Does a keyboard tray result in lower discomfort in the hands/wrist?
56 percent of the audience said yes, which is correct. • Are laptop users at increased risk of developing work-related discomfort? 90 percent of the audience said yes, which is incorrect. • Does knowledge of ergonomics have an impact on work-related discomfort? 87 percent of the audience said yes, which is correct. The results illustrate that the audience (safety, health and ergonomics professionals) is correct in their assumptions on 60 percent of the questions. This does not mean that we are analyzing jobs incorrectly and recommending poor solutions 40 percent of the time. Instead, this result instills some simple recommendations for anyone performing office ergonomics assessments: • Do not let personal biases and opinions completely rule your approach and responses when performing an assessment. • Use research and hard data to guide and justify your approach whenever possible. • Look deeper into a situation to understand why the difference in risk exists. This last recommendation de
