Are your employees maintaining the right working posture while working? Follow these tips to set up ergonomic workstations for your workforce.
Having a sedentary job where you sit behind your desk for hours doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re doomed to a career of back and neck pain or sore fingers and wrists. Organizations have begun to realize that workstations directly impact productivity. More and more companies are investing in setting up ergonomic work environments for their employees. If you’re a similar firm but not sure where to start, follow these ergonomic workstation tips from top ergonomic specialists:
Working Posture
No matter how much you invest, it won’t help if an employee has the habit to awkwardly slouch or slump at their desk. Emphasize the need and significance of workplace ergonomics and guide your employees on how to maintain a good working posture. This refers to a neutral body position in a relaxed posture that requires no excessive reaching or stressful angles to perform the tasks.
While sitting, workers’ hands, forearms, and wrists must be straight, aligned, and parallel to the floor. Their heads should be in line with the torso and face forward, not turning left or right.
Chair
Invest in chairs that support spinal curves. The height of the chair should be adjustable so that a user can sit with their thighs staying parallel to the floor and their feet resting flat on the floor. Their arms should comfortably rest in a way that the shoulders are relaxed, so the armrests should also be adjustable.
Monitors
The positioning of the monitor is the key to reducing exposure to overhead glare, forceful exertions, and awkward postures. It must be placed in the center above the keyboard, right in front of you. The top of the monitor should be at an arm’s length and around 2-3 inches above the user’s eye level while they’re seated. Share these guidelines with your employees.
Mouse and Keyboard
Proper arrangement of the mouse and keyboard reduces exposure to contact stress, repetition, and awkward postures. The keyboard should be position directly in front of the user, who must have their wrists straight, in line with their forearms. Elbows should be close to the body, and shoulders should be relaxed.
As for the mouse, keep it close to the keyboard. Yet, try your best to reduce extended use of the mouse by using keyboard shortcuts.
Desk
Make sure there’s enough clearance under the desk for your thighs, knees, and feet. A nonadjustable desk that’s too low can be uplifted by placing sturdy blocks or boards under its legs. If the desk is too high, consider raising your chair to maintain the right position for your head, forearms, wrists, and hands. If the edge of your desk is hard, use a wrist rest or pad the edge. Also, avoid storing anything under your desk.
By now, you should have developed a fair idea of what an ergonomic workstation looks like. Following the above-explained tips should significantly boost your workforce’s efficiency and productivity.
For more insights, schedule a free consultation with Ergobility today.
