TMCnews Featured Article

An office workstation that is not designed with ergonomics in mind poses a health risk on workers, especially those who spend most of their lives in front of a computer, sitting in a chair and typing all day. Although most organizations have not yet embraced the ergonomic campaign and products, in the end, a worker will be feeling the pains of Muscular-skeletal Disorders (MSD) affects muscles, tendons and nerves – so, it is up to the individual to take the initiative to educate themselves on how to live ergonomically.

Many educational systems have recently begun to dedicate training courses and seminars for individuals so that they can avoid the safety risks of the working environment, users just have to do a little research to find them. For those who are interested in participating in such education, check out the top videos and courses going on this month. They are:

• The University of Oregon’s Office of Risk Management has developed a new ergonomic training program that offers ergonomic tips and advice for workers at its facility.
• Safety-TV Online Training & Video eLearning Courses has developed an array of ergonomic educational and training videos that are aimed to make sure that the equipment and environment is the right ‘fit’ for each worker.
• Humantech, a provider of ergonomic, healthy solutions for the workplace, will be offering a two-day seminar in a variety of cities in the U.S. and the U.K. about how to achieve improvements in health and safety and productivity through ergonomic solutions.

Image via University of Oregon

Along with training seminars, companies have continued to develop products designed to replace traditional equipment in the work place with ones that are ergonomically infused. With ergonomically designed keyboards, monitors and sit-to-stand workstation users are able to complete all their daily work functions with a healthier posture and more comfortable manner.

Here are some of the latest product releases from the ergonomic sector:

Image via We’ve Got Your Back

• We’ve Got Your Back, a provider of ergonomic furniture, has created Move by Varier, which allows a chair to have 360 degrees of movement, along with height-adjustable functions. Its tilting angle follows the body through a range of positions to keep the spine in its natural curvature.
• The Ergo Depot developed the Treadmill Desks, a treadmill machine with a desk attached to the top, where users can walk on the treadmill for up to ten hours a day while simultaneously operating their laptops and going about their daily office activities as usual. There is also a Standing Desk Bike, which workers can adjust to the height of their regular desks and ride the bicycle throughout the day for daily activity.
• The Sit-to-Stand workstation from Interior Concepts, a provider of call center furniture, offers employees three different sitting and standing positions. Adding simple parts to office workstations, like a shift adjustable chair, back cushions, adjustable keyboards and workspace areas, and foot rests, can benefit an employee’s health over a long period of time.

With the combined technologies of ergonomic training and furniture, workers are able to create a healthier experience while in the office. Since most full-time office employees spend an average of eight hours a day working, exerting every effort to a create a more comfortable experience will help increase productivity and performance, and create an overall positive experience.