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Ergo-Safety: 4 Ergonomic Items to Bring Peace of Mind to the Office

Ergo-Safety: 4 Ergonomic Items to Bring Peace of Mind to the Office

Post By: Celeste McLaughlin, Ergonomics Manager
Produced by: Solutions Northwest, Inc. (Ergonomics Experts serving Washington, Oregon, and California)

4 Ergonomic Items to Bring Peace of Mind to the Office

Sedentary lifestyle can explain, in part, how modernity is associated with obesity, more than 30 chronic diseases and conditions and high healthcare costs.” NCBI

Sitting and staring at a computer screen all day can be detrimental to your health and well-being, but what if your job requires it? Savvy office managers are beginning to implement ergonomic solutions to help employees not only be healthier, but also more productive.

Read on to discover 4 ergonomic office items that will keep your body healthy and your work day more productive.

1. Ergonomic Office Chair

Ergonomics Consultants | Solutions Northwest Inc.

Long office hours hunched over the computer can lead to bad posture, back pain, and neck stiffness. Invest in an ergonomic chair specifically created with the human anatomy in mind.

Most ergo chairs come with a breathable mesh to allow your body to cool and you can adjust the armrest, headrest, seat tilt, and height.

2. Adjustable Monitor Stand

The adjustable monitor stand is a smaller and cheaper alternative to a standing desk. You don’t have to lift the entire desk – instead, you adjust the height of the computer monitor and sit or stand accordingly.

Monitor stands are great for laptops as well, because it’s harder to adjust laptop screens to your eye level without props.

3. Ergonomic Mouse and Mousepad

Your wrists are under a lot of pressure during the day as you handle the mouse and keyboard. After a while, you may start developing a carpal tunnel syndrome that will make your desk work even more painful.

An ergo mouse and a mousepad should be crucial parts of your ergonomic office, especially if you spend more than four hours a day in front of a screen. Consider a vertical mouse or split keyboard.

4. Ergonomic Footrest

Spending hours at your desk with your legs hanging down can lead to poor blood circulation, varicose veins, and weakened leg muscles.

An ergonomic footrest is a simple, affordable solution to this problem that will keep your legs elevated to prevent swelling and knee pain. Plus, it will make your desk work more comfortable.

In conclusion

Working at a desk for eight hours a day can take a toll on your health, especially your back, neck, and knees. More companies have been investing in their workers by replacing their outdated office furniture with ergonomic office equipment and performing ergonomic assessments as needed.

To keep up with the newest trends in the ergonomics industry and discover new ergo office products,  we recommend contacting SolutionsNW.com, a leader in the ergonomics field, for more information.

Subscribe to our blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics consultants located in Washington State, Northern California, Oregon, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and Portland. 

An Ergonomics Approach to Avoiding Office Workplace Illness and Injury

An Ergonomics Approach to Avoiding Office Workplace Illness and Injury

Post By: Celeste McLaughlin, Ergonomics Manager
Produced by: Solutions Northwest, Inc. (Ergonomics Experts serving Washington, Oregon, and California)

“33% of work related injuries are musculoskeletal disorders, like carpal tunnel and back strains” https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/

Workplace injuries cost a lot of time and money, but did you know that 33% of those injuries are musculoskeletal disorders, like carpal tunnel and back strains? While you can’t prevent every injury, you can lower the prevalence in your company.

Creating an ergonomic workplace can reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders while leaving your workers happier and more productive.

Ergonomics Consultants | Solutions Northwest Inc.

What is Ergonomics?

In short, ergonomics is the process of creating an environment that increases productivity and reduces the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). MSDs affect muscles, nerves, tendons, and joints. They occur or are worsened due to repeated movements or stress on the body.

For example, employees who demonstrate bad posture all day may end up with muscle strains resulting in back or neck pain. Not only may they need to take time off work, but they may also be less productive at work because they’re in pain.

However, by designing an ergonomic workplace, you could help your employees reduce their risk for developing MSDs keeping them happy, healthy, and productive.

Now that you know what ergonomics is, let’s talk about how you can use it in your office.

Invest in Quality Office Equipment

If you’ve ever sat in an uncomfortable chair, you’ll know how it can quickly get uncomfortable and even painful. To avoid this in your company, invest in quality chairs for your employees.

These should have adjustable armrests, height, and lumbar support, so your employees can find the right setting for them. The backs of the chairs should also keep that natural “S” shape to fully support the spine, and the angle between the seat and backrest should allow you to comfortably sit up straight without pushing your forward.

When you bring new employees on, consider showing them how to adjust the different features of their chair and offer information on the importance of good posture at work. 

