Good Ergonomics = Good Economics
Personal Computing Environments saves your body…and
bottom line. Remember, Good Ergonomics = Good Economics. You
want productivity? Improve employee health, morale, retention
AND productivity by placing your workforce in a superior environment
that is comfortable and ergonomically correct, and can be
customized for your business applications and personalized
for the individual operator.
Office ergonomics applies science to workplace design to maximize
productivity while reducing operator fatigue and discomfort.
In terms of workplace ergonomics, comfort and health are synonymous.
If you're not comfortable at your desk, it's because you're
probably sitting and working wrong. More time sitting and
using computers has greatly increased the occurrence of related
musculoskeletal disorders. Most work-related, repetitive stress
injuries are avoidable by attending to a few basic principles.
Progressive companies are increasingly opting to pay for the
“ounce of prevention” versus the “pound
of cure” when it comes to protecting their employee’s
health. By designing workspaces that are centered on the ergonomic
needs of their employees, firms are able to dramatically reduce
the incidences of carpal tunnel, repetitive stress injuries,
and other musculoskeletal disorders, savings that go right
to the bottom line.
Workstation ergonomics is a whole body issue.
The human body isn't just a collection of parts. It's a
complete, integrated system, yet computing-related ailments
such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Computer Vision Syndrome
are still treated with only piecemeal relief--a wrist rest
here, a glare screen there. the relationship of each body
part to the whole is ignored, and the problems continue
and worsen.
For instance, a monitor positioned even slightly off -center
will pull the entire body out of proper ergonomic alignment
as the user's head and neck twist to view the screen. Even
Computer Vision Syndrome doesn't affect just the eyes: if
a computer user leans in even slightly to achieve more comfortable
viewing distance, stress on the back and neck increases
dramatically also. This "static stress" can be
as harmful as improper repetitive motion.
The eyes lead the body.
The body will naturally assume that posture which positions
the eyes for their primary visual task. A monitor which
is not directly in front of the user, at the correct height
and viewing distance to perfectly match that user's neutral
working posture will force the user to adjust the position
of their head, neck and back. Holding that non-neutral position
is the primary cause of most of the problems associated
with those repetitive strain injuries endemic among computer
users today
Costs of bad ergonomics.
According to the American Industrial Hygiene Association:
"Ergonomic principles are most effectively applied
on a preventive basis. Good design with ergonomics provides
the greatest economic benefit for industry."
At PCE, we believe investing in ergonomic environments designed
to prevent injury and lost work (due to carpal tunnel and
related ailments) is significantly more cost effective than
spending considerably more money later for treatment after
treatment (including doctor visits, specialists, reduced
productivity, sick time, lower morale, etc…).
Related Stats.
90 percent of all U.S. office workers now use computers,
40 percent work on their computers at least four hours a
day. But Dr. Alan Hedge, Professor of the Human Factors
Laboratory at Cornell University, warns that the risk of
musculoskeletal discomfort increases by using the computer
as little as one hour a day. Even worse, the risk of musculoskeletal
injury is nine times greater when you spend four hours a
day at the computer than it is for a one hour-per-day user.(Humanscale)
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, musculoskeletal
disorders (MSDs) now account for one-third of all occupational
illnesses and injuries. They constitute the largest job-related
illness and injury problem in the U.S. today. In 1997, employers
reported a total of 626,000 lost workdays due to work-related
MSDs. They pay approximately $20 billion annually in direct
worker's compensation costs and another $60 billion in indirect
costs.
Computer-related vision ailments and musculoskeletal disorders
affect millions of computer users every year. Estimates
predict one in six of your employees will be affected by
bad ergonomics this year alone.
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