The term 'ergonomic' refers to furniture or equipment especially designed to support optimum posture thereby providing comfort and helping to alleviate or prevent discomfort.
Ergonomic adjustable office chairs aim to cater for the majority of adult users by coming in a range of models with varying seat base widths and depths, back rest heights and widths, and levels of support including lumbar support. However in cases where a user is shorter, taller or larger than average, specialised seating may be required to accommodate individual differences. If requiring a new chair within the office, it is beneficial to trial a range of chairs if available to determine the ‘best fit’ for comfort and suitability to the work undertaken.
Ergonomic chairs generally have the following features and should be easily and safely adjustable by the user whilst seated within the chair:
- 5 star chair base for stability
- chair height adjustment lever to enable to user to position themselves at a height where the shoulders are relaxed and the work surface is approximately elbow height with hands falling naturally onto the work surface-this may require the chair to be adjusted slightly higher for keyboard access than writing at the desk
- back rest angle adjustment to enable positioning of the backrest approximately vertical or angled slightly backwards and fitting firmly against the back whilst working
- back rest height adjustment to enable the lumbar support to be positioned within the ‘small’ of the back around waist level
- seat base angle adjustment (not adjustable in all chairs) to enable thighs to be approximately horizontal with minimal pressure on the back of the thighs, with feet to be resting on the floor or supported by a footrest
- with or without armrests, which are preferably adjustable in height to allow the chair to move close to the desk and minimise overreaching by the occupant
- determined weight carrying capacity which is important to consider for larger users.
Even using an ergonomic chair adjusted to the individual can cause some discomfort to the individual if they do not take regular breaks to stand, stretch or walk and relieve the loading on the thighs and back. Moving out of the chair every 20 – 30 minutes is ideal and can include walking to the printer, photocopier, going to speak to a colleague rather than emailing, getting stationary, standing up whilst talking on the phone or scheduled breaks.
The ergonomic chair should be adjusted as part of the overall workstation adjustment:
Workplace solutions and adjustments
For individuals experiencing back, leg, neck or upper limb pain or discomfort whilst working from a seated position, assessment of the chair used to ensure it is adjusted appropriately is essential, along with review of the workers tasks and break rotation.
If there is no-one suitably qualified or knowledgeable within the workplace to undertake this, ergonomists, occupational therapists or occupational health and safety consultants can assist:
If a particular ergonomic chair specific to a person’s disability is required within the workplace and is not something normally supplied by the employer under their Occupational Safety and Health requirements, consideration can be given to applying for funding assistance through the Workplace Modification Scheme. Please refer to the following to determine eligibility:
(Australian Physiotherapy Association 2003; Comcare 2007; Independent Living Centres Australia Inc. 2007; Lefler 2004)
http://www.jobaccess.gov.au/JOAC/Advice/ProductOrSolutionOneB/Ergonomic_chairs.htm
Ergonomics 101 : Working Painlessly
by Tom Revelle, Vice President of Marketing for Humanscale,
(article from Interiors & Sources, June 2000)
Technology has had a profound effect on the way we live and work. As a result, we are spending more time sitting and using computers, which has greatly increased the occurrence of related musculoskeletal disorders. This article reviews a number of techniques for avoiding work-related, repetitive stress injuries and enhancing both the comfort and productivity levels of the workers who adopt them.
Technology. The ultimate buzzword of the past decade, it touches nearly every corner of our lives, from medicine to entertainment to the way we buy groceries. A quick retrospective reveals it's also had a profound impact on the way most of us work.
Only 10 years ago, if you wanted to send or retrieve a fax, you got up from your desk and walked to the fax machine. Today, with online faxing, a couple of keystrokes is all it takes. In days of yore, if you wanted to ask your coworker a question, you'd probably get up and walk to their desk or office.
Today, however, there are several less taxing ways to communicate. E-mail and on-line messaging, in addition to sophisticated phone paging and voice mail systems, have taken the place of the leisurely stroll down the hall brandishing coffee and (only tWo decades ago) a cigarette.
The result of all these changes is that we're spending more time at our desks, and more time on our computers - a lot more time. While 90 percent of all U.S. office workers now use computers, 40 percent work on their computers at least four hours a day. But Dr. Alan Hedge, Professor of the Human Factors Laboratory at Cornell University, warns that the risk of musculoskeletal discomfort increases by using the computer as little as one hour a day. Even worse, the risk of musculoskeletal injury is nine times greater when you spend four hours a day at the computer than it is for a one hour-per-day user. These statistics shed some light on the growing number of work-related office injuries, and the increasing importance of ergonomics in the workplace.
ERGONOMICS DEFINED
So what exactly is ergonomics? In a broad sense, office ergonomics applies science to workplace design to maximize productivity while reducing operator fatigue and discomfort. While the concept is fairly straightforward, its application is often open to debate. This is why it's important to articulate the real issues facing workers in today's office, and to debunk the misconceptions that typically surround discussions of ergonomics.
