How to Improve Office Ergonomics in the Workplace

Creating a comfortable and ergonomic office workspace is crucial for workers’ health, happiness, and productivity. When the office design caters to everyone’s unique needs, workplaces can experience a significant boost in overall employee well-being and job satisfaction. In this blog, we’ll explore how to assess your office ergonomics and provide practical tips for creating a healthier, more efficient work environment.

Assess Your Current Workplace Office Ergonomics

When assessing your office’s ergonomics, we recommend using the RACE (Recognize, Assess, Control, and Evaluate Hazard Controls) principle. The steps your workplace can follow are highlighted below:

Recognizing: Recognizing involves identifying ergonomic hazards that can cause adverse effects in the workplace if exposure occurs. Resources such as injury and illness, workplace inspection, or incident investigation reports, plus worker complaints, and statistics can be utilized at this stage.

Assessing: Assessing a hazard involves determining whether exposure to the hazard is possible and the potential for harm if exposure does occur. For example, an employee of small stature does not have a chair that accommodates their height. This results in the employees’ legs not touching the floor. The chair height can cause permanent leg and back muscle injuries and poor circulation.

Controlling: If a hazard is deemed potentially harmful, a control must be implemented. Control refers to the elimination or reduction of the hazard to a level that safeguards workers from harm. Continuing with our chair example, there are two options to consider. The employee may need a different chair to allow their legs to touch the floor, or they can use a footrest to support their legs.

Evaluating Hazard Controls: Anytime a control measure is implemented, it is important to return and assess its effectiveness. If we use a chair to lower the employee and return one week later to complaints of a sore neck, we will realize that adjusting the chair only is not sufficient. In addition to the chair, adjustments should be made to the computer monitor and keyboard heights.

How to Choose Office Furniture

Ergonomic recommendations are based on the principle that the job should be fit to the person and not the person to the job. In other words, when choosing office furniture, there is not one size that fits all. Just because something is “ergonomically correct” does not make it a fit for every employee. We recommend employers get input directly from employees to better tailor workstation design. 

Seated Office Workstations

Many office workers work at a desk, seated all day, and with this comes inherent risks. Poorly designed chairs can contribute to back stress, circulation problems, eyestrain, and neck and shoulder pain. Well-designed chairs include adjustable armrests, a contoured front edge, fabric that breathes, adjustable backrests with lumbar support, adjustable height, and a tiltable seat. When it comes to seated workstation design, consider the following:

1. Frequency of use: More frequently used items need to be placed within easy reach, where they can be seen and used without excessive head and neck movement.

2. Sequence of use: Items commonly used together or in sequence should be kept together.

3. Importance of use: Be sure to consider how important the item is, even if only used occasionally.

4. Force requirements: Heavy objects should be placed so that stooping, extended reaching, or support at arm’s length is not required.

The Importance of Office Ergonomics Training for Employees

Training and educating employees on office ergonomics is beneficial for employee well-being and the companies themselves. Below are a few training benefits:

• Hazard identification: Training teaches employees to evaluate hazards in their workstations.
• Improved Comfort and Productivity: Training teaches employees to optimize their workspace by following ergonomic principles. When employees know how to set up their workstations ergonomically, discomfort can be reduced, and productivity increased.
• Reduced Absenteeism: When employees recognize the role they play in office ergonomics, work-related injuries and discomfort can decrease, which reduces absenteeism.
• Increased Employee Retention: When employers invest in ergonomics training, they demonstrate a commitment to employee well-being. This commitment can lead to increased loyalty and retention. 
• Reduced Workers’ Compensation Claims: Ergonomic training can minimize the financial impact of work-related injuries and illnesses.

Make Use of Office Ergonomic Assessment Tools and Services

To help your workplace along its ergonomic journey, we recommend making use of pre-existing assessment tools and services, should you not have the ability in-house. HSPI has a variety of assessment tools, and we specialize in office ergonomic assessments. A registered nurse (RN) will evaluate your workspace, delivering a comprehensive report and practical suggestions for enhancing its ergonomics. To learn more about our services, check out our website or connect with us now.