In this era of coronavirus, our work patterns have been disrupted. This may include fewer employees in the office, working longer hours, or working from home part time. Most of our workstations are set up with correct ergonomics in mind. Regardless of where work occurs, it is a good time to review the best practices for workstations.
At work, as a first step, be sure your workstation includes an adjustable task chair. We have seen many executive chairs, and conference type chairs used as task chairs. These do not have the adjustability needed to be able to adjust heights and position.
Once you have a chair that can adjust to the proper height, evaluate how the chair adjusts to the height of your workstation. You want to maintain a 90-degree angle at your elbows, hips, and knees. See the diagram below (from UC Davis Occupational Health Services).
In looking at current best practices for workstation ergonomics, the University of Washington Department of Health and Safety has an excellent guide to office ergonomics. See “UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON COMPUTER WORKSTATION ADJUSTMENT GUIDELINES”. You can access this document by clicking on the following link:
https://www.ehs.washington.edu/system/files/resources/WorkstationAdjustmentGuidelines.pdf
At home, set up a workstation at a desk or table with a task type chair. Lounging on a couch or soft chair while balancing a laptop or IPad, will set you up for fatigue and potential exposure to cumulative stress injuries during long work periods. You can access the following link for suggestions for how to set up home workstations.
https://www.lni.wa.gov/forms-publications/F417-289-000.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
During our annual visits, we can always take a look at your workstations to see if any changes could enhance comfort for your employees while performing their job duties.
By Cathy Reineke, Comprehensive Risk Management, Inc.
