WORKPLACE ERGONOMICS

Do you sit at a desk for hours at a time for work? Do you ever feel sore, experience back or neck pain, or have pain in your fingers?  If so then you may not be practising proper ergonomics. These wrong practices can cause various health, psychological, longtime and permanent hazards such as musculo-skeletal disorder which affects the muscles, nerves, blood vessels and ligaments. And that’s exactly what you don’t want, right?

Knowledge of good ergonomics helps you design your place of work bearing in mind your capability and limitations as well as how long you stay. This is because workers are exposed to certain risk factors at work such as lifting heavy items, bending, pushing and pulling heavy loads. And working in awkward body posture and performing the same tasks repeatedly can lead to fatigue and frustration which will end up affecting productivity and output. Hence, poorly designed working environment contributes to reduced efficiency, decreased production, loss of income, increased medical claims and permanent disabilities.

To avoid these problems, below are some tips/guidelines to help your workstation more suitable to work, increasing your performance and productivity.

• Keep items you regularly use including telephones, stapler close to your body to avoid much stretching throughout the day.
•  Position your computer mouse close to your keyboard, and keep your wrist relaxed when using the mouse.
• Ensure your chair is adjusted so your feet rest on the floor and your knees are level with your hips. Use footrest if your chair is too high for you to comfortably rest your feet on the floor.
• Keep your wrist in a straight position while typing and consider a wrist rest to help reduce stress.
• To avoid glare, keep the brightest light source in your office to the side of your monitor.

Ergonomics specialists also recommend the following changes to your behaviour and work environment to avoid back, neck, and shoulder pain:

• Change your body position periodically throughout the day at work.
• Use document stand to reduce the amount of neck twisting or bending forward if typing from a source document.
• Avoid ear-to-shoulder neck positioning while on the phone. Use a telephone headset that will allow you work on the computer with good posture while on the phone.
• Rearrange the work area to avoid excess bending, stopping and reaching.
• Try to relax

It is in our best interest to apply ergonomics to our workplace. Poor working environment are bad for both employers and employees. It can lead to physical suffering and adverse economic effects. The suggestions offered here should help many employers analyse specific working conditions. A partnership among staff, employers, and ergonomic specialist can help redesign the workplace to meet the capability and potential of every employee.

Does this sound like what you already knew? Fine! If you still experience adverse effects of poor working environment, then there is the probability you’ve not put what you have to work. Few days ago, a friend who was having a back pain called me to help her stand up. Why? She stayed working for hours in a bad posture. By the time she was done, she practically couldn’t get up.

So many people we know suffer from these hazards. They need to know and to avoid it in the future. So after reading this text, share with your friends for enlightenment purpose. Health is wealth.

Drop your comments in the comment box on how else to avoid work ergonomics.