Assessing Ergonomics In The Workplace
Ergonomics In The Workplace Make A Difference
If you have an office job that forces you to sit at a computer for much of the day, you are at a high risk for injuries like carpal tunnel, back pain, tendinitis, fatigue, and other such miseries. Before you allow yourself to fall down that rabbit hole, it’s a good idea to assess the ergonomics you and others are using at your place of work. Conducting this assessment can help you figure out what you need to avoid injuries that are hard to remedy after they appear. At E3 Consulting, we’re experts in ergonomic assessments that can assist with the following.
Physical Assessment
First, you will need to understand the physical demands that are associated with your job and others like yours to help you identify risk areas that could arise or things that need improvement. Tour your department and take a close look at the physical demands on the employees. If you have an office job, they might all be about the same. For the best ergonomics, computer monitors need to be at eye level to avoid arching the back or craning the neck. Wrists should be able to lay comfortably when employees are typing, and shoulders should be relaxed and parallel to the sitting position. People should be able to put their feet flat on the floor.
Injury History Assessment
Have you or others around you injured themselves in the workplace in the past due to poor ergonomics? If so, that will give you more information about the ergonomic needs. If lots of people in similar positions around you have back pain, there’s an issue with the chairs and their supportive nature. If everyone is complaining of carpal tunnel syndrome, the keyboards aren’t positioned correctly, or people aren’t taking proper breaks.
Looking Further Into Ergonomics
If you aren’t sure what you’re seeing, or what needs to be done about the issues you are noticing, contact a professional for an ergonomics evaluation. An Online Pre-Evaluation can be done in 5 minutes prior to your meeting with a consultant onsite and/or virtual for an ergonomic evaluation. If you have a lot you want to address, you can have an in-person evaluation or you can do something over Skype to address certain areas. This will help you figure out what types of things you need to do to get the ergonomics straightened out for you and everyone else in the office.
Ergonomics In The Workplace Remedied
Once you pinpoint what needs to be done around the office, you can start to fix small items that will make a big difference. Reposition monitors so they are at eye level, for example, and place keyboards in the proper positions. Give everyone a chair that can be adjusted for their height and comfort and make sure everyone takes breaks from typing and other repetitive motions that can cause injuries after a while. If you need more suggestions on what specifically needs to be done for your office, contact E3 Consulting for help. We’re here to help with the evaluation and ideas to put a new level of ergonomics into place.
