How Do I Know If I Need Help With Ergonomics?
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Some 'triggers' that the Association of Canadian Ergonomists suggest that your workplace would benefit from an ergonomist’s services include the following:
- Employees in your workplace, or in certain specific work areas, are experiencing soft-tissue injuries (STI), also known as Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders or (WMSDs) such as tendonitis, back injuries, sore muscles, etc. These are all indicators that the job demands are excessive due to one or a combination of risk factors (i.e. force levels, work postures, repetitive actions, long durations, and/or psychosocial stressors).
- Accidents such as slips and falls, and injuries such as cuts and bruises, struck by/on, caught on/in events. These accidents may be a result of inadequate clearances, design of controls and tools, poor design of stairways, lack of appropriate lighting, poor visibility, etc.
- High rates of general absenteeism and/or worker turnover. These can be indicators of high levels of physical or mental demand, poor workplace design, and/or poor organizational design.
- High number of mistakes, and/or rework due to poor quality. These are often the result of difficult work processes, high workloads and fatigue, inadequate communication/information, poor visibility, poor or declining productivity over the course of a shift or over a series of shifts. This can also mean that the work is not well designed for workers.
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The Canadian Centre of Occupational Health and Safety has created this detailed visual that provides good information on how to protect yourself while sitting. Click on the image for a larger version.
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Biophilia and Its Impact on Ergonomics
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Biophilia means the innate desire of human beings to be in touch with nature via their surroundings, and biophilic design aims to bring nature into the built environment. Feeling closer to nature helps lower the blood pressure; it’s also calming and helps us think more clearly and creatively. According to interior design experts TruSpace, researchers have found that more than 90% of people would imagine themselves in a natural setting when asked to think of a place where they felt relaxed and calm. Being in or around nature makes us feel good; our physical and mental wellbeing depends on us spending time in a natural environment and this effects our productivity and general wellbeing too. Biophilic design incorporates natural elements, maximizing daylight, views of nature, natural materials and natural features such as indoor planting and water features, into architecture and interior designs.
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A poll of 7,600 employees across 16 countries found that people who work in spaces with natural features reported 15% higher levels of overall wellbeing. Furthermore, the respondents expressed feeling 6% more productive and 15% more creative at work.
Source: Global Impact of Biophilic
Design in the Workplace Study
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When considering including biophilic design in your work place, you may wish to focus on:
- Windows. Design the space to maximize the sunlight and natural views coming in
- Greenery. Potted plants are a great start, but don’t stop there; living walls and flower gardens make a stunning impact
- Form and patterns. Integrate naturally found patterns and forms, such as honeycomb or leaf outlines
- Air. Provide operable windows when possible. If this isn’t an option, ensure proper air flow
- Water. Add a water feature. The appearance and sound of water elicit feelings of serenity
- Tone/texture. Use varying wood grains, concrete, and brick. Paint walls and choose textiles using colors found in nature
- Physical connection. If space is available, create an outdoor sanctuary employees can retreat to (rooftop patio or staff garden, as examples)
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Will a Standing Desk Work For You?
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Standing desks, or sit-to-stand desks, have become very popular these last few years. Research has linked sitting for long periods with health problems, including obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels.
Some benefits of standing desks may include a reduction in blood sugar spikes; lowered risk of heart disease; lessening of chronic back pain; and reduction of fatigue and boost energy levels.
It's important, however, to ensure you purchase, set up, and use a standing desk in a way that doesn't create other health problems such as joint pain, bad posture, and lower limb swelling. In that regard, sit-to-stand desks may provide a better option as it allows for more flexibility at your workstation. Dr. R. J. Burr created this infographic below that provides good information on how to use a standing desk properly. As always, we recommend using a trained ergonomist when considering standing or sit-to-stand desks.
Click the image for a larger version.
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Source: Dr. RJ Burr DC, Cert. MDT, CSCS
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Good Lighting Ergonomics For The Office
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Here are the main things to look at when optimizing for good lighting ergonomics at the office or your desk:
- Is there sufficient lighting to accomplish the task without straining your eyes?
- Are there unwanted dark spots and shadows being cast that can be eliminated?
- Is there excessive glare, especially on your computer screen?
- Is there enough contrast between your task and the background?
- Is the color temperature appropriate based on your mood or task?
Above all else, ensuring sufficient lighting around your workspace is the most important part of good ergonomic lighting. Inadequate lighting forces your eyes to work overtime to make sense of the task, creating eye strain and headaches.
The best lighting arrangement is a combination of direct and indirect lighting. Use the latter to provide a consistent level of ambient lighting that eliminates shadows and dark areas, and direct lighting where you need more illumination, such as on your keyboard or writing area.
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Glare is also an important factor: it causes eye fatigue by forcing your eyes to adjust to its brightness level, leaving duller areas of your workspace harder to see. Glare greatly strains your eyes by impeding your ability to discern anything but the brightest light (the glare) properly.
Direct glare is caused by bright lights that are within your field of vision, such as a bright overhead light or floor lamp with a naked light bulb. Windows directly in front of your workspace can also produce direct glare on bright days. Indirect glare is caused by light reflected off of glossy surfaces such as your computer screen, a shiny desk surface, or windows stationed at certain angles, onto your eyes. Here are some ideas to help reduce the impacts of glare in the workspace:
- Replace a single high intensity light fixture with several lower intensity ones instead.
- Avoid positioning your monitor directly below an overhead light fixture.
- Equip conventional florescent light fixtures with diffusers to soften the light.
- Cover naked bulbs with shades or louvers to soften and direct the light away from your eyes.
- Use monitor privacy filters that filter out blue light and glare at the same time.
Source: ErgonomicTrends.com
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