July 2008, Government Fleet - Feature
The Big Squeeze in Police Vehicles : More Equipment, Less Space
By Mike Scott
Mobile computers installed in police vehicles are a critical element of an officer’s job. Their use also presents potential ergonomic risks. Typical console-mounted laptops and keyboards require police to angle their bodies to the right to use the keyboard.
Laptop & Printer Mounts Important
Laptop and printer mounts from Ram Mounting Systems can generally be added to law enforcement vehicles in 10-15 minutes and require no drilling for installation. Those features allow mount installation to adhere to ergonomically friendly guidelines using a patented ball and socket joint, said Aaron Hersey, company director of marketing.
The joints allow ergonomic access to an in-vehicle keyboard and use of turn-and-tilt features for increased convenience and reduced physical stress, Hersey said. Officers only need one hand to use in-vehicle keyboards as part of the Ram Mounting products.
"Officers can swing their laptop screen left to right, up and down," Hersey said. "We allow the laptop mount to be moved easily from in front of the driver to between the two seats, away from the airbag deployment zone."
Ram Mounting Systems has also been developing console and printer mounts using one-handed adjustments as well as mounts for other data terminals. Ram researchers and developers have generated ideas for law enforcement applications with input from attendees at police and military tradeshows nationwide, Hersey said. The company also communicates with OEMs for manufacturer technology for which Ram makes customized mounts.
"Our mounts often fit together with other (vehicle hardware), similar to a Lego system, because we realize the importance of creating efficient solutions focused on ergonomic health," Hersey explained. "There is a desire for an extreme amount of versatility and adjustability in vehicle mounts."
A visit to Ram Mounting Systems’ Web site reveals a wide variety of mostly interchangeable component parts. The system can be built up from the floor of the police vehicle. Telescoping vertical posts and pivoting arms lead to a ball mount allowing any angle of tilt or pivot for the product. The vertical posts can be ordered in a variety of heights, and floor mounts are available for most domestic vehicles used as police cars.
While it is impossible to have a laptop screen directly in front of the officer in the vehicle’s driver seat, the officer can, with the proper components, turn the passenger seat into an ergonomically acceptable workstation. For today’s law enforcement agencies, this is as much a consideration as physical safety.
"Vehicle safety is not only about cutting down on accidents, but also reducing the potential for physical ailments," McLendon said.
Detachable Keyboards Mitigate Ergonomic Risks
Mobile computers installed in police vehicles are a critical element of an officer’s job. Their use also presents potential ergonomic risks. Typical console-mounted laptops and keyboards require police to angle their bodies to the right to use the keyboard.
This movement can create an unnatural rotation for officers, in which their back, wrists, hands, neck, and shoulders are positioned incorrectly, leading to pain or other long-term posture problems. This has led to the development of detachable keyboards that fit on a keyboard holder mounted securely over the steering wheel in an ergonomically correct position.
The typical, ergonomically friendly, in-vehicle hardware should allow officers to maintain an ergonomically correct typing position on a stable typing platform, said James Goldstein, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at William Beaumont Hospital. The nature of the job must allow a forward-oriented field of vision. The most common injuries resulting from driving and using technology are often back and neck strain.
A stable keyboard on which to type is also critical, Goldstein said.
Anytime an individual is standing or sitting in the same place for many hours and then makes sudden movements, he or she is at risk for ergonomic, back, neck, and other issues, Goldstein said. "That’s nothing to compare with the safety issue."
StacoSwitch markets an ergonomically friendly steering wheel keyboard holder. Many agencies require officers to process information from their vehicles at the steering wheel, and the StacoSwitch product is designed so officers can write reports, complete records checks, and make other calls without shifting their bodies.
"I remain in a comfortable position, and the officer safety benefits are significant, too," said Mary Munger, designer of the Steering Wheel Keyboard Holder and a police officer with the Lakewood, Colo., police department. "My field of vision remains up because I am sitting in the same position I would be in if I was driving down the street."
"We’re asked to process so much information using so much technology within our vehicles that it’s great our department has invested in (officer health)," Munger said.
The company’s waterproof keyboards and steering wheel keyboard holder allow users to comfortably input data with both hands into vehicle-mounted computers and laptops. The officer is then focused in a forward position without physical contortion.