Bio-environmental office provides ergonomic training Published Sept. 5, 2012 By Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Foster 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Many offices around base are responsible for multiple jobs and Hanscom's bio-environmental office is no exception. The six person office performs various tasks that ensure base residents and workers are safe every day. The main goal of the Bio-environmental office is to evaluate work areas and reduce hazards by training or changing processes. One responsibility is checking the water quality to make sure it's safe to consume. Samples are taken from nine different sites around the base to be tested. The office also performs indoor air quality assessments, which checks the carbon dioxide, relative humidity and temperature levels to ensure they are in the recommended range. "We provide emergency response for the base in a CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) situation or hazmat spill," said Capt. Ricardo De Jesus, Aerospace and Operational Medicine flight commander. "We also conduct occupational health assessment for 33 shops and perform the gas mask fit test for every member who is mobility qualified." Another responsibility of the BE office is to provide ergonomic screening and awareness. The office provides work site ergonomic screening during shop surveys to determine if an ergonomic analysis is necessary. "We provide ergonomic awareness education and training to supervisors, workers, health care providers and other installation personnel to assist units in complying with their annual safety training requirements," said De Jesus. "Education and training will be given to employees who have been identified as performing high risk tasks or upon request by the worksite supervisor." Once training is complete, the office assists supervisors in selecting the appropriate control measures to eliminate, or at least minimize, ergonomic risk factors and assist in modifying the workplace if necessary. An ergonomic evaluation takes approximately 30 minutes to accomplish and begins with an interview to see what a typical day looks like for the user. This may be a viable option for the many offices that have relocated over the past several weeks. "There are a lot of issues brought on by recurring administrative tasks on Hanscom," said Staff Sgt. James Caruso, Occupational Health technician. "It is known that prolonged repetitive motions and posture will affect one's extremities, breathing and eye sight. If we find problems, we make adjustments on the spot with items such as a monitor, phone, keyboard and mouse." During the evaluation, users will perform their normal tasks while the evaluator notes what needs to be corrected. According to the Administrative Ergonomics Checklist, work organization, such as how long a user is working at a computer daily, work station set up and the user's chair are all important factors. Some work organization concerns can be lessened if workers are able to take frequent short breaks, one to two minutes every 15 to 20 minutes, when using the computer for more than four hours a day. Also, being able to alternate positions or locations throughout the day can help alleviate issues that are brought on by repetitive tasks. Follow-up surveys are conducted three months after the initial visit to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented controls. "Ergonomics is for everyone," De Jesus said. "Whether you work at a desk or on the flight line, ergonomics can be applied and used to reduce injuries." To schedule an ergonomic screening appointment, or supervisor training, call 781-225-6366.