Online Dictionaries

in this task i've used the online dictionary i used the merriam-webster http://www.m-w.com/ , i've read an article about safe at work y found it pretty interesting, i use the m-w ( dictionary) to figure out the meaning of some words that i didn't know.

SAFE AT WORK

Using the right hand tools can reduce on-the-job injuries

Is that hand tool your line worker is about to pick up really ergonomic? Research suggests that a large number of musculoskeletal disorders can be attributed to poorly designed or misused hand tools. These injuries can result in suffering, lost work days and economic costs.

Prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders is a high priority for agencies such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which recognizes the importance of design and selection of hand tools in strategies to reduce injuries of this type, as well as for organizations of all kinds where work-related injuries can impact both productivity and the bottom line.

Some tools are advertised as “ergonomic” or are designed with ergonomic features. In reality, a tool becomes “ergonomic” only when it fits the task you are performing, and it fits your hand without causing awkward postures, harmful contact pressures or other safety and health risks. If you use a tool that does not fit your hand or use the tool in a way it was not intended, you might develop an injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis or muscle strain. These injuries do not happen because of a single event, but rather, from repetitive movements performed over time. This kind of injury can lead to muscle, tendon, nerve, ligament, joint, cartilage, spinal disc or blood vessel damage, some of which can be permanent.

To the untrained eye, it may be difficult to evaluate tools from an ergonomic point of view. How do you choose the right hand tools for your team and the jobs they need to do? There are some simple guidelines that can make jobs considerably easier and reduce the risk of injury in the process.

The first consideration, before you even think about selecting a tool, is the job for which it will be used. Tools are designed for specific purposes, and using a tool for something other than its intended purpose can damage the tool and potentially cause you pain, discomfort or injury. You reduce the chances of being injured when you select a tool that fits the appropriate job.

Another consideration is the space in which the tool will be used. If a person is working in a tight space and the job will require a lot of force, you’ll want a tool that can be held with a power grip, where the fingers and thumb form a fist around the handle, permitting maximum contact and force for manipulating the tool. With a pinch grip, where only the fingers and thumb hold the tool, the force exerted will be reduced significantly and the work you will have to do to compensate will be much greater.
Another consideration for employees who work in a cramped space is the length of the tool’s handle. Using a long-handle tool may cause awkward postures or harmful contact pressure on the hand as more force is exerted. Using a short-handle tool can help them keep their wrists straight, both reducing pressure and improving work posture.

Other considerations to help you select tools that are ergonomically correct for the employee and the job include:
Tools without finger grooves are a better choice than those with grooves. If your fingers don’t fit the grooves, pressure from the grooves’ edges can injure your hands.
Tools with cushioning on the handles are more comfortable, provide a firmer grip and cut down on slippage.
If you are using double-handed gripping and cutting tools, spring-loaded handles that return to the open position automatically reduce muscle strain.
A clamp or a grip to hold an object in place for an extended time also can reduce or prevent muscle strain.
Handles of tools need to be long enough that their ends will not press into your palms, potentially damaging nerves and blood vessels.

http://www.iienet2.org/Details.aspx?id=13030

Words:

Awkward
-Definition : not easy to handle or deal with : requiring great skill, ingenuity, or care

-Function: Adjetive

-Synonyms: clumsy, gauche, graceless, inelegant, roughhewn, stiff, stilted

-Antonyms: graceful, suave, urbane

-Phrase: In reality, a tool becomes “ergonomic” only when it fits the task you are performing, and it fits your hand without causing awkward postures, harmful contact pressures or other safety and health risks.

Grip
-Definitionton: seize or hold firmly

-Function: noun or transitive verb

Doesn’t have synonyms or antonyms

-Phrase: With a pinch grip, where only the fingers and thumb hold the tool, the force exerted will be reduced significantly and the work you will have to do to compensate will be much greater.

Thumb
-Definition: the short thick digit of the human hand that is analogous in position to the big toe and differs from the other fingers in having only two phalanges, allowing greater freedom of movement, and being opposable to each of them

-Function: noun

Doesn’t have synonyms or antonyms

-Phrase: With a pinch grip, where only the fingers and thumb hold the tool, the force exerted will be reduced significantly and the work you will have to do to compensate will be much greater.