Many of us have had to endure an uncomfortable chair, a freezing cold office, or a monitor balanced precariously atop a pile of phone books. According to the study of ergonomics, the science of designing safe and comfortable machines, these unsuitable or makeshift set-ups are dangerous to our health. Work-related injuries can lead to increased medical costs and lost work time.

Improper equipment or working conditions can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) -- injury to a muscle, nerve, or joint. In most workplaces, MSDs are caused by exposure to repetitive movements, awkward postures, and contact stress. You've probably heard of "carpal tunnel syndrome," an MSD that affects the hand and wrist, often caused by repetitive motion trauma at the keyboard.

The good news is that there are changes you can make in your small business to create a safer environment. Your business doesn't necessarily have to start replacing all the office furniture with pricey "ergonomically-correct" chairs and desks. Educating your employees on suitable workspace behavior can be just as effective.

The following are behaviors that put workers at risk:

• Performing repetitive movements or using a device steadily for more than four hours daily.
  
• Lifting or pushing heavy objects more than two hours per day.
  
• Holding an awkward or unnatural posture more than two hours daily.
  
• Hitting objects with the hands or other body part more than two hours per day.
  
• Using tools or equipment with high vibration levels more than 30 minutes daily.

What You Can Do
Sharing these tips and techniques can help them understand the importance of proper ergonomics and prevent painful, preventable repetitive stress injury, while improving productivity.

• Break up repetitious work
  Advise your employees to switch between tasks that require different movements. They don't have to stop working to do this -- for example, an employee who spends a great deal of time in front of the computer typing could intersperse that time with filing, which may require standing and different hand and leg positions. This will prevent the fatiguing of one set of muscles or joints, while maintaining, and even enhancing, productivity.
  
• Eliminate hard surfaces
  Minimizing your employee's contact with hard surfaces can greatly reduce the risk of contact injury, which the wrists and elbows are particularly susceptible to. Provide desk pads where appropriate, supple mousing surfaces, wrist rests or padded arms for their chairs.
  
• Maintain your workplace temperature at moderate levels
  Injury is more likely to occur in cold muscles and joints because they tend to be less flexible. If the hands and fingers are cold, circulation is impaired. If it is impossible for you to maintain a temperate climate your workspace, encourage your employees to wear gloves, even if the gloves are fingerless.

What Your Employees Can Do
The following are tips to help your employees minimize their risk of MSDs in the workplace. Email or post these tips in your office:

• Relax the muscles
  In this fast-paced world of deadlines and long hours, it's easy to exhibit one of the first visible signs of stress -- the shoulder curl. Tension gathers in the shoulders, neck, and upper back. The hardest part of correcting this posture may be realizing you are doing it. It might help to put a note on your monitor or other place where you look frequently reminding you to relax. Relaxing your arms, legs, and shoulders diminishes fatigue and can also help other potential trouble spots, such as hips, elbows, and wrists, fall into their natural position.
  
• Don't overextend your joints
  Avoid holding your joints at the extremes of their range of motion. For example, flex your wrist downward until you can't go any further. Then flex upward as far as you can. The best position for your wrist is between those two extremes. That is the posture that puts the least stress on your joints, while also allowing steady blood flow to the hands.
  
• Use smooth, even movements
  Snapping the wrist or jerking the limbs can injure your joints.
  
• Move around
  Change posture, position, and activity frequently, even if it only means uncrossing the legs, sitting back a little, or stretching the back and neck.
  
• Try to take breaks before you are fatigued, stiff, or in pain
  Sometimes we don't realize our bad posture until our back begins to ache. Try to be more aware of your body positioning throughout the day. If you've been sitting for an hour or two, get up and stretch. Even the smallest breaks can increase your body's resistance to MSDs.

Educate and encourage your employees to get involved, and take steps to avoid office injury. If you raise awareness and encourage ergonomically-correct workplace behavior, you may avoid having to buy that expensive ergonomically-correct chair.