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Archive for the ‘Managing The Working Day’ Category
If you’ve ever spent several hours sitting a computer terminal, you’ll know how quickly it can lead to bad posture, which can then result in joint pain and repetitive strain injuries. With this in mind, how can you make sure that there are good ergonomics in your workplace. Fortunately, you don’t need to make radical changes to make this happen and this article will guide you through some relatively minor alterations that can be made to improve your posture and general health.
Feet
You should be able to plant your feet flat on the floor while you’re working at a desk. If you can’t do this, your office chair probably needs to be adjusted so that it’s at the right height. Tucking your feet under the chair puts a lot of pressure on the back of your knees, which can lead to knee pain further down the line.
Legs
Make sure that your desk has enough room underneath it so that your legs aren’t squashed up. If you’re constantly trying to fit your legs into space that isn’t really there, you can get cramp. Take regular breaks to stretch your legs to limit the probability of getting cramp from sitting in the same position and it can also be helpful to move the position of your legs on a fairly regular basis while you’re sitting at the desk. Even something as seemingly innocuous as crossing your legs while you’re working can do more harm that you might think as it can twist your pelvis if you’re sitting in that position for some time.
Posture
Keep an eye on your posture as it can change without you even being aware of it, especially when you’re engrossed in getting work done. Your posture might be fine at the start of the day but as you start to flag in the afternoon, it’s more of an effort to maintain good posture on an unconscious basis. It’s a good idea to take regular breaks so that you can correct your posture.
Office furniture is an essential part of the office interior and it must perfectly fit into the office design scheme. It should also be ergonomically designed to make sure that employees develop no physical complications after prolonged use of the furniture.
An ordinary worker spends a sizable part of his day at the office, so he faces the danger of grievous health issues if he or she has to sit in an awkward position or bend over his desk during work. Hence it is critical for employers to ensure that office furniture, particularly office chairs, are designed to maximize employees’ comfort.
Any purchase of office chairs must be made only after making sure of a few things. You should ensure that the selected office chairs are steady, easily movable and optimally adjustable. The arm rests of chairs must fulfill their purpose well, and the height should be changeable so that the occupant can adjust the chair as per his requirement. The chair should allow comfortable movement of hands and legs such that the worker can execute his jobs without any obstructions. The back support is the most important component of an office chair. It must be sufficiently curved and cushioned to provide the back and the spinal cord maximum support and rest when used.
We are often asked: What is ergonomics?
According to The International Ergonomics Association, ergonomics is defined as:
‘Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.’
Put simply, the science of designing and arranging products and the local environment to minimize the risk of injury and maximize productivity.
Poor ergonomics (or understanding of ergonomics) could lead to a Repetitive Strain Injury, which can be incredibly painful for the sufferer and can lead to loss of productivity to employers, it is therefore big business!
A survey of goods vehicle drivers by the Health & Safety Excecutive has found that only two thirds of the sampled drivers were issued with footwear specially designed for their work.
The research examined practices within the UK road haulage sector relating to slip, trip and falls risk factors, including risk factors relating to footwear and vehicle safety fittings such as ladders, steps, handrails and load bed covering.
It found that while usage levels of slip resistant footwear were high at 88%, only a third of employers issued their workers with footwear designed for their work.
A new report on the effectiveness of ergonomics practitioners says that “good rapport and communication skills” plus the ability to “manage and deliver business proposals” are key to improving employee productivity through ergonomics.
The ergonomics research, undertaken by the University of Derby, investigates the factors that ergonomists feel make an effective practitioner in their field.
Dr Claire Williams examined how problems with workers suffering from back pain, repetitive strain injury, and other musculoskeletal disorders can reduce productivity.
Occupational health professionals believe the new fit note system, introduced last month, could change employers’ approach to dealing with work, ill-health and absence.
“The fit note will, I think, start to get line managers and GPs out of that ‘all or nothing’ mindset; that people are either well or unable to work,” Christina Butterworth, vice-president of the Association of Occupational Health Nurse Practitioners, told Occupational Health magazine.
Chief medical adviser professor Sayeed Khan, who was involved in the development of the note with government, said: “To improve sickness absence management we have to change the culture away from what people can’t do to what they can do.
Desk-based, computer-oriented jobs frequently lead to problems such as repetitive strain injury, back pain, and musculoskeletal disorders. Stephanie Loleit from CareerBuilder picks out 10 healthy alternative careers.
Does this sound familiar?
You start work in the morning by sitting down in your cubicle; the day is hard and stressful; you have a quick lunch at your desk; the next time you get up is when you go home at night.
If you spend this much time day by day at your little office cubicle, risks are high that you might also suffer from one or the other office-related illness.
Construction is often seen as one of the most dangerous industries to work in – but analysis of Health and Safety Executive figures by insurer Aviva shows that people working in food and drink manufacturing are over one and a half times (1.6) more likely to be injured at work than construction workers.
“Construction has a reputation for being very dangerous,” said Brian Wallace, head of Aviva Risk Management Solutions (ARMS). “According to the HSE more people are killed each year in construction than any other industry. Last year alone there were 53 fatalities.
“In the food and drink industry, 33 people were killed in the last 10 years, making this sector look safer where fatality rates alone are considered. However, when you look at the bigger picture – including serious and minor injuries – it’s a fact that food and drink workers are more likely to be involved in an accident than construction workers.”
The world’s biggest study on the safety of mobile phones has got under way.
The Cosmos project, funded by the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme, will look at 250,000 phone users across five different European countries including the UK.
It will run for between 20 and 30 years and aims to investigate the health impacts of mobile phones, reports the BBC.