subject: Business Shopping Tips For Ergonomic Office Furniture [print this page] Over the past few years, employers and business owners have begun to realize the importance of making their offices more ergonomic. Repetitive tasks such as data entry cause a variety of traumas which cost employers a tremendous amount of money and lost productivity.
It can be an expensive proposition to hire ergonomic consultants and purchase new furniture but these actions could prevent workers compensation claims caused by carpal tunnel syndrome which can be even more expensive.
One workers compensation claim can cost a company more than all of their new furniture. The cost of not making an investment in new ergonomic furniture can be much higher. Sometimes employers are forced to cover medical expenses for their employees who file workers compensation claims. If employers decline to pay these expenses they can be sued by their employees under OSHA regulations that require employers to provide a safe work environment for their employees.
If an employees trauma is cumulative the damage can be even more severe. In fact, professionals agree that hidden cumulative trauma such as back strain or carpal tunnel syndrome can often be four to five times more costly to an employer.
Sometimes workers are forced to miss work due to their injuries and this can affect your companys productivity. Most of these office injuries are avoidable if ergonomic furniture is installed in the work place. Look at the decision as an investment in your employees before they start to complain about back pain and sore forearms. The investment often improves employee loyalty, morale, and employee retention.
An added benefit is the fact that your office will be more OSHA compliant due to the addition of ergonomic furniture. OSHA has proposed standards to require employers to make their offices more ergonomically compliant so why wait.
Here are a few ways your office can improve ergonomically.
I recommend buying ergonomic chairs for your new or existing work stations. Make sure your new chairs include 5 wheeled star bases, multi-function tilt controls, pneumatic height controls, lumbar supports, and adjustable height arms. Try to make sure your employees are properly trained as to how to best utilize their new chairs. Their knees, hips, and elbows should be kept at right angles when sitting to insure maximum comfort.
The proper positioning for monitors should be set so that the top line of type is between eye level and 15 degrees below eye level. The correct position can be enhanced by utilizing flat panel monitor arms which offer a variety of adjustments for your computer monitor.
The correct computer station set up is extremely critical. Experts claim that the proper height for a computer workstation is twenty seven to twenty eight inches high. If you workstation is set at the standard height of thirty inches, try to utilize an articulating keyboard platform to reduce stress to wrists. Using the wrong height can create back, shoulder, neck, as well as wrist pain.
Be sure to set your new ergonomic furniture and accessories to support the entire body. This will encourage blood flow which distributes oxygen to muscles. Forearm rests, mouse pad rests, wrist pads, and foot rests can all be used to reduce stress to employees.
Configure your new furniture to accommodate your employees in such a way as to avoid repeating difficult tasks. As an example, an employee should not have to repeat the same awkward physical task over and over throughout the day. This should be diminished or eliminated by the use of better ergonomics.
If you find yourself complaining or your employees express discomfort performing their everyday tasks, act quickly to alleviate the discomfort. A delayed response to their concerns can be costly. Do not let a simple problem escalate into something major. It is recommended that you should contact an ergonomic expert. Ergonomic consultants can usually be found through online furniture providers. Take action quickly to avoid potential workers compensation claims.
The purpose of this article is to provide employers and businesses with valuable insight that can assist your company in avoiding costly claims, injury to your employees, and loss of productivity. Thank you for your attention and good luck.
