Page 18 - p2p_sum11_flip

A year-long Steelcase study in the US involving 200 employees from a state tax collection agency found that giving people an ergonomic chair and training in how to sit properly raised productivity by almost 20%. Volunteers were divided into three groups: the control group; a group that received ergonomic training; and a group that received ergonomic training and a Steelcase Leap Chair. Employees in the third group reported signifcantly less pain and discomfort and a 17.8% increase in productivity (based on taxes collected per hour worked).

Offce chair tops ergonomic wish list

Businesses that provide employees with ergonomic accessories can look forward to a happier, healthier and more productive work environment, according to research conducted in the US by Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples Inc..

Its survey of 150 US offce workers found that almost nine out of 10 (86%) reported some discomfort caused by their offce furniture or equipment, with 41% claiming that it literally caused a pain in the neck.

Seven out of 10 said that their workstation had not been adjusted to take account of their needs. When identifying the benefts of investing in ergonomic equipment, more than one in three offce workers said that having suitable accessories would make them a more pleasant person to work with; nearly one in two said they would be more productive; and 35% said they would be less stressed at work. The aspect that most people would

like to upgrade is their offce chair (cited by 54% of respondents). Of the 82% of offce workers who slouch at their desks, 66% say their posture would improve if they had an ergonomic chair. Another item that can be improved from an ergonomic perspective is the computer keyboard. Only a very small minority of offce workers (14%) have an ergonomic model. Of the 86% that don't, 69% reported experiencing wrist strain that could be alleviated through wrist rests or ergonomic keyboards. Bearing in mind that one in three workers spends more than eight hours a day working at their PC, Staples advises businesses to consider investing in ergonomic keyboards, such as ‘fxed-split’ or ‘adjustable-split’ designs; mouse pads with wrist supports; and non-glare monitor screens.

For more tips on ergonomic best practice, see the Staples Advantage ergonomics whitepaper at http:// staplesadvantage.com/technology-solutions/resources/tech-briefs.html .

18 | p2p Magaz i ne | Summer 2011 0870 903 9500

ERGONOMICS

Fellowes to the rescue

James Goulding completes Fellowes’ new ergonomic assessment and tries out recommended ergonomic products

Like many offce workers today, I spend some of the time in an offce; some of the time working in cafes, libraries, hotels and other WiFi-enabled environments; and a lot more time writing at home.

This nomadic workstyle has many benefts and quite a few risks, not the least of which is loss of control over one’s working conditions, from lighting and noise levels to the height of the desk/table and type of seating provided. As you’d expect, in the offce I have a normal work chair, with height adjustment and a fve star base; a desktop PC; height adjustable monitor; and cordless mouse. Not perfect, but adequate. The home offce, where most writing takes place on a notebook computer, is less well equipped, boasting a small paper-strewn desk and, to sit on, a wicker chair with arms too high to ft under the desk. The notebook screen is at the wrong height; the keyboard too far away; and there is no support for wrist or forearm. This ergonomic disaster zone has exacted a heavy toll on this reviewer including a sore back, aching shoulders and a painful neck that makes sleeping diffcult. So when Fellowes suggested I try out some of its ergonomic products, I leapt at

eliminary, I completed Fellowes new rgonomic assessment, a simple ox survey of 24 questions covering spects of workplace design, except ther one uses a PC or notebook – y a vital piece of information.

The results, along with Fellowes’ suggestions for suitable ergonomic accessories, can be printed off for your reference and/or forwarded to a colleague. I forwarded mine to Fellowes who then supplied me with a number of products from its expanding ergonomic range. These included a mesh lumbar support for my chair; a Fellowes Go Riser laptop stand; and two mousepads with Microban anti-bacterial protection, one with a fxed wrist rest and one with a movable support. So far I have used the laptop riser and the backrest in my home offce. The mouse mats I will take to the offce for use with my wireless mouse. The equipment supplied addresses just a fraction of my ergonomic ills, but the results have been astounding. My back pain and the stooped gait that it caused have gone completely thanks to the wonderfully comfortable lumbar support, which I now take with me from wicker seat to kitchen chair and back again.

Although I still have some neck pain, this has eased considerably now that the laptop screen is at a more suitable height (and would no doubt disappear completely if I had a better chair). The Go Riser laptop stand also improves comfort when working on the sofa by raising the computer from my lap, and, because it folds fat, I can take it with me on my travels. To fnd out how you could improve your working environment, simply visit www.ergo. fellowes.com/en/workstation-assessment and complete the online assessment.