Web and search engine specialists spend hours, months and even years in front of their computer, sitting at a desk. If some of them develop occupational illnesses early on, such as MSDs in particular, for the majority we don’t really know what the results will be of decades of poorly seated, poorly positioned… We fear the decades to come.
Take care of your workspace
So poor working conditions not only affect employees’ health, but also reduce their productivity and increase healthcare costs – and these are not good measures for any company. So, as employers rethink work models to adapt to the new normal, they are also starting to rethink work and its impact on health and productivity employees.
Ergonomic furniture
Ergonomics! This is the buzzword that business leaders need to focus on to increase employee productivity in the new normal. Workstations, where employees spend almost all of their working hours, should promote productivity, not hinder it. A good ergonomic workstation allows you to sit comfortably in your natural posture, without having to bend or bend to use your computer.
To properly set up your ergonomic workstation, you must first determine the best ergonomic desk height for you. There is no universal ergonomic furniture because workers have different sizes and body shapes.
Clear ergonomic rules
If you have to lean forward to work, you’re probably sitting in the wrong position. A ergonomic desk allows you to comfortably place your hands on your desk so that your elbows are inclined at approximately 90 degrees to the desk surface. If your elbows are at an angle greater than 90 degrees, you may need to raise the desk or lower your chair; and if your elbows form an angle less than 90 degrees with the desk, you will need to lower your desk or raise your chair. Sitting at a desk at an inappropriate height can cause your muscles and joints to compensate for the poor posture by overexerting themselves. After a while, the muscles may become sore and stiff.
Adjust your furniture
Adjusting your chair to your desk height can be counterintuitive if you have an uncomfortable chair.
An ergonomic chair allows your thighs to remain parallel to the floor and your feet to rest flat on the floor. An ergonomic chair also has lumbar support which limits strain on your lower back muscles and allows you to protect the natural curvature of your lumbar spine. This allows you to sit up straight, protecting your spinal muscles from overstretching. Remember to keep the back of your chair unlocked to promote freedom of movement for your upper body.
None of these adjustments should compromise your natural posture, which is the goal of proper ergonomic desks.
Additionally, if your job involves using a computer, be sure to adjust your workstation for distance and height. The ideal distance is the one at which your outstretched hands can touch your computer screen. At this distance from your screen, you can work without craning your neck. Likewise, the perfect height of your computer allows you to work without raising your arms or having your elbows too far apart.
Business leaders are beginning to infuse these ergonomic strategies into the workplace to optimize new work models.
