Office Design – Setting up an Ergonomic Standing Desk

Did you know that American workers spend five hours working at a desk on average? In fact, many desk workers may spend their entire workday at a desk.

The way your employees spend their time at work can take a toll on their bodies, especially repetitive desk work. Investing in ergonomic office equipment like ergonomic standing desks will make an employee’s time at their desk more enjoyable – whether they are working in the office or doing remote work at home.

How do ergonomic desks work, though? Can you just set it up and leave it at that?  While investing in a professional ergonomics assessment will yield the best results, below are some best practice tips for ergonomic standing desks from the ergonomics experts at Solutions Northwest Inc..

How to Set Up Your Ergonomic Standing Desk

Whether you are looking for ergonomic solutions for the office or home office, there are a few things your employees should keep in mind when they are first doing their ergonomic desk setup. For example, ergonomic desks need to have different settings for standing and sitting.

Standing While Working

If your employee is standing, their ergonomic standing desks should be set up, so their elbows are close to their body, their wrists should be at 180 degrees to the forearm, and they should be able to look straight ahead at their computer monitor. Ergonomics experts recommend that if they have the option, they should also have a standing desk mat and something they can rest their feet on, alternating between which foot is up at any given time.

Sitting While Working

According to ergonomics experts, when employees are sitting at an ergonomic computer desk, they should have their monitor at eye level. This prevents them from craning their neck to look up or down. Both feet should be on the floor or a mat, and their elbows and knees should be at 90 degrees. Further equipment is likely needed, such as an ergonomic chair, which would help with any backaches or injuries workers might develop as well.

Related article: “The Ergonomic Way to Sit at Your Desk and View Your Monitor”

Common Ergonomic Standing Desk Mistakes

Standing desk ergonomics can help employees feel better and ease employee’s aches and pains that can develop over years of repetitive work.

There are a few things office desk workers should keep in mind when using ergonomic tools like a standing desk:

1. Using standing desks doesn’t mean workers only stand while working. Employees should be alternating between standing and sitting because staying in either position too long can lead to injury and pain for workers.The benefit of an ergonomic standing desk is that it will make it easier to alternate between sitting and standing. In fact, some ergonomic standing desks come with a timer to let you know when it is time to alternate – if not, consider using your phone to set a timer to remind yourself to alternate from sitting to standing.

2. We also spoke about setting an employee’s ergonomic desk properly above. Consult the manual or get some expert advice from an ergonomics consultant on how to set up the desk. Having an ergonomic desk but not optimizing it can be a huge mistake.
3. Employees should also make sure they are attempting to stand or sit with good posture. They should stand or sit with their shoulders back and head up, looking directly at their computer monitors. Hunching and slouching can lead to some uncomfortable issues down the line.

Related article: “The Truth About Working Sitting Down vs. Standing Up”

Invest in Ergonomics for Happier, Safer, and more Productive Employees.

Ergonomic standing desks can give your employees the option to stretch their legs and avoid workplace injury. If your workers see you are taking an active interest in their well-being, it will also lead to happier workers. Happier workers are more productive workers.

Investing in workplace ergonomics will pay off in the long run, which is why it is important to remain proactive even if your workers are working remotely. Contact the ergonomics experts at Solutions Northwest Inc. to find out how you can have a professional ergonomics assessment performed. And be sure to check out our new virtual ergonomics assessment, designed for remote workers (all they need is access to e-mail or a smart phone).

Have questions? Contact us at SolutionsNW.com, we will be happy to help you!

At SolutionsNW.com we value the importance of a positive workplace culture. Part of a positive workplace is a safe workplace, Contact Us to schedule an ergonomics consultation or ergonomics assessment for your office today.

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