6 Ways to Improve Comfort, Performance, and Health – From Your Desk (Ergonomics)
Setting the scene:
*checks apple watch* still 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 13 gruelling seconds left at the office.
Lower back is now somewhere between a cold burn and numbing ache
Neck clicks as you crane it to feast your dry eyes on the analog at 180 degrees
2 hours and 36…
Ergonomic specialists solves this.
What is Ergonomics?
Ergonomics or human factors is the scientific name for the relationship a human shares with the system they operate in.
Using data, design and diligence we can create ergonomic based practices to optimise human well-being, and in turn productivity.
4 Ergonomic Principals
1. Physical Ergonomics
- Human anatomical structure
- Anthropometrics (height, weight, reach ect)
2. Cognitive Ergonomics
- Learning styles
- Communication methods
3. Organisational Ergonomics
- Merging physical and cognitive principles to create systems to suit the individual
- Ensuring balance
4. Environmental Ergonomics
- Temperature
- Light
1. Ergonomic Design
Office workers can spend up to 67 hours a week seated (that’s 3/7 days) according to the British Heart Foundation.
Modern sedentary lifestyles have birthed an epidemic of lower back pain (LBP) among the young and middle-aged It’s so bad that LBP accounts for 20% of ALL workers compensation claims.
A chair with solid lumbar support, adjustable height, and tilt will go a long way to improving posture at the workstation.
A well-designed chair is definitely a worthwhile investment for any organisation or individual, whose work entails long periods of sitting (given you’re reading, this is you).
2. Stretching Time
It takes up to a million years for physiological changes to occur as a result of evolving behavioural patterns.
In other words, humans are not yet built to sit for 4-hour intervals. Every hour of sedentary work should be matched by 2 minutes of stretching. This not only reduces the likelihood of developing MSDs but also increases clarity of thoughts and optimises work output.
Areas to target include: back, neck and the face (believe it or not your face has 2x as many muscles as your arm).
3. Ergonomics and Blue Light Blockers
Screens harness the attention of our eyes for extensively vast periods of time, each and every day. All of our screens emit blue light. At a short wavelength, blue light gets right to the retina.
Where the problems begin.
Said light puts great strain on the nervous system, leading to headaches, cataracts and difficulty sleeping.
Blue light blocking glasses can be found advertised on virtually every corner of the internet. We highly recommend investing in a pair especially for those of you working, watching or scrolling before bed!
4. Ergonomics with Neutral Posture Is Necessary
Whatever the situation, maintaining a neutral posture is incredibly important for maintaining psychical health at work. In the office, sitting with your neck curled back into your thorax is one sure way not to do this. Eyes should always be level with the angle of your screen.
Don’t look up. Don’t look down.
There are an array of footrests, ergonomic keyboards and wrist rest on the market. Build a workstation that caters to the neutral positioning of the human skeleton.
5. Training Deliverability
We all wish for training to be delivered in the most timely effective manner possible. This can only be achieved when Individual learning styles are accounted for. Does it make sense to stick your dyslexic digital designer in front of a 30 page PDF about gathering client feedback? The answer is no, it doesn’t.
Providing alternate methods for auditory, kinesthetic (and so on) learners to uptake information in the most efficient way possible is a must.
6. Ergonomic to do with Lighting
Lighting is always task relative. The more complex the task. The greater the need to see (clearly). Glare, shadows, and reflections all impair vision in varying capacities. These should be eliminated wherever possible.
Use of blinds, skylights, removal of shiny objects ect.
Studies show that cooler light significantly improves productivity while simultaneously reducing eye strain and the prevalence of headaches. The net positive health effects of natural light are also well documented. Access to natural light is especially important to workers who spend the majority of their day cooped up in an office. Sunlight improves holistic health greatly. From reducing stress, anxiety and depression to once again improve productivity and mood. Skylights and open office designs help to facilitate this.
Learn more about how we can help you stay compliant and ensure your workers are safe here or if you have a worker who is injured learn more here.
Code of Practice for Manual Tasks: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/model-code-practice-hazardous-manual-tasks
