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Show Page D8 THE DAILY HBRALD, Provo, Utah. Sunday, December 13. 1W8 .YcsififiioMrao'y Temporary By CAROL KLE1MAN jjcsfe Employees in Shawnee, Kans. Chicago Tribune CHICAGO Every day, some 2,2 million people in the United States work for a temporary firm. "Eighty percent do so because they can't find a full time job, but the remaining 20 percent want the flexibility these assignments afford them," said Preston Conner, president of the National Association of Part-Tim- e and The association focuses on concerns of nontraditional workers and also offers benefit plans to members. "People want more control over their schedules in order to balance work and family and to get more variety in their lives," said Conner, who works evenings and weekends as a researcher on public policy. "The increase (of temporary too tiCu workers seeking balance) began in the early 1990s, following mass layoffs," said Patrick J. Dolan, vice president of marketing and business development for Olsten Staffing Servk-ein "Workers realized Chicago. they're responsible for their quality of life." Quality of life. That's what led Steve Sanderson in April to quit his grueling job as chief financial officer for a construction firm, where he worked 60 hours a s Itoc week, including evenings and Saturdays. He now works 37.5 hours a week for Re:sources Connection, a project staffing firm based in Santa Ana, Calif It's a division of Deloitte & Chicago, his third assignment for ReiSources. He and his wife, Marilyn Sanderson, who teaches English part time, have two children, Stephanie, 12. and Elliot, 14. Touche. "I get the same pay as I did in my job and now have time for things I couldn't do before," said Sanderson, age 50. Since August, he's been interim chief financial officer for the Board of Trade Clearing Corp. in Downers Grove Children's choir," said Sanderson. "I never could pick her up after practice. Now her mom drives her and I'm the one picking her up. It's special time for me and her." He also plays basketball with his son and full-tim- e "My daughter sings in the Gififii& helps out with homework,. "It's critical to be there to help steer your kids in the right direction," he said. , And between assignments, the family takes vacations. "We even went to a wedding in New York and climbed the Statue of Liberty," said Sanderson, also president of the Downers Grove Area School Board Caucus and a volunteer for Public Action-t- o Deliver Shelter (PADS- )- in DuPageCo. How to protect your health at the workstation By MIC HELE HIMMELBERG 'V . J .1 ,ji.lr The Orange County Register SANTA ANA, Calif. m Ol A marathon runner would never run a race with shoes that were too tight, or with the laces untied. And yet "computer athletes" compete every day with equipment that is either or inappropriate poorly adjusted. Not surprisingly, it's causing plenty of injuries. About 75 million U.S. workers use computers on a daily basis. Those who sit connected to a monitor and keyboard for four or more hours a day have been dubbed "computer athletes" by Tom Albin, an ergonomist with 3M. The manufacturing company has forces with the joined American Chiropractic Association to try to prevent many of the injuries suffered by U.S. workers. The strain and pain of daily computer use sent 20 million workers to chiropractors last year, looking for relief. Nearly of all workplace illnesses are related to cumulative trauma disorders, reports of the Bureau Labor Statistics. Those injuries, caused by repetitive motions ;such as keyboarding, cost employers $20 billion annually in medical costs and lost work days. Many of the injuries are connected to poor ergonomics. Workers either don't know how to adjust their chairs, monitors and equipment to prevent injuries, or they get too busy to pay attention on a daily basis. 3M has established a Web site with tips on how to evaluate a work station two-third- m m mm . y ITU ft U yj U i Hi r (HI lit HUM .1 J H mmm nlf..llfsTN-nn - 1 0 c& III tit x n n fts-v- r' ran ww sua M MM o 5 s self-hel- hi p (http:www.3m.comergono are some of the mics). Here tips: Make sure your computer monitor is at the right height. Monitors should be no higher than eye level. One of the best preventive measures is proper posture. Sit in a chair adjusted for your height and make sure it provides adequate support for the lower back. Place your feet on the floor or on a footrest. Don't cradle the phone between your ear and shoulder. Use a headset or speaker-phone- . Use a wrist rest for support. A 3M study found that using wrist rests will keep the wrist in a neutral position, thereby reducing the stress on the wrists and hands. Adjust your keyboard height and tilt to maintain a relaxed, neutral posture for the shoulders, elbows and wrists. This helps reduce stress on the shoulder, arm and hand. Place the mouse in the approximately optimal area inside shoulder width. Studies show that placing the mouse outside this area increases the risk of shoulder strain. Take a break. Sitting or typing for long periods is not only uncomfortable, it increases the risk of serious long-terproblems. Change your position regularly, stretch or take a walk around the office. Experts say this relieves muscle stress and preserves your energy throughout the day. For a free brochure about computer workstation safety, call the ACA at (800) H(i (Mil IBuDte Gild LFtmir WW jii Sign up for AirTouch Digital now, and get 1 ,000 evening and weekend minutes, plus 20 anytime minutes a month for the lowest price ever, only $9.99 a month, until the year 2000. That's less than a penny a minute! And only ten dollars a month! 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