Monitoring Monday – Health and safety concerns for microscope use.

Long-term microscope viewing sessions can create problems for people who use the instruments. To view specimens, microscope operators often assume an awkward posture. Their head is bent over the eye tubes, the upper part of the body bent forward, the hand reaching high up for a focusing control, and the wrists are bent in unnatural positions all of which can cause operators to suffer from pain or injury to the neck, wrists, back, shoulders, and arms if they don’t pay careful attention to their posture. Eyestrain is also very common when working with microscopes. This is due to the narrow field of view from most microscope eyepieces. All these risks are more prevalent if microscope users spend long periods of time at the microscope. Thankfully a lot can be done to prevent these effects by adapting workplaces and microscopes to users, properly maintaining microscopes, having correct posture when operating a microscope, and using eye strain reducing habits.

Microscope Ergonomics: Adapting Workplaces and Microscopes to Users

Finding the right working posture and working comfortably is what ergonomics is about. An ergonomic microscope workstation focuses on the operator rather than the microscope. These ergonomics enhance user comfort and increase efficiency.

A good starting point is supporting an upright posture. No joint should be bent at an unnatural angle over a long period of time. The overall microscope height, viewing height, and viewing angle should be adjustable, so that the microscope can be perfectly adapted to the individual. Typically, more than one person uses the same microscope, so an ideal workplace should be flexible and adaptable to the physique of different users:

Tables and chairs both need to be adjusted to fit the operator, allowing the operator to rest their feet on the ground, receive lumbar spine support and rest their lower arms comfortably on the table. If possible, use a height adjustable table. This also microscope users to benefit from dividing their time between standing up and sitting down while working.

Use a chair that provides good back and thigh support. The chair should be adjustable, so that users can sit in a relaxed, upright position. Microscope operators also benefit from a lumbar support to reduce tension of the spine. Set the chair or table height so that shoulders can be relaxed close to the side, eyes aligned with the microscope eyepiece, chin tucked back and not lifted, and forearms supported on cushions. Operators should be able to sit with their back against the back rest and feet on the floor, supported on the chair ring, or a footrest. Avoid keeping supplies or other objects under the desk so that leg room will always be available.

Additional ergonomic solutions can be achieved by choosing a microscope with an adjustable eyepiece or that is compatible with various accessories that can change the height, viewing height, and viewing angle of the microscope. Changing to an ergonomically designed microscope and a digital microscope helps. Digital microscopes do away with eyepieces altogether and use a monitor to display the sample. Looking at a monitor allows the operator to look straight ahead and requires no customized adjustment of the microscope.

Maintaining Your Microscope to Reduce Eye Strain

Properly maintaining your microscope can help to reduce eye strain. Make sure to keep the lens and eyepieces on microscopes dust and dirt free. Dust issues can be reduced by keeping a cover over microscopes whenever they are not in use. For longer term storage consider keeping it in a case. When needed, use a microscope cleaning kit to clean lenses and to wipe down the stand and other components.

Eye strain can result from misaligned optics in your microscope. Unfortunately, misaligned optics can result from improperly carrying or dropping the microscope, attaching a camera to the eye tube, and wear from use and adjustments over time. Correcting these types of conditions and properly realigning the microscope should be done by a professional microscope optics repair service.

Healthy Microscope Habits

• Alternate between sitting down and standing up to avoid sitting in the same position for longer periods of time. Every 30-60 minutes, get up to stretch and move.
• Like other tasks that require a lot of concentration, using a microscope for hours on end will tire you out. For that reason, take a break every 15 minutes, relax your eyes, and do some eye exercises.
• Palming - To do the exercise, start by rubbing your hands together to create a bit of heat. Then, close your eyes and place the palm of your hands over your eyes for a few minutes. The heat from your hands will relax the muscles around the eyes and reduce eye fatigue.
• Blinking - When using a microscope eyepiece, you might forget to blink which in turn will dry out your eyes. Taking a few moments to blink and rehydrate your eyes can therefore help reduce eyestrain as well.
• Change Focus - Take a few moments to look around the room. Find an object that’s close to you and let your eyes focus on it for a few seconds. Then, find an object that’s further away and focus on that for a few seconds. Do this a couple of times to relax your eyes.
• Eyerolls – This exercise online done by closing your eyes and roll them clockwise before rolling them counterclockwise. Do this a couple of times.
• Don't use a microscope for more than 5 hours per day. Spread the use out over the entire workday.
  • Avoid long hours at the microscope by doing other tasks throughout the day that doesn’t require a microscope.
  • Spread microscope work between several people.

Erick Burres

Clean Water Team Coordinator

California Water Quality Collaboration Network Facilitator

Safe to Swim Network Co-facilitator

Email: erick.burres@waterboards.ca.gov

Phone: 213 712 6862 mobile

Mailing address: Erick Burres – Clean Water Team C/O SARWQCB - 3737 Main Street, Suite 500, Riverside, CA 92501