Bending

• forward bending or stooping—bending the body forwards and downward from the hips
• squatting or crouching—bending the legs at the knees and hips to a squat position (ErgoScience 1999).

Bending can be difficult for people who have back, hip, knee or ankle pain, restricted range of movement, physical disability or any other conditions that makes bending difficult. Bending could cause pain, strain or simply may not be possible due to physical limitations.

Many people who have physical disability are able to work in a variety of job types with support from aids and modifications.

Workplace solutions and adjustments

For people who have difficulty bending there are a range of strategies that can assist them including (Australian Safety and Compensation Council 2007):

• job redesign—to eliminate the need to bend or modify bending requirements, for example:
• storing heavier and frequently used items at waist level or raising the work surfaces
• provision of appropriate seating to help minimise bending
• training and workplace assessment—ensure that employees are provided with training in office ergonomics, safe work practices or in manual handling specific to the workplace and the person's requirements
• workplace assessments can identify any hazards or solutions to bending job requirements, for example, if a person is able to safely lift from a squatting posture, a ‘weight-lifters’ type squat may be a safe alternative
• provision of aids or other modifications to assist with bending tasks.

Bending can be supported in a general workplace by aids and modifications such as:

• chairs—low task
• desk angle boards
• reachers
• workstations for the office—adjustable

Bending in an industrial workplace may be supported by:

• carts—motorised
• chairs—low task
• cranes—mobile
• cranes—truck-mounted
• lift carriers
• suspended tools
• workstations for industrial settings—adjustable
• work platforms

Bending in the home environment can be supported by:

• chairs—low task
• lifters and carriers for mobility aids
• personal hygiene and grooming aids 
• trolleys
• tray mobiles—height adjustable

References

Australian Safety and Compensation Council 2007, OHS Practical Solutions Database, Australian Safety and Compensation Council, Canberra, viewed 2 May 2007, www.ascc.giv.au  and http://www.nohsc.gov.au/OHSInformation/Databases/OHSSolutions/hierarchy.htm

Independent Living Centres Australia Inc. 2007, Independent Living Centres Australia Inc., viewed 3 May 2007, http://www.ilcaustralia.org

Lechner, D 1999, ErgoScience: Job Demands Analysis, University of Alabama, Albama.

United States Department of Labor and United States Employment and Training Administration 1991, Revised Handbook for Analyzing Jobs, United States Department of Labor, Washington.

WorkCover New South Wales 2007, OHS Hazards, New South Wales Government, Sydney, viewed 3 May 2007, htp://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/Publications/OHS/Hazards/hazardhierarchy.htm