Office Health and Safety – Ergonomics
Health and Safety: How To Be Seated Correctly
With the current emphasis on health and safety issues, a most significant factor is sitting correctly and comfortably at your office desk. The proper sitting position can help you improve your physical well-being and improve your performance while working. An uneasy body can be gravely incapacitated long before you even realise theremay be an issue. Sitting in a comfortable and well supported position keeps your blood flowing and the mind functioning well.
Ergonomics is the science of designing the job in hand, the equipment, and workplace to fit the worker and is of specific interest when considering office workstations and seating.
Whether you work from home or work from an office, much time is spent at your desk. The wrong position can wreak havoc on the entire body. Tension builds up in the back and the circulation to the legs may be reduced.
Some points worth serious consideration are:
Eyestrain is a particularly common issue for people who spend a lot of time behind a computer screen. The height of your monitor and distance from your seat will make a significant difference to your comfort and well-being. An adjustable monitor stand lets you raise and lower your monitor so it is at perfect eye level as well as move it forward or back easily to adjust for your position.
Neck pain is one of the most common complaints of office workers but it’s cause is rarely understood. Neck pain is not often caused by the neck position but arm and wrist positions. Strain on the upper back and shoulders makes muscles in the neck contract to compensate and they in turn develop spasms and knots. Make sure that your arms are held at a proper 45 degree angle and your wrists appropriately positioned. An ergonomic keyboard as well as a table with an adjustable rather than stationary keyboard holder will make it easier to place yourself in the correct end position. Ergonomic keyboards help reduce arm and shoulder strain and ease the pressure to the neck muscles.
An Ergonomic Chair:
Does your chair have proper support to the lumbar region? A good chair is well worth the cost you pay for it. Ensure that it has adjustable support for your lower back, fits your body and supports your shoulders as well. Your chair should be kept in good working order. Tiny niggles can mean you must physically compensate for movements and hold the chair steady, putting further stress on your body.
Armrests are an important feature of your chair. In many office chair ranges, armrests may be added to armless chairs, and standard arms may be replaced with armrests as an option. Most office chair armrests are height adjustable, enabling you to place your arms in a comfortable working position for your daily tasks.
If your armrests are too high, this will raise the shoulders, causing tension in the shoulders and upper back muscles. Too low and they may cause a leaning posture which could affect your breathing, thus reducing the amount of oxygen carried by the blood to the muscles
Armrests which are too far apart may cause the shoulders to overwork, causing upper back strain. Also, should they be too narrow, extra muscular effort will be required to keep your arms on them.
Armrests which are too close together can interfere with relaxed key strokes and restrict the ability to place your hands on your lap when you are not working. This should be done regularly, with palms facing down, this relaxes the body generally.
Wrist pain or Carpel Tunnel is the most common work related injury and it is avoidable. A comfortable keyboard station, an ergonomic mouse pad, that allows easy liquid movement and which is designed to move the wrist instead of holding it in a stationary position, are all easy to accomplish things that will relieve pressure on that sensitive tendon in your wrists.
A little attention paid to the tiny things that keep your body supported and comfortable, will ensure you have a long, productive life free of pain.
