Contact Stress

Contact stress can occur when part of your body rubs against a component of the workstation, such as hard or sharp surfaces. Certain areas of the body, such as fingers, palms, wrists, forearms, elbows, and knees, are more vulnerable to contact stress because nerves, tendons, and blood vessels are close to the skin and underlying bones.

Contact stress can occur when a worker kneels on a hard surface, rests forearms against a work table with sharp edges, or uses a tool that digs into the palm and fingers.

Workers can reduce contact stress by doing the following:

• Dispersing the weight of their arms over a large surface area
• Padding sharp or hard edges
• Padding their arms and elbows by placing pads in work clothes
• Making sure to have enough leg room
• Using chairs with deep seat pans

To learn more about Labor & Industry Ergonomics visit our Labor & Industry Ergonomics Online Training web page.