Workplace ergonomics aims to minimize employee health risks and increase productivity, reducing employer costs. It involves designing workspaces with furniture and equipment that offer optimal body support and reducing the risk of repetitive strain injury. Ergonomics has become an important industry, spawning furniture companies and consultancies.
Workplace ergonomics is the practice of designing an office or other workspace in a way that minimizes employee health risks and increases employee productivity, thereby reducing employer costs. In an office, this practice can involve creating an intuitive workspace layout and introducing furniture and equipment designed to offer optimal body support. Workplace ergonomics in a manufacturing environment can involve designing machinery and physical activities in a way that reduces the risk of repetitive strain injury (RSI). First emerging from the growing industrialization of the 19th century, workplace ergonomics has become an important industry in its own right, spawning furniture companies and consultancies.
Office-based workplace ergonomics can be seen as having two major components: office layout and furniture and equipment selection. An ergonomically conscious employer can plan the layout of his company’s workspace in such a way that all offices and shared equipment, such as copiers, are easily accessible and all walkways are unobstructed. In an “open space” office, he can organize cubicles so that each employee has adequate space to sit and move freely. Furthermore, he can ensure that all work areas receive sufficient lighting.
A careful selection and arrangement of furniture and equipment is also crucial for the ergonomics of the office workplace. For example, an employer can reduce its employees’ risk of back injuries by choosing supportive, adjustable chairs that provide comfort and encourage good posture. It can reduce the chances of eye, neck and wrist strain by advising employees on the proper placement of computer monitors and keyboards.
The manufacturing industry also commonly uses the principles of workplace ergonomics in order to reduce the possibility of injury to employees. Over time, repeatedly performing a small task, like lifting a box or even turning a wrench, can lead to RSI. By designing production tools and machinery with the user’s body in mind and varying the physical tasks of each employee, ergonomically oriented manufacturing companies can reduce the occurrence of RSI in the workplace.
Concern for workplace ergonomics has led to the evolution of an important industry. Many office furniture and equipment designers specialize in creating pieces intended to promote employee safety and comfort. There are also a number of ergonomic consultancy firms. These companies can study their workplace to determine areas of physical weakness. They can then work with employers to design a layout that minimizes the risk of employee injury, in turn encouraging productivity and reducing costs.
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