What everyone should know about ergonomic tips at work

You are drowning in your work with the deadlines and hectic schedule. When you lie down at night, you suddenly feel your back or feet hurt. You might even have experienced numbness, swelling, or bruise in parts of your body. It could be due to bad habits or your job. Poor posture on your desk. We all might experience it. The ergonomic tips can help you and me to avoid it.

In this blog,  Southern Nevada Occupational Health Center explains the ergonomic tips, its benefits, and processes to help you develop your job efficiency.

 

Ergonomics in a brief description

In general terms, ergonomics is the science of good posture to improve viability and make good mobility habits. The words “human factors” and ergonomics are usually used interchangeably.

By learning ergonomic tips, you will find your workplace quite comfortable and motivating. However, the ergonomics field is not a one-way ticket. Some multiple schemes and theories may help you get over fatigue or physical damages.

You might also generate a new tip that suits your workplace the best. The condition differs from one company to another.

According to the National Safety Council, leading factors to poor ergonomics are:

• Working in awkward positions
• Having a poorly set-up workstation
• Overexerting yourself when lifting, pushing, or pulling
• Sitting for too long in one position

The occupational tests and screens often determine the results of bad ergonomics in people.

What are different types of ergonomics?

International Ergonomics Association indicates that there are three types of ergonomics; on which you have to put particular concentration:

 

Physical Ergonomics

Physical ergonomics concentrates on presenting injury and fatigue using evaluation methods. Some occupations require long-term immobility, repetition, or manual tasks. Ergonomics science seeks to increase efficiency and reduce quality issues by considering the errors and impacts of the equipment workers.

Most ergonomic issues include:

• Vibration
• Force
• Repetition
• Posture

Physical ergonomics is connected with:

• Anthropometry
• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Biomechanics
• The physical environment or physical activity.

Areas of focus in physical ergonomics consist of:

• Physiology
• Consequences of repetitive motion
• Workplace safety
• Keyboard design
• Comfort in using portable devices
• Working postures
• Work environment

The efficiency of physical, ergonomic tips depends on the ability of employees. Bad habits cause some common work disorders. Here we have mentioned some diseases:

• Musculoskeletal
• Biomechanical
• Anthropometric
• Anatomical

 

Cognitive Ergonomics

Cognitive ergonomics is related to work quality and profitability. It considers mental workload, usability, error analysis, decision making, design, and training.

Cognitive ergonomics is connected to mental processes. For instance, we can name memory, perception, reasoning, and motor response. The influential factors in communication are as follows:

• Mental workload
• Skilled performance
• Decision-making
• Human reliability
• Human-computer interaction
• Training for human-system design
• Work stress

 

Organizational Ergonomics

The so-called organizational ergonomics or Macroergonomics seeks to improve efficiency at the workplace. It uses proper equipment and systems. The focus is on designing the whole system by providing sufficient knowledge. There are always ways to develop the work performance by making slight alterations.

Organizational ergonomics is connected with the development of socio-technical systems, organizational structures, processes, and policies. Here are some related factors:

• Communication
• Crew resource management
• Work design
• Design of working times
• Teamwork
• Participatory design
• Community ergonomics
• Cooperative work
• New work paradigms
• Virtual organizations
• Telework
• Quality management

 

The Importance of ergonomics

Before getting started in every occupation, you should have some rules and prevention tips in mind. However, more than thinking about them, the execution matters. Ergonomics tips will guarantee your safety. They also keep you in a better mood to communicate with your colleagues. You can’t remove high profitability from the ergonomics benefit list as well. Here we have mentioned some other benefits:

• More efficient product quality
• Lower costs
• Improved engagement
• Higher productivity
• Better safety habits

 

What can employers do for ergonomics at work?

The process for a standardized ergonomic action is as you will see:

 

Recognize the risks

First thing first, you should look for the risks your employers will face. Multiple risks in any workplace can affect the employers’ bodily and mental health. You Can only achieve the act of problem-solving when detecting the problem. Otherwise, the whole process is of no use.

 

Plan the improvements

After you have identified the risk, you should provide a schedule to get to all the points you need. You can order them depending on the cost, priority, etc.

 

Do the measurement

A successful ergonomic assessment is always measured, meeting the company criteria and the employees’ abilities. This way, the precision rate is higher, and you will get a better result.

 

Make assessments

After detecting the risk, you should equip your company to ensure your employees’ health. You can also hire a doctor to help you in the whole process. They can inform the employees about good posture habits and how to use the tools. This process will not only satisfy your workers but also will develop efficiency throughout your territory.

 

How can employees make the work Ergo-friendly?

There is no such thing as secret actions for ergonomic habits. You can follow the ones you find more profitable or make them up, depending on your condition. We have mentioned some of the ergonomic tips you should consider as follows.

 

Stretch and walk around

Try not remain immobile all the time. The feet should not be dangly when you are sitting. If your feet don’t reach the floor or feel pressure on, use a footrest or lower the keyboard and chair.

When standing, hand out body weight evenly to all parts of your feet.

While sitting in an office chair, use the chair’s features. Sit up straight and align the neck, shoulders, and hips in one vertical line. Any stable sitting position, even a good one, can be exhausting.

As muscles tire, slumping, slouching, and other poor postures appear., repeating lousy posture for a long time will put extra pressure on the neck and back. To keep a relaxing and supported posture, change positions in short lapses of time. For instance, you can take a break from sitting on a chair every half hour for two minutes to stretch, stand, or walk.

