How long do you sit at your workstation on a daily basis? How often do you get up and move or stretch? Do you feel the aches and pains by the end of the day? Sure, you are aging but your workstation may be harming your body more than you realize. Let’s take a closer look at the ergonomics of your workstation and how making a few adjustments may improve your productivity and mood!
At M&H Consulting, part of our services include help with assessing and designing where and how to configure workspaces and stations to make your office highly productive and efficient. We also take into account ergonomics of the office space. Often when moving a company or helping set up a new office with IT components, we discuss some of these factors to make the space inviting and conducive to the type of workspace your trade needs.
What is Ergonomics?
Ergonomics is defined as the science of fitting the workplace to the user’s needs. Ergonomics aims to increase efficiency and productivity and reduce physical or mental discomfort. Consider for a moment the chair you sit in, the keyboard & mouse, the height of the desk, the lighting, the size and sharpness of the computer monitor, the temperature, and even the sounds in the area. Ergonomics also takes into account the need for movement throughout the day.
Ergonomic Factors
Now that you have taken a look at your work environment, take these risks into account when grading your workstation. The three risk factors that most office designers take into account when planning an office move or design are: force, frequency, and posture. Injuries caused by poor ergonomics are called musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and they often take months if not years to develop.
According to WC Insurance, “force” refers to the body movements such as clicking a mouse, typing on a keyboard, or writing with a pen. Contact force occurs when you press against a hard surface such as a desktop or a stapler. Combining force with harmful posture increases the chance for MSDs.
“Frequency” refers to the repetitive motions that can, over time, cause your muscles to become tense and tired. For example, many workstations require an employee to swivel their neck or waist back-and-forth between monitors or areas of the desk to complete assignments. Without rest, your muscles cannot recover for normal function and your muscles are at greater risk for MSDs. When you couple repetitive motion with excessive force or poor posture, the risk for MSDs increases exponentially.
Finally, “posture” refers to your body positioning whether you are sitting standing, stooping, or hunched over. Standing, sitting, and moving incorrectly put you at risk. Even good posture held too long can cause tension in muscles, reduce blood flow, and put a strain on tendons.
Solutions to Ergonomic Risks
One of the best things that employees can do to reduce their risk of strain due to posture, force, and frequency issues is to take frequent short breaks where they get up and move around. Not only will this allow the muscles to take a rest from repetitive motions but will get the blood flowing, and possibly reinvigorate the employee to complete the task at hand.
A correctly designed workstation can help immensely to reduce muscular issues and keep employees happy. Here are a few suggestions from ergonomics experts.
- To avoid posture problems, experts suggest keeping shoulders relaxed, elbows close to your body, forearms parallel to the floor, wrists straight, and knees even with or slightly lower than your hips, creating a 90- to 110-degree angle. Many employees find it helpful to have a footrest to raise their feet up and align the knees with the hips.
- To avoid frequency and force issues, try to take frequent but short breaks for your wrists that may be using a mouse or typing on a keyboard all day. Readjust the height of the chair at your desk to align with the top of the monitor and or document holder. Move frequently used items within an arm’s reach to avoid overstraining to get the things you use the most.
- For lighting and sound issues, experts stress that using a task lighting system can help cut back on the glare so often associated with looking at a computer monitor all day. Use noise reducing headphones or have your company invest in soundproofing the ceiling if you working in an open cubicle area. There is nothing worse than having ambient conversations give you a headache or interrupt your work.
If your office is relocating or setting up new workstations with computer tech, call M&H Consulting or drop us a line on our Facebook page or in the comments.
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