PAS Workplace Ergonomic Interventions 3

Question 1

A data entry specialist complains of numbness in the 4th and 5th fingers. The MOST likely ergonomic cause is:

Accepted Answer

Resting the medial elbow on a hard desk edge compressing the ulnar nerve

Answer

Hard-edge elbow resting compresses the ulnar nerve at the cubital tunnel, producing numbness in the ring and little fingers.

Question 2

When evaluating a warehouse picker for shoulder impingement risk, which overhead reaching threshold is most clinically significant?

Accepted Answer

Sustained shoulder abduction or flexion exceeding 60° for more than 2 hours per shift

Answer

Sustained shoulder elevation beyond 60° narrows the subacromial space and is a primary ergonomic risk factor for impingement.

Question 3

For a sit-stand desk program to effectively reduce lumbar loading, the transition guideline most supported by evidence is:

Accepted Answer

Alternating 30–45 minutes seated with 15–20 minutes standing throughout the day

Answer

30–45 minute seated intervals followed by 15–20 minute standing periods reduce cumulative spinal loading while preventing lower extremity fatigue.

Question 4

A PAS practitioner identifies that a grocery cashier's scanning motion requires 30° of repetitive wrist ulnar deviation. The BEST ergonomic fix is:

Accepted Answer

Repositioning the scanner so items move toward the cashier rather than sweeping across the body

Answer

Redesigning the task motion path eliminates the ulnar deviation pattern at its source rather than compensating for it.

Question 5

Which assessment tool is MOST appropriate for quantifying cumulative ergonomic exposure across multiple tasks in a workday for a PAS client?

Accepted Answer

Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) applied to each task with time-weighted averaging

Answer

REBA captures whole-body posture across tasks and time-weighting aggregates cumulative exposure, providing a comprehensive risk picture.

(PAS) Postural Alignment Specialist Practice Test