 

Do not ignore the pain

Ergonomic discomfort has a significant impact on your productivity and health. Inform the supervisor as long as you still feel the pain. Pain is a natural reaction to inform us there is something wrong with your body. Ignoring it will only make it worse.

 

Carry heavy items right

Try to get help to carry heavy items. If you have no remedy but to carry them, do it in the right way. You can use installation and lifting tools to help you with the object, or you can put a rope around it and pull it all the way.

If you want to be healthy even when you are aged, you should carry heavy items right. You might not see the consequences now, but they will appear badly.

 

Keep right posture

Assure that the weight of your arms is always supported. If not, you will feel severe pain in your neck and shoulders by the end of the day.

Watch your head positioning. Keep the weight of your head right above your neck, and don’t push your head and neck forward.

Slouching will press hard on your discs and vertebrae of the back. Use the lumbar support of your chair to avoid sitting in a way to place the body weight unevenly. Move your chair to avoid leaning and reaching.

 

Stay up to date

Before starting to work, you would better know the safety rules and tips. Ergonomic tips are some of the most essential safety tips. You just need to know about them and make your knowledge updated.

Remember that knowledge is not all of it. You need to implement strategies to take them into action.

You could share your findings on ergonomics to make deep learning. The experts say that the best way to learn a new subject is to teach it to someone else. You can even get help from the counselor of your office or healthcare facilities.

 

Computer positioning

Your computer station should be located to your comfort. Your keyboard and mice should be at the same level, and the armrests of the chair should support the weight of your arms. It would be best if you position the keyboard in a way that your wrists remain straight.

A document holder can be of help if you should look at documents when typing. All of your stuff, such as staplers, pencils, or your phone, should be within reach. You can use a headphone instead of placing the phone between your head and shoulders if you need to use your phone frequently.

The monitor should be placed precisely in front of your eyes. Also, the keyboard should be located directly in front of the monitor. This way, you won’t need to turn your head or neck.

The keyboard and the mice should be close enough, so you don’t have to put extra pressure on your arms and shoulders.

Windshield wiping or moving the mouse back and forth will injure your wrists. Inflammation and nerve entrapment are due to bending your wrists a lot. So, use the whole arm when you need to use your mouse.

The strain of back muscles and ligaments are the consequences of sitting on the edge of the chair. You may push yourself forward unintentionally, so consider moving backward every half an hour.

Place your monitor close to your eyes so that you can see it precisely. Try using all the chair features to make yourself more comfortable.

 

Use ergonomic tools

The first and vital ergonomic tool is your chair. Make sure your feet are plainly on the floor, the way that you won’t need to bend your ankles. If you think the height is not suitable, you can use a footrest or relocate the monitor. A cushion can support your back not to bend a lot more.

 

Alter repetitive tasks

Sitting still for a long time is not advised to workers. It will increase the risk of blood pressure and fatigue. It can even lead to pain and injury in the long run. As movements prevent muscles from getting stiff, we recommend that you move your chair all the time and try to alter your tasks.

Repetitive motion can result in musculoskeletal disorders. Even if you take a good posture, repeating it will lead to injury over time.

To prevent that, you can change your posture even for a short lapse. This act will reduce the risk of injuries substantially.

When it’s not possible to change your task, you should change the motion gradually. For instance, if you’ve been sitting for a while, you can walk a little bit or recline as you prefer.

 

The eyes strain

Avoid eye strain by locating your monitor not too close. It must locate at least an arm’s length away. Take steps to control screen glare. Don’t place the monitor in front of a window or a bright background. You can rest your eyes for a few seconds by looking at distant objects to give your eyes a break.

Computers have the switching off blue light capability. It’s not necessary that lighting levels be as bright for work.

You can lower ambient lighting for computer work and prepare directional lighting for desk work. Flexible task light can shed light whenever it’s needed.

 

Dominant eye

Everyone is familiar with their dominant hand, but few know about their dominant eye. To find your dominant eye, make a small circle with your hand and peer around a distant object. Close each eye. The eye that keeps the thing right in the circle is your dominant eye.

Now that you know it, you can place documents to the side of the dominant eye. This will reduce reconcentration and neck movement.

 

Chillout

Try to set up free times at work to avoid the risk of fatigue. Also, it’s okay to chit-chat with your colleagues or to have some fresh air. It will give rest to your mind and increase the productivity of the brain.

 

Get help

All the employees need help with the ergonomics. At all the companies, there is an ergonomic policy and a person you can go to. If there is no such thing, you can talk with your supervisor to hire a consultant. If that alternative does not exist either, you can use the help of other facilities to make your comfort.

 

Let’s Sum up…

There are various ways to avoid fatigue, eyestrain, or injuries at work. These schemes called ergonomics tips can make practical changes in your lifestyle. Not only will they develop the profitability, but also they will provide you peace of mind while working.

You might need tests and exams to ensure workplace safety. There is also some information you need to receive from occupational experts.

Southern Nevada Occupational Health Center (SNOHC) is at your service for every occupation help you need.  We provide different occupational, physical, and mental tests and exams, immunization, vaccines, and diagnostic tests.

Our skilled caregivers will provide you with the best techniques and movements to help you overcome fatigue and anxieties. Give us a call at (702) 874-4769 for further information. Your health is always our priority.