Working in an office is something that many people like, instead of doing some form of intense physical labour. The positive side of office space is a clean environment and working conditions. However, when completing daily tasks, many people often forget about the fact that they stay in front of a screen for many hours and forget that this entire time, they may sit in uncomfortable positions that can be a detriment to a person’s posture and health.

This can lead to painful consequences later on and may require specialist help in treating craniosacral pain and other neck and shoulder-related problems. Each employee needs to have the freedom to arrange their work in the way that best fits their needs. It also depends on the kind of work they do. Other jobs give employees the possibility to work remotely, such as their home.

Why is it Important?

Ergonomics is a science mostly referring to the sustainability of an office space or any work involving staying in front of a screen for long periods and at a desk. This science presents an optimal approach to the workplace to make sure that the health of employees is taken into account. This is an important measure that each company should be taking into account due to the repetitive nature of the work and possibility of developing problems that relate to posture and a person’s health over time.

Most office environments have the same tools at their disposal. A desk, computer, keyboard, mouse and a chair. All of them play an important role in ergonomics and are used for a variety of different tasks. A work station that fits all needs and is ideal for everybody does not exist and so, this can be resolved by an adjustable workspace. Even the smallest details in the workplace like the position and distance of the monitor and the height of the keyboard and mouse play an important role in the person’s health.

Body Position and Seating

The position of the elbows should be at 90 degrees from your upper arms and the farthest keyboard button should be easily reachable without much effort. Instead of having the same posture for the entire workday, frequently changing positions may do wonders and your back will thank you for it. Having an adjustable desk that can switch from a sitting to a standing position can be a great asset to have. Some even go one step further and put a treadmill under the desk while standing so that they can walk while doing their work.

Even land-based casinos have considered ergonomics by integrating it into items that are used frequently such as chairs, but gaming machines as well. The main goal is to provide more safety for the casino employees, but for visitors as well. Much attention is being given to seating items to provide maximum comfort to their guests with great focus placed on lumbar support and the height of the chair or stools concerning the gaming machines. Since casinos took the ergonomics of their seating items into great consideration, casino chairs have improved considerably with many added features, such as guests being able to adjust their height and are self straightening. They are especially important for when casino visitors play slot games and each player has to adjust their chair to be appropriate to their height. Since many classic slot games like Sizzling Hot can now be played online, each player can find the right posture and position for themselves to play comfortably on their phone or tablet.

Light Source, Work Zones and Temperature Control

Ambient light is also something to take into account, especially natural daylight. Having your work desk near a window is preferable and the position of the light source should not be wither in front or behind the desk but either to the left or the right side of the desk and of the monitor. Having the light source behind you, the monitor can reflect a lot of the light into your eyes, making it difficult to see what’s on the screen. Having windows in front will have almost the same results and will make it difficult to read what is on the screen.

Organizing the desk will help to streamline your workflow and everything that is used frequently should be in reach. There is an ergonomic term for this known as “the zone of frequent reach”, where each item that is being used a lot of times should be found. Further away is the area where one can reach the wanted item when the arm is stretched. Items that are less frequently used should be found here, for example, reference material, notebooks, binders and any other work-related item. This leaves us to the next area known as the “outer reach zone”, where most of the items are mainly stored and used very little. Work should be avoided in this area altogether as it requires the person to stretch out the arm and bending the body to be able to reach this area.

Lastly, the right temperature can ensure that you are at your peak productivity. If you are too cold or too hot, you are bound to feel lethargic and unfocused. Having the right heating system can help you avoid this issue. Make sure your heating devices are in good condition and need no repair work. If you use heating oil, consider buying it in bulk to avoid running out of fuel between work. You can get the best price from Romeo’s Fuel or other similar online fuel stores to save money on the same!
Final Words

Before incorporating ergonomics into the workplace, one must first assess the issues and what can be done to improve the environment. There are a few simple steps, or questions to consider, such as assessing the working environment, identifying any current and potential risks and making the right decisions to improve and optimize the environment.

Chris Borletto

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