While investing in good chairs is a big step, it’s not the only thing that has to be done to create an ergonomic work environment. You can further prevent against back, neck, and wrist strains by offering additional ergonomic solutions for those who need it.

For example, your employees’ feet should always touch the ground when they sit. You can offer footrests to your shorter employees to help them improve their posture and stay comfortable at work.

Keyboard wrist rests are also a great idea. They take the weight off your wrists and offer support to prevent strains.

Invest in an Ergonomics Assessment

Don’t let your employees suffer MSDs on your watch. Ergonomics consultants have studied this topic robustly, it may be wise to invest in an ergonomics assessment for your workplace to see a difference in the productivity and health of your employees.

In the same way you must invest in proper equipment, you or your office manager should invest in a proper ergonomics assessment.

An ergonomics expert will see what you couldn’t see, as well as offer custom plans for your workplace. In the long run, this investment will pay off as you will see higher productivity and less injury in your workplace.

In conclusion

If you don’t invest in the safety of your workers, you will lose money in the long run. If you’re seeking out ergonomics solutions to your office work place, you’ve already taken the first step.

For more guidance on all work related health and safety issues, visit SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more information.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics consultants located in Washington State, Northern California, Oregon, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and Portland.

3 Ergonomic Gadgets Every Office Should Try

3 Ergonomic Gadgets Every Office Should Try

Post By: Celeste McLaughlin, Ergonomics Manager
Produced by: Solutions Northwest, Inc. (Ergonomics Experts serving Washington, Oregon, and California)

The average American worker spends 7 hours a day on the computer.” – American Eye-Q 2015

If you’re like most American office workers, you likely spend a lot of time on the computer. In fact, “the average American worker spends 7 hours a day on the computer” says a 2015 American Eye-Q study.

Working on the computer for extended periods of time can take a toll on your body, especially if you aren’t proactive about researching what tools work best for your workstation.  

While it is always recommended to perform an ergonomics assessment of your workspace, this ergonomics blog will explore a few computer peripherals designed with computer ergonomics in mind.

Ergonomics Consultants | Solutions Northwest Inc.

Trackball Mouse

While no tools provide complete protection from carpal tunnel syndrome, the trackball requires much less movement and is considered by some to be a carpal tunnel relief gadget.

A trackball mouse, like a traditional mouse, is a pointing device. Unlike a traditional mouse, it remains stationary and has a ball on its top or side. In addition to the ball, a trackball commonly has one or more buttons that work like mouse buttons.

Operating the trackball with the three middle fingers reduces two ergonomics risk factors: static gripping and repetitive wrist movement.

Ergonomics experts recommend ambidextrous trackballs with a ball in the center rather than the side to minimize the risk of thumb tendonitis. Below are examples of a few ambidextrous trackballs:

Take a more in depth look at trackballs in our blog about switching to a trackball mouse.

Split Ergonomic Keyboards

There are many varieties of ergonomic keyboards such as split and contoured, but the split keyboard is a great way to reduce muscle strain and reduce the risk of carpal tunnel or other repetitive strain injuries.

Split keyboards that split into independent pieces are sometimes referred to as adjustable split keyboards. This type of split keyboard will allow you to move the keyboard into a comfortable position, allowing one to easily relax the wrist or entire hand.

When a split ergonomic keyboard is needed, we suggest taking a look at our article on the Kinesis Freestyle Pro.

Computer Glasses

You may have never heard of computer glasses, but with digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome being so common in today’s work place, products like computer glasses have started to gain interest among office workers.

Computer glasses look just like regular glasses and are usually around the $50 to $100 price range. Unlike regular glasses, computer glasses are designed with an anti-reflective coating to reduce screen glare and harsh light. Most of these glasses will also filter the blue light that your computer screen emits.

Filtering blue light should reduce negative symptoms of staring at a screen and make it easier to perform your daily computer work. Feeling headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, dry eyes, or even neck and shoulder pain can be reduced. In fact, your posture may improve as well because you won’t have to hunch closer to the screen as much.

For an in depth look at computer glasses, check out our blog article on the subject.

In conclusion

Remember to always consult with your doctor to rule out any possible underlying cause of pain. Whether you decide to try computer glasses, split keyboards, or a trackball mouse, be sure to communicate with your staff or co-workers to see if they’d like to try any of these products.

Additionally, be sure to perform an ergonomics assessment to ensure office safety. For more guidance on all work related health and safety issues, visit your ergonomics experts at SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more information.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog for more ergonomics tips from Solutions Northwest Inc., ergonomics consultants located in Washington State, Northern California, Oregon, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and Portland.

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