Ergonomics is the practice of fitting the job to the worker, which may include avoiding tasks that can lead to injury. This helps employers design jobs or workplaces to match workers' capabilities and limitations.

Ergonomists have found a number of jobs where there is a high occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders and have found some common underlying conditions.

According to Department of Enterprise Services Safety Manager Robyn Herring, here's the top five areas that employees could improve on ergonomically at a computer workstation.

1. Feet not flat on floor or footrest - the goal is to support the weight of your legs on your feet to reduce the pressure on the back of legs. You shouldn't work with your feet resting on the legs of the chair or tucked underneath you.

2. Reaching for the mouse - your mouse should be close to and on the same plane as the keyboard so you don't have to reach for the mouse.

3. Leaning forward to view monitor - your monitor should be an arm's length away. If you lean in to read the monitor, either enlarge the font on the screen or move the monitor closer.

4. Micro-breaks - you should change your position frequently. Get up to talk to a coworker instead of sending an email. Raise your desk to standing height and back to sitting one or more times an hour. Mouse with your opposite hand periodically. The goal is to engage a wide range of muscles throughout your workday.

5. Adjust your chair and workstation to find what works best for you - try out all the adjustments on your chair to learn what they do and find the position that works best for you. 

The most common causes of strains and sprains in Alabama workplaces according to L&I are:

• Slips, trips and falls
• Overexertion - lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, and other physical demands
• Posture or movement - bending, reaching, twisting, crawling, repetitive motions.

To prevent strains, dislocations and muscle tears, make sure you lift properly.