Prevent injury and illness at work by implementing an apt ergonomics workstation

Ergonomic Workstation - The basic guidelines

Ergonomics is a disciple that is focused on improving the health conditions, productivity, safety and comfort of people in a workplace.

 Ergonomic workstation is also concerned with improving effective interaction among the people and technology in a given environment. In other words, Ergonomics is the science of designing user interaction with the workplace equipment to fit the people. 

There are some basic guidelines for Ergonomics in a workplace. They include -

Ergonomics Chair - The width, height and the backrest of the char must be adjusted for a comfortable and neutral posture. Armrests may be optional. This solely depends on the nature of work and the mode of operation by the user. Swiveling seats are more preferable than bucket type seats. The seat fabric also plays an important part in proper ergonomics workstation. An ergonomics chair should have a seat that is not too soft, lest the muscles strain to maintain a good posture. The fabric should let the skin ‘breathe’ so that the body gets enough air circulation through the clothes to the human skin. 

Ergonomics Accessories -The top of the screen should be at the eye level or slightly lower. The screen should not have too much glare. This will strain the eyes. Too much of shadows can cause an equivalent strain to the eyes. The placement of keyboard is quite important. The hands need to have a 90 degree elbow angle and straight wrists. A firm but soft cushion is needed for the wrists. Furthermore, the wrist rests should have rounded edges, instead of sharp ones. 

Comfort and efficiency 

Ergonomics workstation depends on two main factors - Comfort and Efficiency.

Comfort is the mental aspect and the first step to an effective ergonomics. An ergonomic workstation needs to feed a comfort zone for the user. This creates a notion that the utility of the product in a workplace is as good as its quality. 

Though it comes in many forms, Efficiency is nothing but simplifying a procedure to make it easier and more productive. The crux of efficiency is to make a user get accustomed to a procedure. If a procedure or a process is done on a persistent basis, efficiency will ensue. 

Comfort and efficiency go hand in hand in making ergonomics work. Regardless of an ergonomics chair or even a workstation, all the mentioned factors should blend. An efficient ergonomic workstation strives to prevent injury and illness at work.