I’m happy to see so many people wearing their back braces, approved personal protection equipment (PPE) and even posture correction straps. People taking care of themselves and preparing for the future make me smile. Realizing that we won’t be dead by 50 has forced many of us to be much more conscious of our health and well-being. I want to take a few moments to help push the cart of eudemonia and function a little further down the road. I want to remind ourselves to be more aware of our bodies and the ergonomics necessary to keep ourselves in functioning order well into the golden years. Some of us will soon realize that we can’t get off the road whenever we want. We better make sure that we are physically able to keep climbing up to the top bunk.
We’re Not Invincible
We have all heard the overworked commandments of “lift with the legs, not with the back” and “work smarter, not harder.” We applied that logic to our workplace and we started using forklifts and lift motors whenever possible. We stopped jumping off the front of the stage as soon as we watched one of our friends twist an ankle and lose three months of work. We saw the large problems immediately. Nowadays, we are learning more about the less visible problems that cause just as much pain. We are learning about the harmful effects of daily repetitive motions. We can all see the obvious hazards of lifting 80-pound motors out of the box, but the hazards of sitting at a console for 15 hours at a time are not as apparent. Repetitive hand and arm motions can contribute to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) such as: carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, tendonitis, epicondylitis (tennis elbow), ganglion cyst, tenosynovitis, and trigger finger. These kinds of trauma can be caused by too many uninterrupted repetitions of an activity or motion. Unnatural or awkward motions like twisting arms and wrists all too often, precede lifting the console onto the table. Likewise, loading out can be perplexed by overexertion, incorrect posture, or muscle fatigue. The best way to prevent these hazards is to stretch out intermittently. Take a step back and be aware of your posture, any slouching, hunching or drooping shoulders.
What Can We Do to Help?
For a start, we can stop jumping off the stage. Just don’t do it. It’s not worth it. We can remind each other to lift with legs and not backs. I talked to a good friend of mine—an LD and programmer based out of San Francisco—and anyone who has been through the Fillmore in the last 20 years knows her well. She is well aware of the hazards of bad ergonomics. She asked me to remind fellow roadies and technicians of many small steps we can take to keep our joints well-oiled and fully functioning. Dee asked me to remind people to relax your shoulders when lifting. She reminded me those simple tasks like twisting cables can cause a tight muscle to spasm. Dee was adamant about asking questions like: How are you holding your wrists when twisting in Multi connectors? How do you hold your wrench when tightening bolts? How do you hold your wrist when securing clamps? Are your shoulders relaxed when you are spending a bulk of the day with your eyes looking up in the air? These are all questions that we can constantly ask ourselves.
One of the best decisions I made was to tour with my own chair. I have a large bar stool that is very comfortable and of the proper height for many programming hours. Sitting in a rolling chair causes me to swivel and roll too often. I find myself using the table edge as a fulcrum to swivel my chair and I can feel myself twisting my back to gain momentum. That is a movement that I will only be able to do so many times before the fatal time. If I tweak my back, I could be out more than just an hour or so. My bar stool allows me to sit just high enough that I can see over the crowd without standing up. I watch some operators stand for hours at a time running classic rock shows. I can sense the tension in their knees after the third encore. My chair also puts me at the correct height so that my wrists are comfortable. When standing, I find my wrists to be contorted upward and they get weak after a few songs. I don’t wear a watch for that very reason. I used to wear a watch and after a long show or programming session, one wrist would be more sore than the other.
When programming, Dee asked me to remind people to ask several questions: Where is your screen? How is your neck? How tall is your seat? Do you use an ergo mat to stand? How often do you give your eyes a break? What hand/finger/wrist stretching do you do? Are your shoulders relaxed, and do you slouch, or do you sit properly?
Dee recently had shoulder surgery. Her sprain was deemed a repetitive work-related injury. The insurance company presented eye-opening questions: Did your employer give you any safe practice instructions on how to use the equipment? During one of the stages of the workers comp processes, an evaluating doctor asked her, “Do you use small hand tools or do small tasks with your arms outreached, particularly overhead?” Of course, the answer was “Yes.” She had spent several years in venues using crank-lift towers to lift lighting trusses, crescent wrenches to torque C-clamps, ratchets to tighten truss bolts, and then carrying and twisting hundreds of miles of cables. That made me think.
What Can Employers Do to Help?
The unions and labor providers of the world can present poor ergonomics as a real hazard. Labor providers can do more than OSHA 10 & 30-hour online training courses. Without going full Tai chi, employers can provide a few moments for stretching and preparing for work. Employers can encourage everyone to be responsible for themselves and others. Just because no one is forcing you to wear a hardhat or safety vest doesn’t mean it is not safer for you to do so. The same applies to being more ergonomically aware and strive to establish better practices. Employers can destigmatize the need to take a few moments to stretch and limber up by providing a clean, quiet place to stretch.
What Can Manufacturers Do to Help?
Manufacturers can design products with useful handles. They can put handles on consoles, cases, racks, bins and especially fixtures. Fixture manufacturers can consider the technician carrying the fixtures and try to keep their technology below 70 lbs. Case manufacturers can consider putting handles in high and low positions to help the guys taking the larger cases off the truck and down the loading ramp. Console manufacturers can consider the programmer and provide an elbow rest, ergonomic design, and easily reachable touch screens.
Some of the more esteemed readers of this column will think this is old hat. But with some effort, we can help the next generation to learn these lessons without having to knock themselves silly.
