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Posts Tagged ‘working conditions’
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.
A new safety harness designed to accommodate the ‘female form’ has been unveiled by the International Powered Access Federation.
The trade body organised a competition to design a safety harness which would be more comfortable and suitable for women.
Tractel’s Ladytrac harness won the competition, and another entry submitted by ZT Safety Systems has been highly commended.
Improving the health of workers though better workplace safety and support services should be a key goal of a new Government, according to research by think tank the Institute of Employment Studies.
“Research has demonstrated a clear and positive relationship in both directions between health and work: being at work can make people healthy, while healthy workers are more productive,” said the IES.
“People in employment lead healthier and wealthier lives than those who feel unable to work. There are wider benefits too, as the economy gains from lower dependency on incapacity benefits and health services, and from higher productivity.”
The Trade Union Congress has unveiled a report highlighting the links between health and job satisfaction, and argues that workplaces need to be organised in a way that promotes good physical and mental health.
The report highlighted “bad work” practices such as lack of control, poverty pay, repetitive or monotonous work, lack of respect, incompetent line managers, too much (or too little) work, a lack of training, unsafe working conditions, long hours and bullying.
It also found a link with increased levels of ill health and sickness absence, lower motivation, higher turnover of staff, reduced levels of productivity, increased stress, use of tobacco, recreational drugs and alcohol.
Is ill health due to upper limb disorders a problem in your workplace?
A survey carried out in 1995 estimated that in that year, half a million people in Great Britain were suffering from a ULD due to their current or past work. On average, each sufferer took 13 days off work in that year. ULDs can be a serious problem, but it is possible to tackle them effectively by managing the risks. You are more likely to succeed if you tackle them in partnership with your workers.