Why is Office Ergonomics Important?

The office ergonomics is the study of designing the workstation to enhance employees’ health and engagement for boosting productivity and reducing costs. The goal of office ergonomics is to reduce fatigue and stress on the body which can be caused by improper postures, repetitive motions, and heavy lifting, etc.

Why is office ergonomics important?

For the past few years, most jobs have become less active and more sedentary in the workplace due to the development of technology. The modern office workers spend the most time on sitting at the monitors and talking on the phone instead of walking out and having a face-to-face conversation.  

As a result, the risk of getting occupational diseases becomes higher, including stiff neck, sore shoulder, numb legs, and other work-related MSDs. These are all outcomes of an unergonomic workstation setup and if left unattended will cause more negative impacts on employees’ health, such as obesity, heart disease and even early death. That’s one reason why office ergonomic is vital in the workplace.

1. Ergonomics improve employees’ health

The first and most obvious reason is that ergonomics improve employees’ health and safety. An effective ergonomic workstation prevents workers from work-related injuries, reducing the ergonomic risks and help them to maintain proper posture while performing their daily tasks so that to stay healthier and avoid physical stress.

2. Ergonomics boosts productivity

Poor workplace ergonomics will result in fatigue, aches and pain, while the ergonomic workstations will often boost productivity by promoting proper working posture, less repetitive motions, better heights and easier reaches. What’s more, working with an ergonomic workstation can make people move more to take extra breaks, so that to inspire creativity and boost problem-solving skills.

3. Ergonomics reduce cost

Purchasing ergonomic office solution is a long-term investment which can offer a positive return on employees’ health and performance for they are the greatest wealth of company. According to the statists, the comprehensive ergonomic workstations can reduce workers’ compensation cost by 60-90%, and lower the rate of absence and sick leaves. 

How to improve the office ergonomics?

It makes sense to improve office ergonomics with all these benefits mentioned above, While there are a number of ways to make a workplace become more ergonomic.

The easiest and lowest-cost way to improve office ergonomics is working in the right postures whether sitting or standing. Here are some tips for maintaining good postures at work. Firstly, keep your back straight or lean back in your chair. Secondly, keep eyesight slightly downward and avoid bending your neck. Thirdly, set the height of desk and chair in the proper position to keep your upper arms vertical and forearms horizontal to the desktop. fourthly, remember to place your feet flat on the floor, do not cross your legs.

Using the ergonomic office furniture can help keep you in the proper working postures and increase the frequency of alternation between sitting and standing at work. The common ergonomic office furniture such as adjustable standing desks, sit-stand desk converters, monitor arms, monitor risers, anti-fatigue standing mats, and ergonomic chairs, etc. are becoming increasingly important in the workplace.

Last but not the least, strengthen employees’ awareness of workplace protection. No matter how well an ergonomic workstation is designed, an employee without the awareness of workplace protection will suffer discomfort. Therefore, it’s the responsibility of employers to improve their employees’ awareness of healthy work.

Conclusion

Ergonomics has been a hot topic for at least the last decade, and the office ergonomics will soon be the common sense in the near future, because of its importance to the healthy workplace. Google trends suggest that the search results of ‘standing desk’ and similar ergonomic related search terms by consumers have quadrupled over the past five years. Moreover, google and other tech companies including Apple and Facebook offer standing desks as part of their employee wellness programs. 

In conclusion, the office ergonomics has been a worldwide phenomenon. Not only is the awareness is widespread, but also the mechanic reformation of ergonomic office furniture has taken leaps. As a seller of ergonomic products, there is no better time to meet this demand. Please feel free to contact us and start your ergonomic business!