An ergonomic workspace aims to ensure the physical and mental well-being of the employees who perform their daily work there. In addition to generating a positive impact on productivity, this also avoids any type of occupational risk that may affect the general health of workers.
Broadly speaking, an ergonomic workspace should take into account the good posture of the entire musculoskeletal system. Although, of course, depending on the type of work to be performed, more attention should be paid to certain points.
To evaluate the type of features your office space should have, it is ideal to have the advice of experts in these matters. Cime Business Environments’ advisory and consulting services are available to guide you through every step of any reconfiguration, relocation and ergonomic office design project.
In this regard, the Canadian regulations have published an informative guide and a series of recommendations on the care required to ensure the health of the following body areas:
Characteristics of an ergonomic workspace
The concept of ergonomics is about adapting spaces to the specific needs of workers. It should never be the other way around, i.e., employees should not adapt to the preconditions if it is uncomfortable or harmful in any way.
Therefore, to start deciding how to build an ergonomic workspace in an office based on a specific business, the first step is to make a rigorous analysis of the tasks assigned and how they are carried out.
Likewise, the needs of certain employees must be taken into account, in case there are special situations such as personnel with disabilities of any kind.
The following are recommendations for the most common types of work:
Desktop work
If most of the functions you or your employees perform are completed on a computer, you probably spend a large part of your day sitting in front of the computer.
This often causes back pain due to bad positions. To avoid them, it is important to check the following aspects:
- The chair should offer adequate lumbar support and should be adjusted to a height that allows you to place your feet flat on the floor. Additionally, it is ideal if the chair has a headrest to rest your neck.
- The center of the monitor should be at your eye level and should have adequate lighting so as not to strain your eyes.
- The mouse and keyboard should be placed at arm’s length, so you don’t have to keep them tilted and prevent strain.
These details also apply in the case of people looking for home office ergonomics.
General recommendations
An ergonomic workspace should follow basic guidelines for creating healthy environments. In addition to the implementation of practical and high quality accessories, the organization and aesthetics of the spaces also influence people’s mood.
Some things you can keep in mind are:
- Temperature control
- Good ventilation and insulation
- Cigarette smoke-free space
- Noise reduction
Finally, for jobs that require lifting, it is important to make sure that the bending positions and certain movements are correct.
