CIEE Ergonomic Intervention & Solutions 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nurse experiences low back pain from patient transfers. Which intervention provides the greatest long-term risk reduction?
- Back-strengthening exercise program
- Mechanical patient lift devices (Correct answer)
- Lifting technique retraining
- Scheduling lighter patients first
Correct answer: Mechanical patient lift devices
Mechanical lift devices eliminate manual patient handling forces, providing a sustained engineering control superior to training or administrative approaches.
Question 2: Which workstation adjustment most effectively reduces contact stress on the forearms for keyboard users?
- Raising the monitor 2 inches
- Providing a padded wrist rest used while typing
- Adding a padded forearm support edge to the desk (Correct answer)
- Switching to a vertical mouse
Correct answer: Adding a padded forearm support edge to the desk
A rounded, padded desk edge reduces contact stress on the forearms when workers rest arms against sharp desk edges during typing.
Question 3: Job rotation as an ergonomic administrative control is most effective when:
- Rotation is between tasks that use different muscle groups (Correct answer)
- All tasks are rotated regardless of similarity
- Rotation occurs only when workers complain
- Rotation is limited to senior employees
Correct answer: Rotation is between tasks that use different muscle groups
Effective job rotation distributes workload across different muscle groups to allow recovery; rotating between identical risk tasks provides no benefit.
Question 4: A grocery cashier develops shoulder and neck fatigue from a high checkout conveyor belt. The priority intervention should be:
- Prescribe anti-inflammatory medication
- Lower the conveyor belt height to near elbow level (Correct answer)
- Provide scheduled 5-minute breaks every hour
- Train the cashier in neutral posture
Correct answer: Lower the conveyor belt height to near elbow level
Lowering the conveyor to elbow height positions work within the neutral shoulder zone, directly removing the elevated-arm awkward posture.
Question 5: When redesigning a hand tool to reduce grip force requirements, which modification is most impactful?
- Painting the handle a high-visibility color
- Increasing handle diameter to optimal grip range (30–40 mm) (Correct answer)
- Shortening the tool handle by 20%
- Adding rubber grip tape to the existing handle
Correct answer: Increasing handle diameter to optimal grip range (30–40 mm)
A handle diameter in the 30–40 mm range maximizes grip strength output at lower muscular effort, directly reducing required grip force.
Question 6: Which approach best supports the sustainability of an ergonomic intervention program over time?
- One-time training sessions at program launch
- Ongoing surveillance, feedback loops, and periodic re-evaluation (Correct answer)
- Issuing PPE annually to all workers
- Publishing a company ergonomics policy statement
Correct answer: Ongoing surveillance, feedback loops, and periodic re-evaluation
Continuous monitoring, worker feedback, and periodic re-evaluation ensure interventions remain effective as tasks and workforce change.
Question 7: A data entry operator reports neck pain. Evaluation reveals the monitor is 10 inches below eye level. What is the correct fix?
- Provide a cervical collar
- Raise the monitor so the top of the screen is at or slightly below eye level (Correct answer)
- Instruct the worker to sit lower in the chair
- Rotate the operator to a non-computer task daily
Correct answer: Raise the monitor so the top of the screen is at or slightly below eye level
A monitor positioned so the top edge is at or slightly below eye level keeps the neck in a neutral, slightly flexed position, minimizing cervical strain.
CIEE Ergonomic Intervention & Solutions 3
A nurse experiences low back pain from patient transfers.
Which intervention provides the greatest long-term risk reduction?