What is Ergonomics in the Workplace

What is ergonomics in the workplace?

Ergonomics in the workplace is the science of finding the ideal fit between people and their physical space in the office. It takes into account such things as seat height, the temperature of the room and how their computer is positioned, just to name a few.

The idea behind ergonomics in the workplace is that by designing office space according to the individual’s needs, workers will be able to work more effectively and safely. There are two main factors that contribute to workplace ergonomics: workplace factors and individual factors.

Workplace factors include:

how equipment is designed
the working environment(temperature, humidity, lighting)
how information is used and accessed

Individual factors include:

physical characteristics(body size & shape)
fitness, strength and posture
vision, hearing and touch

When we combine all of these different factors we get office ergonomics.

Why are workplace ergonomics important?

Ergonomics in the workplace is important as having good ergonomics can keep workers healthy and safe. For example, if workers are mainly sitting during the workday, they can gain weight due to the lack of exercise. When this happens, other more serious health concerns can arise like the risk of heart disease or diabetes.

By doing something simple, like implementing standing desks, workers will be forced to their feet, which can help blood flow and health risks decrease.

Ergonomics in the workplace also takes into account the safety of workers. For offices that have a lot of paperwork to be stored or large amounts of general clutter, it can be difficult to move around the office. Something that could seem small, like having a few boxes in a hallway, could cause someone to trip and that worker is no longer in a safe environment.

The health and safety of your employees should be vitally important and not just because you wouldn’t want anyone to be sick or injured. Having workers needing time off due to health can have a detrimental effect on productivity as work slows down when people are sick.

Also, if an employee happens to get injured while on the job they could need compensation for their recovery, which can add a huge expense for the organization. In either scenario, the company losses out.

In fact, improving workplace ergonomics can help the performance and productivity of your workers. When an organization has good office ergonomics, its workers are able to do their jobs easily which can help them keep a positive mindset. Going to an office that has good ergonomics feels good as the environment is easy to work in and there are fewer aches and pains caused by bad ergonomics.

Having a positive mindset when going to work, will make employees more productive as they will naturally work harder when they feel happy. Also, this same feeling will assist in performance as workers are less irritated and more focused.

Being able to provide good ergonomics in the workplace can help workers feel better both physically and mentally, which is a valuable investment for any company.

Bad workplace ergonomics can cause…

Having bad ergonomics in the workplace can cause a multitude of issues that will negatively affect workers. The following are examples of ergonomic factors that should be reviewed when trying to improve workplace ergonomics.

Workstation Set Up

How your workstation is set up can cause poor or awkward posture. For example, how the computer is set up can cause neck strain which then causes headaches. Another common issue seen is carpel tunnel syndrome due to how the wrist rests on the desk or keyboard. Carpel tunnel syndrome can not only cause pain but can lead to numbness in the hand and fingers.

Bad Lighting

Not having adequate lighting in an office setting can cause employees to strain their eyes, which can eventually affect their vision. Also, having too much overhead fluorescent lighting can be very stimulating which can cause people to have a hard time relaxing after work, meaning their mental health can be affected.

Room Temperature

Being too hot or too cold can negatively affect people’s ability to concentrate. Workers will often become agitated when the room temperature of their office is too hot or cold, meaning their ability to focus decreases.

Air Quality

Having bad air quality can cause a lot of health problems, especially when it comes to communicable diseases. It is a lot easier for colds and cases of flu to spread in offices where the circulation is not good, which could mean just one cold could eventually pass through the entire office.

Spacing Issues

Some offices are very cluttered or unorganized, making it difficult to move around without the possibility of bumping into something. When this happens, something small like a wire could become dangerous for employees as they risk tripping as they move around the office.

With the above examples, it becomes very clear why bad ergonomics in the workplace can be detrimental and affect your entire staff. By looking at these different factors, you can find ways of fixing your office ergonomics that will help your employees work better.

Ways to improve ergonomics in the workplace

Now that we’ve looked at some examples of bad ergonomics, we need to look at how you can improve your workplace ergonomics. The following are some ways in which you can improve your office ergonomics.

Individualized workstations– introduce adjustable desks and chairs that can work for each individual in the workplace. This will allow employees to decide how to do their work according to what is most comfortable for their bodies and they are able to make adjustments when needed.
Calm lighting– having desk lamps for each worker can allow them to adjust the amount of light they use. It can also make it easier to lessen the amount of overhead lighting within the office.
Air purifiers– adding air purifiers to the office will make the air being breathed more clean, which can be especially important for offices that cannot open windows. This is especially important in small spaces where it can be difficult to get sufficient air circulation.
Fans and space heaters– if you are not able to control the heat/air conditioning in your building, try providing fans or space heaters for your workers so that they can keep warm/cool and continue to concentrate on work.
Wire organizers or go wireless where you can– making sure that wires are organized can help keep the office less cluttered and will eliminate the possible tripping hazard. Also, wherever possible try getting wireless technology so that you reduce the number of wires you need to organize.

The above examples are great ideas on how to have good ergonomics in the workplace, which can help create a positive work environment.

When you are able to spend some time thinking about your surroundings it can be easy to find ways to improve the office ergonomics. Having good ergonomics in the workplace can improve how employees feel when they are at work, which is always a great way to ensure high performance and increase productivity.

What is Ergonomics in the Workplace