Sponsored Ads
Twitter: Ergo_Journal
- #News: Teachers condemn health and safety cuts as “reckless” http://t.co/lNvtaVKk #ergonomics
- #News: Just a sixth of H&S regulation to be left untouched http://t.co/wgYy8ppk #ergonomics
- #News: HSE Passport Teams Up With ‘Professional Insurance Agents’ http://t.co/KCK7hv1g #ergonomics
- #News: One in five construction sites fail safety inspections http://t.co/spxuVgK0 #ergonomics
- #News: Safety body commissions study on health & safety reform http://t.co/NBcqD4Zh #ergonomics
- @HeatherRou if you want to send a blog post to announce it via http://t.co/o1f3XwVH we'll publish it for you!
- @TheLifeDesk hi back atcha! Don't forget to add your company to the directory on http://t.co/o1f3XwVH
Posts Tagged ‘working environment’
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.
Ergo Journal regularly publish articles, tips and advice on how to arrange your office workstation in an attempt to raise awareness of basic workstation ergonomics and reduce the stresses we each face on a daily basis.
With laptop computers now firmly outstripping sales of desktop computers around the globe, additional consideration by individuals and employers should be given to workstation ergonomics if the laptop is going to be used for any reasonable amount of time in one place.
I use a laptop myself and make sure I practice what I preach by using a laptop stand to lift the screen height, a dedicated mini keyboard, wrist rest, ergonomic chair and so on as I predominantly use my laptop whilst at my desk in the office.
We recently discovered a highly insightful white paper published by Ergoton, specialists in display mounting technology. The white paper is based on academic research spanning 25 years on the subject of comfortable computing and is entitled: Comfortable Portable Computing: The ergonomic way.
Within any organisation, it tends to be the responsibility of the employer to ensure that employees are provided with the tools and education to carry out their jobs safely.
Working in a manufacturing or construction environment, it is often easy to see evidence of these assessments, high visibility jackets, signage, warning alarms and so on make it easier to appreciate the health and safety risks and considerations for employees and site visitors. But what about the health risks in less ‘dangerous’ working environments, such as the office?
Within any given office the dangers may be less obvious, no heavy machinery for example (vending machines, water coolers and photocopiers excluded) but the apparent calmness of the office does not mean that employees are not at risk from health issues.
What about Workstation ergonomics? Injuries such as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) can potentially lead to long term illness and a loss in productivity yet can often be avoided.
One way to ensure that the tools and education are provided to employees to highlight and minimise risk at the workstation, or desk’ is to carry out a risk assessment on each employee and their workstation, and put in place any corrective actions should a risk be identified, thus creating a healthier, more productive working environment.
We were recently forwaded an article that addresses many of the issues we are frequently asked about; what should I look when buying an office chair?
If you are like me who spends a major part of life working on desk, then I suggest doing a little shopping for an ergonomic desk chair. You might argue that you already have a desk chair, so what’s all this “ergonomics”?
Think about your poor back and neck. When you sit for hours together on our desk chair, you give a tough time to your back. This results in backaches and stiff back.
Ergonomic furniture in general and ergonomic desk chair in particular is tailor-made for comfort and ease. You will forget what pain is, once you start using ergonomic desk chairs. Ergonomic products are the best friends for your back and neck because they are designed keeping in mind your body and its contours. Ergonomic chairs keep your spinal chord straight and reduce your fatigue drastically. This, ultimately, enhances your productivity.
In a recent report published in the U.S. We are informed of how ‘Technology has brought huge advances in the power and capability of the machines which support us in our work. The human machine evolves at a somewhat slower pace. The result: workplaces which can at times resemble medieval torture chambers, at least as far as our necks, eyes and hands are concerned! The adaptation of machine to man is the concept of Ergonomics. Ergonomic products seek to enhance the interface between technology and the human form. Ergonomics attempts to identify the physical points of stress, and then minimize or eliminate that stress through superior design of workstations.
The economy of ergonomic improvements is reported in case studies in Swedish companies. Poor workplace ergonomics and related musculoskeletal problems were already known and had caused repeated sick-leave periods at the companies. Expenses associated with certain preventive activities were accounted for the financial effects. When costs were compared to gains, the improvements appeared to be highly profitable. (Kristina Kemmlert, Solna, Sweden)
There are still a lot of people who do not realize that the body pains they bear are often attributed to the bad ergonomics in the office. According to ergonomics, no matter how healthy a person is, once he or she is forced to work using office products with bad ergonomics, he or she can develop a world of medical problems such as upper and lower back pain, leg, hip, and neck pain, as well as severe headaches and migraines. (Tomer Harel, How Ergonomic Office Products can Improve your Life)’
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!
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.