Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment A-11Note For more information on workstation setup, see the AmericanNational Standard for Human Factors Engineering of Visual DisplayTerminal Workstations. ANSI/HFS Standard No. 100-1988. The HumanFactors Society, Inc., P.O. Box 1369, Santa Monica, California 90406.Pre-existing Conditions and PsychosocialFactorsPre-existing conditions that may cause or make some people moresusceptible to musculoskeletal disorders include the following: hereditaryfactors, vascular disorders, obesity, nutritional deficiencies (e.g., VitaminB deficiency), endocrine disorders (e.g., diabetes), hormonal imbalances,connective tissue disorders (e.g., arthritis), prior trauma (to the hands,wrists, arms, shoulders, neck, back, or legs), prior musculoskeletaldisorders, aging, fluid retention due to pregnancy, poor physicalconditioning and dietary habits, and other conditions.Psychosocial factors associated with these disorders include: workplacestress, poor job satisfaction, lack of support by management, and/or lackof control over one’s work.Contact a doctor if you experience pain, tenderness, swelling, burning,cramping, stiffness, throbbing, weakness, soreness, tingling and/ornumbness in the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck, back, and/or legs.Checking Your Comfort: How Do YouMeasure Up?Use this checklist to see if you are setting up your work environment to fityour physical needs.Checking Your Chair Do you sit in an upright position with the backrest supporting yourlower back? When sitting, are your feet flat on the floor? Do you periodically adjust your chair and your posture?
