Importance of Ergonomics and Ergonomic designs at day to day life Post Pandemic
What is Ergonomics and Why is it Important?
Ergonomics is a science-based discipline that relates to the placement and designing of products or furniture to enable utmost comfort, safety and increased productivity or performance in people. Of course, the term ‘Ergonomics’ became wildly popular after COVID-19 and home office trends, but quite frankly, an ergonomic design is just as important in all rooms of a home as it is in your home office.
What is Ergonomic Design?
Ergonomic design refers to a product, piece of furniture or even space that can reduce human efforts and increase comfort while working or relaxing. It can be as simple as placing your TV at eye level so there’s minimal stress on your neck or it can be something you invest in, say an ‘S’ shaped ergonomic home office chair that supports and mimics your back while you work long hours.
What are the Types of ergonomics?
There are three types of ergonomics according to the International Ergonomic Association;
- Physical ergonomics
- Cognitive ergonomics
- Organizational ergonomics
Physical ergonomics refers to the design and arrangement of products that reduce the physical load on the human body i.e. injuries, strains and stress from improper posture.
Importance of ergonomic design furniture and its placement:
Let’s look at some of the benefits of ergonomically designed furniture and how it can improve quality of life:
Improved productivity:
With little to no stress on the muscles of your body, you will be able to give your utmost attention and concentration to whatever task you take up, whether it’s completing deadlines, reading a book before bed or watching your favorite sitcom! Additionally, productivity is also improved when furniture is placed ergonomically. For example, when designing a kitchen, it is absolutely vital to place the refrigerator, stove and the kitchen sink in a triangle design. This is called the kitchen work triangle and has been followed by many designers to provide comfortable access to the three most common areas of a kitchen.
Better overall health:
There’s a famous saying – Good posture promotes good health. Bad posture can eventually lead to some serious injuries and health complications such as migraines, spondylitis, back pains, spine curvature, disturbed sleep and poor digestion. Furthermore, prolonged hours of sitting in a bad posture can lead to further serious problems like obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and arthritis. While it is important to use ergonomic design furniture, it is also advisable to take a break and practice some quick stretching exercises to get your muscles moving and blood flowing.
Improved energy levels:
Ergonomic design homes are clutter free, have more space between furniture and are arranged in a manner that is comfortable to use and access. This ensures free moving around, improved moods and higher energy levels.
Unexceptional back support:
Ergonomic design products and furniture are built in such a way that provides optimum support to your neck, shoulders, back and spine. These include ergonomically designed mattress, pillows, couches, and the other work-from-home essentials – ergonomic home office chair, keyboards, mouse and desks. All these products ensure proper blood circulation, minimal pressure and stress on your joints and are extremely comfortable!
Encourages safety:
With proper eye level gadget placements, upright dining practices, ergonomic home office chairs and desks and comfortable ergonomic mattresses and pillows, your muscles will be less likely to experience stress or strain. Ergonomic design at home promotes safety and comfort for you to be able to perform your daily tasks with absolute ease!
Tips to incorporate ergonomic design in your home:
- Keep only necessary furniture and place them at least 50cm away from each other to ensure easy movement and navigation.
- Keep an eye for the user’s height, weight, and age to customize furniture placement that is comfortable for everyone to use.
- Pay special attention to feet by investing in ergonomic lounge chairs, mattresses, pillows and workstations that provide proper posture and blood circulation to the legs.
- Practice the 20/20/20 rule where you change your vision every 20 minutes, at an object or a person that is 20 feet away for a minimum of 20 seconds. This change regulates eye and neck movement and reduces the risk of digital eye strain, headaches and shoulder strains.
In simpler words, an ergonomic design home is beneficial for every member of your family. You could also look up eco-friendly decor ideas and feng shui tips to incorporate into your homes to bring in more positivity and sustainability! So declutter, move furniture around for easy access, and last but not the least, invest in ergonomically designed furniture, to give your body the comfort it deserves.
The concept of ergonomics is often seen as a vague idea that many people struggle to relates to their workstation, office or organization. Even more importantly, they don’t know how office ergonomics can affect the areas of life outside of work.
So, what is ergonomics and why is it important to your business?
People who study ergonomics also look for ways to improve the design of the aforementioned tools to enhance their user experience.
When looking at an office environment, there are countless areas where ergonomics could be relevant. Everything from the chairs people sit on, the desks they use or their posture when typing is a component of ergonomics.
The ultimate goal of studying ergonomics is to find improvements in the tools people use while working every single day. People aren’t productive when they are uncomfortable or in pain, but with the right tools, we can help them feel better at work and be more productive, happier, and healthier.
Why is Ergonomics Important?
Poor ergonomics can lead to chronic repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) such as carpal tunnel, back, neck or joint pain. In fact, improper ergonomics is one of the most significant workplace risks faced by office workers.
A study by the Norwegian State Institute found that, after the common cold, muscular soreness was the second most common cause of absenteeism at work. They also found that if improvements were made to workstation design and seating, back-related absenteeism was halved and rates of employees leaving the business or going on long-term leave plummeted.
Separate studies conducted in the United States found that after ergonomic interventions at State Farm Insurance and Blue Cross-Blue Shield employee productivity increased by 15 percent and 4.4 percent respectively. For an SME with approximately 50 employees, that is an increase in productivity equivalent to hiring two to eight more full-time staff. Yet another study from researchers at the University of Miami found that the keystroke rate for data-entry tasks improved by 5 percent after workers were moved to an ergonomically correct workspace.
An ergonomic injury can harm far more than just an individual’s productivity, however. At home, they may be confined to the bed or couch while missing out on activities with friends and family. What kind of workplace culture will form over time if your team feels they are missing out on aspects of their home life because of a workplace ergonomic injury?
Ergonomic injuries clearly have a significant impact on both the individual and the organization as a whole.
80 percent of people will experience back pain over the course of their lives. Additionally, back pain is one of the most common reasons employees miss work. How do lost person-hours affect your workplace? If you could make improvements to your office ergonomics and cut down on sick days or disability claims, what would that do for productivity? Ergonomics isn’t just about pain; it’s an issue that can also affect the bottom line.
Identifying Ergonomic Issues
Ok, so you understand that ergonomic injuries are bad, but how do you identify potential ergonomic issues before they become an injury?
While office jobs can vary wildly from programming to data entry to marketing and everything in-between, there are some similarities among most office jobs.
People who work in an office environment tend to spend a lot of their day sitting in one spot. While sitting doesn’t seem like it would cause injury, poorly designed chairs and improperly adjusted furniture can cause strain on the back, neck, and shoulders. In fact, poor quality task chairs are one of the top three ergonomic hazards we find in our customers’ offices.
Typing is another task that just about every office dweller tackles daily, and another common cause of chronic pain if their workstation is not configured ergonomically. Correctly adjusted armrests and simple tools like keyboard trays can go a long way in helping prevent injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.
In addition to creating best practices and standards for your team, you should ensure your employees have the right tools to be both comfortable and productive throughout the day.
Sit to stand desks are becoming incredibly popular in modern office environments. These desks give employees the ability to seamlessly move from sitting to standing without interrupting their work in any significant way. Experts recommend that employees spend at least ten minutes of every thirty minutes standing or walking. A sit to stand desk makes this easy.
Ergonomic chairs are also a great solution to help employees feel great while working. When looking for ergonomic chairs, you should seek out chairs that provide adequate support for the lower back. The design of the chair should help the muscles in the back relax as employees sit and work.
very informative
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