Ergonomics for hairdressers Hairdressers by the nature of their activities are prone to work related injuries, both acute and chronic. Studies imply as many as 71% of the profession are ‘carrying’ injuries at any one time. In many instances the chronic ones that creep up on you are more serious. This article is aimed at helping to help yourself and others reduce the hazard and consequences of work related injuries that can lead to non- productive days off and worst still long term health problems. Constant standing on a hard concrete floor for long periods puts results in stress to your feet, knees, and back. Prolonged exposure to this hazard can lead to lower back and leg issues such as aching joints and varicose veins. The risk of these ailments can be reduced by the provision of a rubber anti-fatigue mat. This simple addition will provide some cushioning of the focused weight, taking pressure off the joints. Similarly taking seated tasks and breaks in between clients will help invigorate the body and reduce chronic aches and pains. If seated breaks or activities are not an option at times, provision of a saddle seat will give something to lean against during tasks. A more cost efficient method would be to get into the habit of swapping weight between legs and wearing good supportive footwear. The unnatural back position during shampooing can lead to lower back pains. Ideally the approach and posture adopted should almost be that for manual handling. Spread the feed and bending the knees whilst keeping the back as straight as possible. When cutting hair be sure that the client is at the most comfortable height for you to work at. Elevated, outstretched arms can create pressure on the neck, arms and back. Eventually fatigue may lead to knotted muscles and loss of feeling, numbness or aching in the arms. A routine of stretches or quickly tensing and releasing the muscles between clients will help to maintain circulation and free knots. Getting into what could be new habits can be difficult. It will be a very conscious effort at first. Glancing now and again in the mirror will help you to correct your bad habits. Change your grip frequently on tools like the dryer to keep your wrists straight. Tendinitis of the thumb or forearm muscles is a common ailment in the hairdressing industry. A good pair of scissors can reduce this risk. Keeping the blades sharp will reduce the pressure needed to cut which, given the repetitiveness of the task will have an incremental impact. Avoiding excessive bending of the wrist and awkward positions is imperative. Try to keep the tension in your forearms as little as possible, and an early warning indicator of bad posture. As with most industries, occupational hazards exist. Repetition and posture place long term stress on the body. Correct posture can help prevent both short term fatigue and chronic, long term discomfort. Try not to take short cuts by forgoing good posture and encourage colleagues to remind each other when they are slipping into poor practice.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 18:31:12 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015