Due to the coronavirus, most workers are telecommuting. As a result, it is important to consider how to make your home office more ergonomic. While you may find it easy to respond to an email from the kitchen counter or write a few emails while lying in bed, working under these conditions for an extended period of time can cause you to experience aches and pains.
Consider reviewing your home setup to ensure it is ergonomically sound and to ensure overall body wellness in the future. Here are some tips to evolve your home office and preserve your physical health:
If you use a laptop, get a laptop riser and external keyboard
Although it can be convenient using laptops and notebooks, they are not great to use on an ongoing basis. Due to the fact that laptop screens and keyboards are attached to each other, this causes you to bend and/or twist your neck while looking down to view your keyboard. A laptop riser will allow you to put the laptop at a comfortable monitor height, and an external ergonomic keyboard will allow you to type comfortably with your arms in a neutral posture.
Sit with elbows and knees at a 90-degree angle
The optimal ergonomic sitting posture is as follows: sit with your spine straight, knees and elbows bent at 90-degree angles, and/or use a footrest to ensure your hips are level with your knees. A chair/desk combination that lets you fit this 90-degree configuration is vital. There are a variety of ergonomic chair options that can provide you with the right support.
Look straight ahead at your monitor
Your monitor should be positioned at a height that allows you to look straight, without having to bend your neck. This means elevating the monitor to the correct viewing height or using an adjustable height monitor stand if necessary. Additionally, avoid positioning your monitor at an angle where you have to turn your head to see it.
Switch it up
There are many dangers associated with sitting for long hours. Take microbreaks by alternating between sitting and standing for short periods of time. This prevents muscle fatigue by allowing you to move around. Another option is utilizing a sit/stand desk, which will allow you to continue working in a standing or sitting position throughout the day.
Making your home workspace ergonomic is a decision that will prove greatly beneficial to your overall physical health for many years to come.
To achieve an optimal ergonomic workstation, it is important to hire a Specialist to examine your current workplace. At Accredited Rehabilitation Consultants, we can evaluate your current workspace, find ways to make it more ergonomic, and then provide and install the necessary equipment to do so. To learn more, contact us today!
Ergonomic assessments are done to minimize the risk of injury and maximize productivity. It is also done to support the return to work of a worker who is injured and needs to minimize workplace discomfort to recover faster from their injury and prevent aggravation. Workers who are remote also need to ensure their remote work environment is safe and ergonomically designed.
The first step to making your workplace more ergonomic is to hire an ergonomist to conduct workplace ergonomic assessment. These people have experience in assessing and identifying present and possible future problems and have the necessary skills to suggest solutions for any ergonomic issue they encounter. With the guidance of these health professions, you can decide what kind of actions to take; be it to organize a workshop to increase awareness, one-on-one assessments of employee to ensure proper ergonomic setup, or to determine the equipment or higher levels of control that an injured employee may require.
Once you have identified your ergonomic issues, it becomes easier to decide what needs to be implemented, whether that be to provide ergonomic equipment or make changes to an employee’s job duties. For example, concerning issues with high-task repetition, a simple solution is to continuously cycle employees between repetitive tasks.
Other Ergonomic Benefits
These days, ergonomic trends are moving away from trying to reduce musculoskeletal injuries to the many other business benefits ergonomic change brings. Good ergonomics has reduced worker compensation claims and increased productivity since workers are happier and healthier. It has also improved employee engagement and longevity at the workplace. People can notice when you invest in them and taking steps to improve their health and well-being, which shows you care about the working conditions of your employees.
To achieve an optimal ergonomic workstation, it is important to hire a Specialist to examine your current workplace. At Accredited Rehabilitation Consultants, we can evaluate your current workspace, find ways to make it more ergonomic, and then provide and install the necessary equipment to do so. To learn more, contact us today!
Here just some of the many health risks that a poor ergonomic workspace can have on our bodies:
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
Perhaps the most debilitating and most common result of a poor ergonomic workspace are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). These include conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and bursitis. All of these conditions can be the result of poor posture and repetitive movements (such as typing) over a long period of time.
Back injuries
Sitting is the new smoking, as they say, and prolonged inactivity can wreak havoc on our backs. Sitting for long periods of time and/or incorrect posture can cause cumulative trauma which ultimately lead to back issues later on. While back pain can sometimes be temporary, according to the CDC, anywhere from 5-10% of Americans say that their back pain becomes chronic.
Headaches and migraines
Poor ergonomics can also lead to seemingly unrelated symptoms such as headaches and migraines. This is because poor posture can lead to a greater strain on our backs, necks, and shoulders. Thepain in these areas can then travel up to your head, triggering headaches and/or migraines in certain individuals. Headaches and migraines can also be triggered by eye strain as a result of staring at a screen for too long of a time.
So, what can you do to prevent your workforce from suffering from these conditions? The answer is making your workspace more ergonomically friendly. At Accredited Rehabilitation Consultants, we can evaluate your current workspace, find ways to make it more ergonomic, and then provide and install the necessary equipment to do so. To learn more, contact us today!
