useful to support the lower back.

Footrests can be purchased and are adjustable to different angles.

Some monitors are adjustable

Document holder-Position the document holder close to screen and at the same level and distance from the eye to avoid constant changes of focus. And this will also help to minimize twisting and bending motions.

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INNOVATIVE WAY - Cut legs off the desks or add blocks under the workstation to raise the height. Build a foot rest or use a large book for a foot rest. Put a book under the monitor to raise it to the proper height. Build a platform to stand on so get to proper height.

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HOW TO SETUP AN ERGONOMICALLY CORRECT WORKSTATION

1) Adjust chair height so that your feet are flat on the floor. This enables the employee’s knees and hips at the same level. Secondly adjust your elbow and bent it between 90 and 110 degree. Forearms should be parallel to the ground and wrist should be kept at a neutral position. Since most desks are fixed height, it is best to adjust the chair height for the correct position of the arms and hands. In the present corporate world where almost every organization works for the betterment of their respective employees aims at developing such furniture which provides more safety and security to its employees in long run by allowing adjustments of work surface height.

2) Keep your wrist position neutral. Avoid bending your wrist sharply up or down to type.• Consider split- keyboard design or tents and raised; otherwise just try to choose one that is the right size for your hands.• To help your wrists to "float” on the keyboard, use a wrist rest; However, do not use it if it actually raises your wrists; depending on your position, this might actually encourage you to keep your hands at the wrong angle.• Many keyboards have tabs to raise the back, but check your wrist position before use. You may need to lift the front, instead. If your keyboard features such adjustment, try propping the front of paint stick, a couple of erasers, or any other object.

3) Change your posture regularly. Regardless of how healthy your work posture is, sitting in any one position for an extended period is

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not healthy. If you have an adjustable chair, alternate between the following positions, all of which will keep your pose neutral and relaxed:

Sit upright. Keep your torso roughly vertical, your thighs horizontal, and your lower legs vertical.

Sit reclined. Tilt the backrest of your chair back so that your torso reclines between 105 and 120 degrees from your thighs.

Sit declined. Tilt the seat pan of your chair slightly so that the angle between your thighs and torso is slightly more than 90 degrees. Don’t overdo this or you will feel like you’re sliding.

4) keep the monitor between 20 and 40 inches (50 and 100 centimeters) from your face. This will reduce eye strain. If the depth of your desk doesn’t allow this, move your monitor to a corner, request a flat screen monitor (if applicable), or purchase an attachable computer tray to create a deeper working surface.

5) Adjust the monitor so that the center sits at eye level. The monitor should always be directly in front of your face (preferably no more than 35 degrees to either side) and at or slightly below eye level. However, if you wear bifocals and usually tilt your head back in order to look down through them at the monitor, lower the monitor (or raise your chair) so that the monitor sits 15 to 20 degrees below eye level. Avoid the need to tilt the head back, causing tension in the neck and shoulders.

6) Place the mouse near the keyboard. Keep it in a position that will enable you to transition between typing and using the mouse with as little effect on your arm and wrist posture as possible. If you have a 10-

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key on the right side of your keyboard, you may want to use your mouse on the left side; this centers the part of your keyboard that you use most. You can also alternate left and right-sided mouse usage to dilute the effects of repetitive use.

Choose a mouse which is the right size for your hands. Don't rule out "portable" mice (if your hands are smaller) or "gaming" mice if your hands are larger. Try to find a shop where you can try out a variety of mice.

Adjust the mouse drivers in software, if you wish to change the speed of the cursor movement relative to the mouse movement. Adjust it so it feels right for you.

7) Arrange items within sight and reach. Place your phone, writing equipment, books and other frequently-used items within easy reach from where you sit. You should not need to stretch to reach frequently used objects.If you use a document holder, do not place it to one side of your monitor (unless you also use a second one on the other side); turning your head in one direction for prolonged periods fatigues the neck muscles. Instead, position the document holder directly beneath the monitor, angling it between the monitor and keyboard. If you touch type and do a lot of transcription, consider placing the document holder in front of you, with the screen to one side. The main focus of attention is then straight ahead with occasional movements to view the screen. Another option would be to provide a lectern that is positioned between the keyboard and screen.

IMPROVING ERGONOMICS PROCESS

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1. Develop a prioritized list of jobs for ergonomic analysis. This prioritized list should be developed by the ergonomics team based on an initial facility tour, review of MSD history and data collected by employee surveys.

2. Conduct objective ergonomic analysis. This analysis will objectively measure risk for each job in the workplace and help you develop an ergonomic opportunity list.

3. Develop an ergonomic opportunity list Developing an ergonomic opportunity list allows you to prioritize company resources in order to effectively and efficiently reduce risk by putting the appropriate controls in place.

4. Determine best solution with team approach. A multi-disciplinary team should be involved in determining the best controls for implementation.

5. Obtain approval and implement solution. If the improvement requires a significant capital expenditure, cost-justify the solution to gain approval.

6. Evaluate impact of the ergonomic improvement. Once improvements are in place, close the loop on the project by evaluating the ergonomic improvement and measuring its effectiveness.

