Every year, companies pay millions of dollars in medical costs for workplace injuries, and employees suffer needlessly from work-induced back pain, neck disorders, and other physical ailments that could have been prevented. This book offers a basic understanding of ergonomics and shows step-by-step how its principles can be used to identify and correct health hazards at work. The book provides human performance specialists, trainers, and others with powerful tools for reducing the number of injuries and illnesses, promoting safety, cutting medical expenses, and improving productivity. Drawing on numerous scientific studies - and on his experience in assessing ergonomic problems in diverse workplaces nationwide - Lee T. Ostrom provides a systematic approach for improving the physical design of any workplace - including reproducible checklists and worksheets for performing ergonomic assessments and a variety of practical, cost-effective solutions - from adjusting chairs to lowering computer keyboards, taking frequent microbreaks, and finding new ways of performing repetitive tasks - for preventing work-related health problems. Creating the Ergonomically Sound Workplace explains how to understand the ways in which various work activities and workplace layouts affect employee health, select and arrange office furniture to promote good posture and ease of motion, help employees recognize the causes of such common problems as eye strain and tendonitis - and reorganize and pace their work to avoid them, use glare screens, arm supports, wrist rests, and other aids to reduce physical strain, and conduct follow-up assessments to ensure long-term safety and optimal performance.