EMPLOYERS PAYING THE PRICE
While workers suffer from task-related injuries, employers are footing the staggering costs. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) now account for one-third of all occupational illnesses and injuries. They constitute the largest job-related illness and injury problem in the U.S. today. In 1997, employers reported a total of 626,000 lost workdays due to work-related MSDs. They pay approximately $20 billion annually in direct worker's compensation costs and another $60 billion in indirect costs.
SOME ERGONOMIC MISCONCEPTIONSMost of us learn early that if something is good for us, it may not be pleasant. Unfortunately, the same logic has trickled into our ideas about healthy workplace posture and behavior.
Despite what your mother said sitting up straight is not good for you. And despite what the old ergonomic theories proposed, sitting with your body at 90-degree angles is not the healthiest way to spend a workday. In terms of workplace ergonomics, the startling truth is that comfort and health are synonymous. If you're not comfortable at your desk, it's because you're probably sitting and working wrong.
More adjustability doesn't necessarily mean more ergonomic. While the ability to adjust is a critical component of most ergonomic products, workers may unwittingly adjust themselves into bad postures and positions. Products should be adjustable within a safe operating range to keep un trained users from putting themselves at risk. Since most people know precious little about ergonomics, when workers set up their own work stations, the position of the keyboard, mouse, monitor and copy holder is typically determined by available desk space, in which case the likelihood of an ergonomic workspace is next to nil. .Not all products labeled 'ergonomic" are actually good for you. There are currently no laws or governing bodies overseeing the use of the "ergonomic" label. This means anyone can call any product "ergonomic"-from toasters to baby pins to steam-proof mirrors. As a result, the term has been overused and watered down. Bottom line, ergonomics in the workplace is serious business, and product claims and functions must be backed up by serious research and testing.
Not all products labeled 'ergonomic" are actually good for you. There are currently no laws or governing bodies overseeing the use of the "ergonomic" label. This means anyone can call any product "ergonomic"-from toasters to baby pins to steam-proof mirrors. As a result, the term has been overused and watered down. Bottom line, ergonomics in the workplace is serious business, and product claims and functions must be backed up by serious research and testing.
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT ERGONOMICS
So much for the bad news. The good news is that most work-related, repetitive stress injuries are avoid able. By attending to a few basic principles, employers can enhance their employees' comfort and productivity and reduce their risk of MSDs and other costly injuries. Remember the words of the American Industrial Hygiene Association: "Ergonomic principles are most effectively applied on a preventive basis. Good design with ergonomics provides the greatest economic benefit for industry."
Remember also:
Environment affects behavior. Proper placement of the workspace components (i.e., an ergonomically-designed workspace) will naturally encourage users to assume safe, low-risk postures. The top of the Empire State Building is not fenced in to keep sightseers from leaping to their doom, but to avoid the likelihood that accidents will happen. So too, the office work environment must be designed to minimize the risk for workers. In factories, industrial engineers spend hours analyzing the tasks performed by each worker to determine the most efficient and risk-free work station layout for that worker. Why not the same concern for the office worker?
Movement is critical. Despite the old school of thought on the desirability of fixed postures, the overwhelming evidence today shows that fixed postures are inherently dangerous. "Any fixed posture, no matter how closely it approaches the optimal, will generate muscle fatigue," says Marvin Dainoff, Director of the Center for Ergonomic Research at Miami University of Ohio. "Therefore, it is important to build in flexibility to allow operators to shift positions easily." Our bodies were designed to move. In fact movement, more than anything else, provides nourishment for the spine, keeps the joints lubricated and flexible, improves circulation and removes waste products from the muscles. Conversely, when we don't move, the elasticity of our spine and joints is reduced and waste products build up in the muscles, causing fatigue. While constant motion is obviously not the goal, frequent positional changes are vitally important to good health.
Minimize extreme postures. While movement is important, so are the postures you assume while performing your daily tasks. Neutral postures, meaning those that require minimal muscle activity to maintain, are synonymous with health and comfort. Extreme postures like abducted shoulders and extended wrists must always be avoided. Maintaining body symmetry is equally important, particularly with respect to the spine. Don't sit for extended periods in bent or twisted postures.
Avoid contact stress. Focused pressures are extremely dangerous, causing circulation problems and nerve damage in more severe cases. According to OSHA "Contact stress affects the soft tissue on the fingers, palms, forearms, thighs, shins and feet. This contact may inhibit blood flow, tendon and muscle movement and nerve function." Stress like this can be transmitted to arms and wrists by extended contact with the hard, sharp edges of desks and hard armrests on chairs. Likewise, the undersides of thighs are at risk from hard seat edges or simply seats that are too high.
Take breaks. Breaks could include actual work breaks, short exercise or stretch breaks, or simply switching gears and performing a different task for a few minutes. "Appropriate rest breaks, combined with stretching exercises, allow computer workers to sustain work at an appropriate pace, while minimizing postural injury risks," says Dr. Hedge.
Education, education, education. When all is said and done, a worker educated on ergonomics in the workplace is more likely to remain healthy. Such an employee will be aware of critical risk factors, healthy working postures, and more importantly, the warning signs of injuries.
http://www.humanscale.com
No comments:
Post a Comment