A quick guide to ergonomic workstation: How to adapt to changing work trends?

With so many health threats revolving around us in today’s time, work related injury is just another threat that can cause harm to our overall health and wellbeing. But the good thing is that we can prevent work and work posture related injuries by implementing ergonomics in our workstation. May it be commercial offices or ergonomic workstation setup at home, it is essential that your workplace is ergonomically-fit to allow you to swivel between different tasks and shared workspaces. Check out our latest blog for more innovative tips on keeping your workstation creative and organized: Unique Ways to Keep Your Workstation Creative and Well-Organized.

Implementation of ergonomics in offices helps employees to stay physically and mentally fit while working for long hours and enhances the health quotient. Want to know what more wonders can ergonomics do to you and your health? Check out this guide to get acquainted with the magical benefits of ergonomics:

What is an ergonomic workstation?

Ergonomic workstations are the new work setup in offices that values comfort and safety of the employees. Gone are those days when we used to picturise offices with bulky desks and oversized wooden chairs. Those were the days when people were not aware of comfort and work related injuries that resulted due to long sitting hours in a wrong posture. But, now with people becoming aware of the consequences of sitting in the wrong posture and usage of uncomfortable furniture, the world has seen a drastic shift towards adopting ergonomics. The introduction of this concept  offers a plethora of health benefits to the employees and are less prone to fall prey to diseases and illnesses. Furthermore, it also enhances productivity and lowers fatigue.

What do you need for a perfect ergonomic workstation?

An ergonomic workstation supports your body and health and helps you feel comfortable in a neutral position. Here are a few staples that you can add to create a workspace that is ergonomically fit:

A comfortable chair

To sit all day long, one of the most important staples that you need is a comfortable chair that can provide ample support to your spine. Furthermore, to add the ergonomic factor to it, you need to make sure that the chair is cushioned and supports the natural S- shaped curvature of your body. On the contrary, you should look for an ergonomic office chair that provides enough lumbar support to take care of your lower back. Get a cushioned chair that is adjustable and can cater to the varied needs of different size bodies.

An ergonomic desk

An ideal work desk is the one that you can use while comfortably resting your arms parallel to the floor while using the keyboard. Usually these desks have a height that range between 28 and 30 inches that can be used by people with height between 5 and 10 feet. However, you can also buy an ergonomic sit stand desk that not only allows you to sit and stand between work but also comes in a height adjustable variant that can fit different body sizes. Getting the right ergonomic desk that fits people of all sizes can be a bit tricky, but these desks can be raised or lowered as per the requirements of the user and lets you switch between sitting and standing.

Mouse that easily fits your hand

Alternating between typing, reading documents, using the mouse and similar such activities, your wrists and fingers may experience stress. This may further cause fatigue and pain due to continuous overload on your fingers. What's worse is that when you do not have the right sized mouse that comfortably fits in your hands may alleviate the pain further. Thus, get a mouse that provides easy grip and maneuvers smoothly while being used.

Other things required for an ergonomic workstation

Besides the essentials mentioned above, here are a few more things that you can add for a perfectly organized ergonomic workstation:

• Good lighting
• A display set
• Stress buster elements
• Ergonomic keyboard
• Lumbar support pillows

Benefits of having ergonomics in your workstation 

Ergonomics in workplaces strive to reducing workplace injuries and other diseases that can develop overtime due to a wrong posture and uncomfortable sitting position. Here are a few reasons as to how ergonomics can prove to be beneficial:

• Introduction of ergonomics aids in good health
• It reduces over exertion, stress and strain.
• Ergonomics enhances productivity by allowing employees to stay focused on their work rather than being disturbed by discomfort.
• It helps improve concentration and mental clarity
• Ergonomics also aids in eliminating workplace hazards and creates a better working environment for the employees.
• Ergonomics also reduces the rate of absenteeism because workers who are given a comfortable seating are less prone to fall ill and hence reduces absenteeism rate considerably.

How to maximize ergonomics in your workstation?

Setting ergonomics as a top priority is one of the best things that you can do to value the overall health of employees. However, if you wish to reap the real benefits of having an ergonomic work set up, here are a few tips on how you can enhance it further:

Posture

Even if you have a top-notch ergonomic work set up and yet fail to maintain the right posture while working, you are harming yourself. Posture is a vital consideration that one has to follow to save themselves from falling prey to musculoskeletal issues.

Whether you prefer to stand or sit while working, it is imperative that you maintain a neutral position. If by any chance you happen to experience strain while performing your work or while reaching out to things, your incorrect posture is to be blamed and needs to be addressed soon.

Having an adjustable workstation promotes good posture because not every desk and chair can fit different individuals. And, ergonomics is all about valuing individual variations because a one-size-fits-all workstation is just a myth. People with different body sizes and shapes cannot feel comfortable using the same work setup. Thus, an adjustable workstation is preferred so as to not compromise on individual optimisation.

Regular movement

Alternating between sitting and standing while working is essential for good health. If your work is such that you need to sit all the day, it is important that you stand a little and walk a little in between work. In the same way, if you are someone who has to stand all day and work, it is important that you take breaks in between and sit down for a while.

Especially for people of the older age group, it is important that they sit every now and then to prevent accruing joint pain that can result from long hours of standing. As you age, your joints eventually become incapable of handling stress and can cause discomfort. Thus, make sure that you take breaks and alternate between sitting and standing to promote regular movement.

Positioning of mouse and keyboard

In today’s era, most of the workers spend time glued to their computer screens throughout the day. With that said, it is important that you consider the placement of the mouse and keyboard in accordance with your body.

This may sound surprising but yes the positioning of these computer peripherals play a huge role in providing comfort and maintaining the right posture. It is believed that your arms should be in a position parallel to the floor and should be straight while using the keyboard and mouse. So, adjust the seat and desk height accordingly to have the right posture at work.

Also, make sure that you do not hold the mouse very tightly as it can make your muscles feel tired and exert you. Be gentle while holding the mouse to work in comfort.

Easy access to office staples

Not just your laptops, keyboards and mouse, other office staples that are frequently used in between work should also be paid attention while setting up the workstation. Supplies that are used frequently should be kept close and those that do are not used most of the time can be kept at a distance. The work desk should be arranged in three zones wherein the front or first zone should have stuff that are frequently used and the less-used staples should occupy space in the second and third zone.

Conclusion

Now that you are aware of the awesome benefits of an ergonomically designed workstation, It's time that we start taking workplace injuries seriously and address the issue by implementing ergonomics in our workstation. So, what are you waiting for? Adopt correct ergonomic desk setup now and see the difference it brings to your health and overall well being!

FAQ

Q1. Why is ergonomics important?

A1. Ergonomics is an important factor to implement in today's workspaces to prevent work related injuries that causes a toll on the overall wellbeing of the employees. Ergonomics also enhances the work quality, decreases fatigue, boosts productivity and employee engagement which in turn gives fruitful results to the employers.

Q2. What is poor workstation ergonomics?

A2. Poor workstation ergonomics is referred to as a workstation setup that is not comfortable and causes unnecessary stress and strain on an employee's body resulting in some major health issues. It can also cause posture-related injuries which lowers the productivity of an employee impacting the retail environment  of the business.