Clerical Services ESP —
Building a Quality Workforce

Health and Safety: Protecting the Individual Employee

Ergonomics and Repetitive Stress Injuries

The jobs clerical workers perform often involve repetition, prolonged and awkward postures in non-adjustable and unforgiving work stations, inadequate rest between tasks, static muscle loading, temperature changes, noise, and vibration. These factors can cause an array of musculo-skeletal injuries resulting in cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs).

Ergonomics is the study of the interaction of employees and the equipment and tools with which they work. Of the many different kinds of office equipment used by Clerical Services ESP, the computer is ergonomically the worst offender. Improper posture and hand and wrist placement when using a computer keyboard can injure many parts of the body. Injuries, especially carpal tunnel syndrome, are approaching epidemic levels.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused when the hand and wrist movements are repeated day in and day out. The strain causes tendons to swell and press on the main nerve of the hand and can result in pain, numbness, and dysfunction not only in the hands and wrists, but up to the forearm and elbow as well. This problem can be minimized if clerical services employees are provided with adjustable equipment. The keyboard, monitor, chair, and document holders should all be able to be modified to suit individual needs.

Back problems can be caused by sitting for long periods of time. The stress of leaning over paperwork, sitting in an uncomfortable chair, and spending long hours in one position leaves many workers with aching, tired backs. Clerical services employees should be able to move around and rest their hands and arms. Short breaks throughout the day can vary the pace of the work and prevent strain injuries. Secretaries can be rotated among tasks that use different motions or muscles, and their jobs can be reorganized in ways that create more rest or variety.

Eyestrain, fatigue, and headaches can be caused when computer monitors are incorrectly positioned. Monitors should be at eye level and at least 28 inches away from the user. It is relatively easy to prevent these conditions, and appropriate treatment and care is cost-effective. Disorders neglected year after year can too often spiral into chronic illness or permanent disability. Administrators must pay much more attention to these problems to insure the health and well-being of all Clerical Services ESP.

Bloodborne Pathogens

Clerical Services ESP sometimes come into contact with blood and body fluids in their work environment. These materials may contain pathogens, organisms that can cause serious disease. The Bloodborne Pathogen Standard was developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1991 to protect private employees with anticipated occupational exposure to these organisms. Of major concern are the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of AIDS. Since 1991, many states have adopted laws to protect public employees as well.

Much more information is available each year as the medical community gains greater understanding of each of these pathogen risks and how to prevent and treat them. Clerical Services ESP need current and complete information and training in order to effectively protect themselves and those for whom they are responsible.

Violent Student Behavior

Fighting and assaults at school usually occur away from the clerical services work area, but ESP often are responsible for supervising the students after an incident to see to the safety and well-being of the students, themselves, and others around them. Often the violence gets redirected towards the clerical services person, requiring a different response. Clerical services employees have the right at all times to both protect themselves and to maintain order and discipline as much as possible. Several basic steps should be observed in case of violence in the clerical services environment:

• Call for assistance, send someone for help, or call 911 if an altercation is out of control or violence is directed against you.
• Disperse any crowd in the area — by removing the audience, the motivation to fight may be reduced.
• Try to remove or push aside items from the area — this reduces the risk of further injury or harm and helps to eliminate their use as a weapon.
• Require that supervisors and administrators support actions taken by you on the scene.

Aside from the obvious, the difficulties that arise with violence against Clerical Services ESP can be extensive. Tremendous stress is created for employees who are subject to violence or responsible for controlling violence in their work environment. Professional development programs are desperately needed to provide specific skills so that employees can respond to violence appropriately in order to protect themselves on the job.

In addition to meaningful professional development, a joint worker-management health and safety committee with the administration could provide needed attention to a difficult and dangerous problem for Clerical Services ESP. A committee could gather current information, work to develop more meaningful training programs, and provide a psychological outlet for individuals exposed to violence.

If you are a victim of violence while on the job:

• Call for help immediately! (911, police, fire, etc.)
• Seek medical attention immediately! Insist on immediate medical diagnosis (emergency room) and treatment.
• Report all injuries to the school medical personnel (school nurse, EMT, etc.), the local police when necessary, and complete an accident report and/or file charges where appropriate.
• Contact your Local Association representative (your State or NEA UniServ Representative) immediately. They can help you document your case in order to file for appropriate medical coverage and compensation.
• Always record the time and date of the incident and document all of the facts. Immediately complete an incident report with your supervisor.

The "Lone Secretary"

Many public schools have begun to arrange for security and/or police protection on the public school campus. Unfortunately, however, some Boards of Education still do not address security issues for their personnel at all. It is not unusual to find the "lone secretary" in a work area. This can be a dangerous environment for that individual.

Given the existing environment, every school adult plays a part in public school security. Any plan designed to protect students and staff must always include Clerical Services ESP. It must also provide for individual security at all times for personnel working alone and unprotected. Has the district provided security training for Clerical Services ESP? Has the district appropriately included Clerical Services ESP in the "Intruder Response Plan"? Has the district provided the proper equipment for individuals working alone, such as cell phones, secure land lines, emergency and medical contacts, and an escape plan should it become necessary? Professional development should include meaningful training in areas such as:

• Local police and fire liaison
• Professionally developed intruder response plan
• Dealing with violent or disruptive students
• Individual employee liability
• District policy regarding weapons confiscation

To Section 6: The Myth: "Secretaries Just Type"