InformationWeek

"It doesn't matter where the injury took place-whether it's job-related or due to a home hobby. We help with any injury that affects our employees," Kitts says. "The goal is risk management and helping to make all employees productive and less injury-prone."

Following a few weeks of at-home recovery, Redman's workspace was retrofitted with ergonomic equipment, which she first tested in the lab. Instead of the standard keyboard, she found that a split keyboard eased her hand pain. Adjusting the monitor's height and incorporating wrist-support devices lessened her shoulder ache.

"My neck and shoulder strain has been greatly decreased by the new equipment," says Redman, one of 1,500 employees at SAS's Cary, N.C., headquarters. The company has 7,000 employees worldwide.

Beyond the equipment, Kitts says they were able to head off future back injuries by teaching Redman how to sit correctly at her desk. Getting employees to give up contortionist postures for more body-friendly and less stressful positions is a vital preventive measure. Kitts likens the typical posture to the Heisman Trophy, a statue depicting a football player twisting at the waist and sticking his arm out to elude a tackler.

"What we find, every day, are employees with one hand on the mouse and one arm outstretched, a scenario which puts all sorts of bad pressure and weight on back and neck areas," Kitts says. "It's the No. 1 reason people experience ergonomic injuries."

Other culprits include employees not taking breaks during the day-to improve the cardiovascular system, ease neck and back pressure, and give fingers and hands a rest. Many employees are reluctant to take short breaks for fear of reprisal from management, says consultant Adams.

Repetitive motion by hands and fingers, which can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, has increased dramatically due to increased employee computer use. Ergonomic specialists say Internet use has added to hand and finger strain.

In the past decade, the Office Ergonomics Research Committee-a business-sponsored group led by ergonomic consultant Bettendorf-has studied injuries, pain, and fatigue due to office work. Its members include Aetna, Compaq, Delta Air Lines, and IBM. Current efforts include determining the effect of ergonomic intervention and stress management on workers, studies about carpal tunnel syndrome, and the effect of job stress on nervous system activity.

Bettendorf says many ergonomic solutions aren't costly, nor do they require special equipment. Rather, he says, they require a change in how an employee works. A recent ergonomics committee study on computer keyboard use found that users strike keys with four to seven times the necessary force, which could contribute to hand and finger injuries.