Environmental Health & Safety
Ergonomic Services
Non-office related ergonomic concerns: If your ergonomic concern is not related to an office/computer workstation, please call Environmental Health & Safety's main office at 275-3241 to discuss the concern and any follow-up needed.
Office/Computer Workstation concerns:A process has been implemented for requesting ergonomic computer workplace assessments to better serve our customers and also help us track the numerous requests we are receiving. You can begin the process by going to the EH&S website http://www.safety.rochester.edu/SMH115.html. Then follow these steps:
- Click on "University Employee Reporting" (blue button in the middle of the page)
- Log in with your UR Active Directory username and password
- Select "Report Event"
- Select "Ergonomic Concern/Request"
This will take you to a short request form that will trigger the system to send you an e-mail link to an ergonomic self-assessment form once you indicate that you have not completed a self-assessment in the last 60 days. You should use that form to help you assess your workstation and determine how things should be set up for you. If there are changes that are indicated, they should be made.
With the changes implemented, we recommend that you work for some time (approximately two weeks) to give you time to acclimate and allow the changes to take effect. If, after you've given the changes some time to work, you still experience problems, and need assistance, you can call the main EH&S office at 275-3241 to request an in-person ergonomic assessment. We ask that you discuss the matter with your supervisor prior to calling EH&S. If you have any questions accessing the system, please call Environmental Health and Safety at 275-3241.
The ergonomic assessment process is relatively easy and usually takes about a half hour for a standard computer work station. If you have a more complicated job with multiple task areas, it may take somewhat longer. Normally, no preparation is required on your part.
We usually start off with a few questions to gain an understanding of the work you do, any problems you're experiencing, and any injuries or relevant medical conditions you might have. We may also take a few measurements.
We will then observe you for a short time as you perform your regular tasks, working as normally as you can. It's important to understand that we're not evaluating "how well you do your job" - there are no "right" or "wrong" answers - instead, we're looking at the physical demands your tasks place on you in terms of ergonomic risk factors: application of force, use of extreme postures, repetitive motions, etc., and how your work station and chair fits you. We try not to interfere with your work, but we may ask a few questions to clarify what we're seeing. You can feel free to ask us questions as well.
Often, we'll assist with making basic adjustments to improve the ergonomics of your work station on the spot (the adjustments will probably feel very strange at first; it takes a few days to really determine whether the changes are better, worse, or simply different, so please do give them a chance).
After the observations are done, we'll generate a report detailing our findings and recommendations and distribute it by e-mail.
There is no charge to your department for our ergonomic services. If equipment changes are recommended and a purchase is required, however, your department will need to handle it through your normal purchasing process.
We have additional information on computer ergonomics available at
- http://www.safety.rochester.edu/ih/ergonomic/pdf/officeergochecklist.pdf
- http://www.safety.rochester.edu/ih/videodisplay.html
We can also help with other ergonomic questions beyond office equipment. For additional information on ergonomic issues in laboratories, patient care, and hand and power tools, as well as information on selecting furniture, equipment, and accessories, check out the U of R Ergonomics Program at http://www.safety.rochester.edu/ih/ergonomic/ergonomics.html.
QUESTIONS or COMMENTS?
Contact EH&S at (585) 275-3241 or e-mail EH&S Questions.
This page last updated 7/8/2022. Disclaimer.
