Computer use in the workplace can lead to injuries such as fatigue, muscle soreness, and serious injury. Ergonomics has developed guidelines for creating ergonomic workstations to reduce employee discomfort and increase productivity. Cornell University has created twelve ergonomic guidelines, including using a good chair with a backrest, positioning the computer monitor correctly, and taking frequent breaks to stretch. Ergonomic workstations reduce the cost of workplace injuries and increase employee satisfaction and productivity.
With the increase in computer use in the workplace, workplace injuries aren’t necessarily obsolete or rare. Prolonged, repetitive computer work can lead to fatigue, muscle soreness, and even serious injury. Incorrect posture further aggravates the situation. Fortunately, the field of ergonomics has developed and there are now a number of guidelines that can be followed to create an ergonomic workstation to avoid these workplace injuries.
The applied science of ergonomics, sometimes called biotechnology or human engineering, deals with the design of equipment for the workplace. This equipment, which can be described as an ergonomic workstation, is designed in such a way that it helps employees maximize productivity by reducing employee fatigue and discomfort.
Many leading universities have long studied ergonomic workstations. In fact, extensive studies have been conducted into what types of computer workstations are ergonomically correct. These findings not only benefit employees by helping them avoid pain, but they help employers through reductions in employee turnover and training expenses, and increased productivity of existing employees.
Cornell University has created twelve ergonomic guidelines that help protect your health while working on a computer. First of all, it is important to use a good chair with a backrest that leans slightly backwards and with some sort of lumbar brace to support the lower back. The top of the computer monitor should be two to three inches above eye level and should not be positioned where there might be glare on the screen. This helps to avoid tense muscles in the neck and shoulder area, as well as eye strain. Other factors that help the eyes are sitting at least an arm’s length away from the monitor and using a document holder when referencing a document extensively. Part of proper body positioning also has to do with the placement of your feet – they should be flat on the floor or placed on a stable, angled footrest.
One of the major problems related to worker fatigue is carpal tunnel syndrome. Repetitive motions in an incorrect position are what aggravate carpal tunnel. These types of injuries can be reduced, however, by keeping the keyboard centered directly in front of the operator. Also, your arms and elbows should be close to your body and relaxed; the wrists should be kept flat in relation to the forearms. Using a stable work surface and a negatively angled keyboard tray are also helpful solutions. Perhaps the most important factor, however, in avoiding repetitive stress injury is taking frequent short breaks to stretch.
Along with the above recommendations, computer users should think about their working environment and take into consideration other things around them such as lighting, ventilation, and noise. There are other considerations to explore. Probably the most important of which is how much time will be spent on the workstation. If it’s just a few minutes a day, ergonomic issues may not be such a high priority. However, if it’s more than four hours a day, an ergonomic workstation is essential for employee well-being.
By creating an ergonomic workstation, you will reduce the cost of workplace injuries such as carpal tunnel, back strain and other musculoskeletal injuries. While the associated costs may seem unnecessary at first, they will pay off in the long run. Absenteeism will decrease, employee satisfaction will increase and productivity will be maximized.
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