Ensuring ergonomics at the workplace

The advent of the New Economy has brought in dramatic changes in the workplace. Many of these are of a nature that could not have been anticipated earlier. It is unlikely that in man’s original occupation, farming, especially in the pre-mechanization days, he faced the kind of occupational hazards we face today.

Moving on, many of those from our previous generations worked in factories. Here too, it is not likely they faced the kind of posture and other health-related issues we face. The main problem with our present occupations is that we are required to sit for long hours. It is well-known that sitting causes a lot more strain on the spinal system than other activities like bending, stretching and lifting (required by agriculturists) or factory work, at which people used to either stand or move around every now and then.

With many people working in jobs that require them to sit for long hours, ergonomics has come into sharp focus. This is because it is a fact that sitting for long hours not only causes strain on the back like no other activity, as we have seen; it is also a leading cause of non-accidental injuries at the workplace.

What is ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the science of ensuring well-being at the workplace by providing equipment and seating arrangements that best suit a person’s job. Although ergonomics by definition has to address issues relating to all postures, it is primarily conce
ed with back pain and strain. This perhaps explains why it has come to occupy such importance of late, with the development of the IT and ITES industries.

Some ways of ensuring ergonomicsr
Right posture: One of the elementary reasons for back pain, or for that matter body pain at work is when employees do not follow the right posture. Since the body is not in proper alignment for most part of the day as a result of bad posture, getting the posture right is the first step to ensuring proper ergonomics. A specialist will be able to tell a person exactly what steps to take to make the body be in the right alignment while performing different kinds of work. There are prescribed postures for sitting, for lifting weight, getting up, standing and climbing a ladder and so on.
Proper equipment: This is a logical extension of the first factor. The right equipment has to complement the right posture. To take the example of the IT industry again, it is necessary to ensure that employees are provided the right chairs and tables with properly designed resting positions for elbows, heels and shoulders. Care should also be taken to ensure that the computer monitor is placed at the right distance, height and angle from the eyes, so that they don’t get strained. Having the right equipment is of critical importance in the other sectors, too. For instance, a faulty ladder can cause a crippling injury to a worker in the construction industry or improper seats can result in faster fatigue for drivers.
Complementary factors: Some other factors can also be brought into play at the workplace to induce people into exercising. Why not keep the car park a few hundred meters away from the workplace? Or why not deactivate lifts during working hours and use them only for emergencies? In this way, employees will be forced to do some exercise. This can complement the ergonomics at the workplace.