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CHAPTER-2

ABOUT COMAPNAY

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Dell Inc. is an American privately owned multinational computer technology company based in Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services. Eponymously named after its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest technological corporations in the world, employing more than 103,300 people worldwide.

Dell sells personal computers (PCs), servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, computer peripherals, HDTVs, cameras, printers, MP3 players, and electronics built by other manufacturers. The company is well known for its innovations in supply chain management and electronic commerce, particularly its direct-sales model and its "build-to-order" or "configure to order" approach to manufacturing—delivering individual PCs configured to customer specifications. Dell was a pure hardware vendor for much of its existence, but with the acquisition in 2009 of Perot Systems, Dell entered the market for IT services. The company has since made additional acquisitions in storage and networking systems, with the aim of expanding their portfolio from offering computers only to delivering complete solutions for enterprise customers.

Dell was listed at number 51 in the Fortune 500 list, until 2014. After going private in 2013, the newly confidential nature of its financial information prevents the company from being ranked by Fortune. In 2015, it was the third largest PC vendor in the world after Lenovo and HP. Dell is currently the #1 shipper of PC monitors in the world. Dell is the sixth largest company in Texas by total revenue, according to Fortune magazine. It is the second largest non-oil company in Texas – behind AT&T – and the largest company in the Greater Austin area. It was a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: DELL), as well as a component of the NASDAQ-100 and S&P 500, until it was taken private in a leveraged buyout which closed on October 30, 2013.

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WORKING ENVIRONMENT AT DELL

They are relentlessly focused on delivering technology solutions that work harder for our customers, and gives access to technology to people and organizations around the world. Their purpose -"delivering technology solutions that enable people everywhere to grow and thrive are and their commitment to all of our customers. Today’s Dell is a customer-inspired end-to-end solutions provider. They evolved from a PC manufacturer to a true IT solutions partner one that offers a differentiated view of the enterprise.

The focus of dell is to create a winning environment through inspiring leadership, collaboration, personal accountability and always operating with the customer in mind with Dell’s best interests first. Our philosophy is that their team members aims at continuously improve their performance and results, build great relationships, value diverse perspectives and create an environment where they progress forward even when faced with challenges and adversity.

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CHAPTER 3

GAP ANALYSIS

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We observed following GAPS in our analysis with the DELL’s employee

1) WORKING HOURS: - Company has high working time which enabled the employees to sit more hours at computers which are negatively affecting the health of the employees.

2) CHAIRS: - Company does not provide ergonomically designed chairs to all its employees. We observed that several employees especially with the short height were unable to have flat feet on the floor which clearly defined organization is not much concerned about this particular area.

3) AWARENESS:- Most of the employees within the organization especially those who are involved in physical activity are not aware about ergonomically way of doing it and we had a conversation with one of the employees about his body condition to which he said he is suffering from shoulder pain. Which clearly shows organization is least concerned about the health of such employees and at the same time those employees are not aware about the principal of ergonomics.

4) HABITUAL: - We closely observed few body postures of employees who were having back office work (desk job). We analyzed that many individuals incautiously were following wrong body gestures which were adversely affecting their body.

5) TOOLS: - Many tools equipped by the organization were not ergonomically supportive i.e. many tools were not actually positioned or used in the right way which was resulting in low efficiency and productivity of the organizational working.

6) MEASURES:- organization haven’t taken any effective measure like administrative control or work practice control measures in order to overcome ergonomics within the organization working environment. Such measures are less costly and can be easily implemented.

SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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In order to overcome the upper GAPs following measures can be taken by the organization:-

1) In order to overcome working hour problem firm can opt for flexible timing and should allow small break between works. It is always advisable to take 1 or 2 minute breaks after every 30 minutes while performing stationary type jobs. It is also preferred to move around after every few hours of work.

2) In order to overcome this firm should place chair which allow flexibility of height so that the feet are flat on the floor. This enables the employee’s knees and hips at the same level. Secondly adjust your elbow and bent it between 90 and 110 degree. Forearms should be parallel to the ground and wrist should be kept at a neutral position.

3) Special sessions should be conducted by the organization to make its employees aware and practice also to work on ergonomics principals and standards to improve overall efficiency.

4) Organization should regularly monitor ergonomics measures to measure effectiveness and efficiency of the organization in order to provide risk free organizational working and to achieve maximum productivity.

CONCLUSION

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Ergonomics aims to make the job fit the person, rather than the other way around. That means it is, by definition, a very individualized approach to designing tools, tasks and work areas. Each individual body is different in terms of size, shape and capability. Each of us uses different tools and movements and sits, stands and moves in different positions in the course of a day, So as to adapt jobs to people and not force people to fit their jobs. If individual ignore symptoms for too long that will affect their working capabilities to perform their respective job. So both individuals as well as organization need to put attention on what’s the best possible way a job can be performed. Try to identify what causes pain, numbness or other symptoms. Supervisors to make sure you have a workplace that's free of ergonomic hazards.

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