Occupational Health and safety have always been issues of concern at the work place. Working in unsafe or unhealthy environments can be extremely expensive for both the employer and the employee. In addition to law suits and long hospital stays, workers sometimes can suffer life changing injuries or even death if safety precautions are not in place.
Today’s technological world has brought many changes to the office and with those changes come new considerations for insuring the health and safety of its employees. In addition to injuries caused from lifting or falling, office managers need to become educated in ergonomics, the study of how your body interacts with your environment when performing your job. By doing so, managers can create ergonomically healthy work areas which will improve employee health and increase office productivity.
Minimize Stress
Make sure that your employees are able to position themselves comfortably at the work station in order to minimize undue stress on any specific area of their body as they perform tasks at work. The less stress placed on the body, the more unlikely injury will occur.
Work Surface
The work surface should be large enough to hold all tools necessary to complete the task, and the tools should also be easily assessable. Constant stretching to reach items will place tremendous stress on the arms, neck, and shoulders. In addition to causing headaches, which will decrease a worker’s productivity, the constant strain may eventually lead to injuries that may require complete rest or even surgery.
Adjust the height of the desk to make sure the knees and thighs of the person using the desk can fit comfortably under it. Sitting in an awkward position all day can cause serious strain to the body.
Another consideration is to avoid shiny surfaces for work areas. The reflection off the shiny surface can cause eye strain.
You’ll find that we have a variety of ergonomically safe work surfaces. Whether you’re looking for a desk or a table, check out our inventory to find something that will enhance your décor.
Chairs
Choose chairs that have lumbar support in order to prevent unnecessary stress on the spine. The worker needs to be able to adjust the chair so that his feet rest flat on the floor in order to decrease pressure on the lower back. In addition, if the chair has armrests, make sure the worker can hold his elbows close to his sides for more comfort.
You may wish to have a chair that rotates or has wheels in order to avoid awkward twisting and strain on the body, especially if you choose a radial work station. Then the worker can easily turn or roll to items that are out of reach.
Our clerical and executive chairs are height adjustable and have lumbar support. In addition, we have five wheels on these chairs for maximum stability to avoid tipping.
Floor Mats
You will certainly want to purchase our floor mats, especially if you have carpeting in the work area. These mats will allow the chair to roll easily over carpet which will decrease the amount of pushing, pulling, and tugging involved in moving from one area to another.
An ergonomically safe work area is an investment and will bring tremendous dividends. Employees will be happier and healthy, and office productivity will improve.