The term ergonomics was derived from the Greek words ergon and nomos which literally mean laws of work. This is the very science that designs the working conditions that is most beneficial to the workers. Ergonomics in office design does not mean that the worker is forced to fit into his working environment.
The chief concern of the entire system is to have the worker and his environment fuse and interact. It is advisable that the work area must have safety aspects as well as stuff that will up the productivity.
Engineering constantly works on the improvement of the human and machine relationship. Many workplaces have been set up and modified. In the end, the main goal was to make the office equipment more user-friendly.
Based on macro ergonomics, the history, culture, goals, environment and design of the organization are carefully emphasized. Here, the physical design is highlighted where the work system and employee satisfaction are improved.
Physically, the body must work well with the computer desk and its chair. It must not be subjected to repetitive disorder and posture problems.
What Ergonomic Furniture Is All About
Ergonomic furniture simply means the body fits the furniture. It is meant to offer more comfort, safety and efficiency. There are many ergonomic solutions in the market these days and they can be easily implemented in any office environment. The furniture pieces can include anything from chairs, desks and tables.
The chief benefit in ergonomic furniture use is the reduction (if not the absence) of stress on the human body. You see, when you sit in front of your desk, you tend to sit in an awkward manner. This can put a lot of stress on your musculoskeletal system resulting in discomfort, pain, even fatigue. Sitting in an awkward manner could cause sciatica which is descriptive of numbness, weakness and pain on the leg starting on the lower part of your back then down to the sciatic nerve which causes the shooting pain on the leg.
An ergonomic desk is something that offers a good distance (more of a healthy angle) from the monitor. This should be where there is no need for you to move your neck forward or backward just so you can see the monitor.
The position of the desk must also be balanced with the height of the ergonomic chair. Basically, you have to feel that you can work comfortably without putting any strain on your neck, fingers, legs, and your back.
Height is an important factor especially when talking about the ergonomic chair. The height of your seat should be ample enough to make your feet lay flat on the floor. If you currently have a chair that does not offer this healthy height, then you need to have it adjusted.
As for your ergonomic accessories, you must also look for a keyboard, phone extension, pen set, writing equipment, and others that complement the rest of your ergonomic furniture. Your phone must be placed at the side where your less active hand is. This ascertains that even your less used hand still gets to do tasks of its own. All other accessories must also be within your reach so that you won’t have to do any unnecessary stretches each time you need to use one.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to ergonomics just as there are no one shape or built for the human body. Though now seen as science, the basic premise of ergonomics is all about the user’s comfort. At the end of the day, ergonomics in office design is left up to you.