All About Office Ergonomics
Office ergonomics is a movement that's taking off in many office environments around the world. Management understands that proper computer workstation ergonomics and a comfortable ergonomic chair can improve productivity significantly. Training employees about risk factors and health hazards is a proven way to minimize musculoskeletal injuries encountered from repetitive strains or poor posture. Today's research focuses on product designs, such as new keyboards, chairs, mice and lighting, yet some attention should also be paid to workspace design and organizational behaviors.
The concept of ergonomics itself was noted as far back as 5th Century BC, when Hippocrates consulted surgeons on how they should arrange their tools and set up their workspace. In fact, the word "ergonomics" comes from the Greek words "ergon" (work) and "nomos" (natural laws). Productivity was the main reason for studying ergonomics in the early 1900s, when Frederick Winslow Taylor's research uncovered the ability to triple the amount of coal shoveled by incrementally reducing the size and weight of coal shovels. Similar methods were uncovered for brick layers by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, improving productivity from 120 to 350 bricks per hour. After WWII, the military looked into new ways to design airplanes to minimize pilot error and NASA explored ways of making an astronaut's long journey more comfortable.
More modern, office related ergonomics were explored in the 1950s and 1960s, when the Quickborner Team led by Eberhard and Wolfgang Schnelle looked at ways to add more open spaces and seat everyone in a more collaborative seating arrangement. Standard desks and chairs were used, but large potted plants, visual barriers, irregular geometric floor plans and circulation patterns were added to the mix. Despite this creative approach, the sea of cubicles we see today soon gained favor.
Today, people largely spend more of their time interacting with computers than with individuals in the workplace, so ergonomic research largely focuses on the type of tasks, movements and injuries people face in their day-to-day jobs in hopes of devising product designs and computer workstations that will minimize work stress and boost productivity.
Seating is an important part of office ergonomics, since most work-related injuries involve the back and neck. People focused on ergonomic product design look at how hip rotation, posture of the lumbar spine and tissue pressure all interact to cause certain lower back disorders. Research shows that unsupported lordosis (no contact with the lumbar support, yet reclining against the upper seat back) may increase lower back pain. This is why many chairs feature slightly curved padding in the lower back region. Furthermore, the hip angle is increased to avoid unnecessary pressure beneath the thighs. While foam padding and mesh material have been popular in many office chairs, recent data suggests that more expensive gel technologies are needed to diminish long-term discomfort.
Lighting is another key factor in office ergonomics. One study found that the following ergonomic guidelines should be implemented: a mixture of direct lighting (60%) and indirect lighting (40%); desktop illumination in a 20:1 ratio with the surrounding light; windows with glare control; adjustable blinds or shades; and a uniform ratio of average luminance between VDT screens and other vertical surfaces. The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America recommends maximum luminance ratios of 1:3 or 3:1 between central task materials and surrounding light. To the average management team, these figures can be confusing, which highlights the need for ergonomics consultants who specialize in productivity and process improvement.
Dr. James Levine MD from The Mayo Clinic says that the office ergonomics of the future will likely focus on creating a more active environment. When one considers that two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, the need for more movement is obvious. In his research, he found that thin people tend to be on their feet an average of 2.5 hours more each day than people who are overweight. He imagines that employees may stand in front of a raised workstation while walking on the treadmill one day. They'll carry mobile phones and walk around, rather than sit at a desk station. "We have meeting rooms, but for small groups we prefer the track," Dr. Levine says, referring to a two-lane walking track that circles his building. "So when (we) 'take a meeting' we also take a walk." Each workplace will have an exercise facility, as recommended in the September 2005 Ergonomics Report. The idea is that workplace design that reduces health risks and promotes a healthier workforce will ultimately be the most productive.
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