Designing and Setting up an ergonomic office is no easy task, but there are ways to make it simpler and affordable. Certain developments in office furniture and the constantly soaring popularity of ergonomic office spaces ensure you don’t need to struggle so much to make these types of office spaces.
Here are some of the best ways you can create your ergonomic office setting.
Consider the Chairs
The best place to start off in your ergonomic office space design is considering your chairs. Go for chairs that adjust well to the contour of the user and allow for sufficient support, backrest, and height to guarantee employees are comfortable at their desks.
Also, ensure all chairs and desks are arranged to allow for natural movement. This avoids stress injuries from actions such as bending and typing as well as back problems and tired hands.
Before settling for any type of office furniture, test it out. Do not go for a brand simply because it incorporates the term “ergonomic” on its products. Some surely don’t work as advertised.
At the end of the day, remember that it is your duty to ensure all your office furniture feature fully adjustable backrests, height, and tension and back support, and hand rests.
Ensure the Right Desk Positioning and Computer Placement
Some members of your staff might find a keyboard placed on an attached platform under the desk to be more comfortable than a typical placement. It is perfect to position the arm in a straight line under the elbow, parallel to the floor. Also, there should be proper coordination between the height of the chair and desk.
Your employees can choose between keyboard attachments and native keyboards if they use laptops, depending on the option that is more comfortable to each of them. They are also free to use sleep-out keyboards for desktops and also ensure that their screens are at or slightly below eye level.
Another essential consideration is the style of the desk. For employees who spend a lot of time on the computer working, an L-shaped desk can perfectly meet their needs.
The computer, however, should be placed in the L section. If a lot of paperwork is involved, this section is also perfect for easy fax and printer access.
And if your office is very small, it might benefit from storing faxes, telephones, and printers on shelves while making more room around the desk for file cabinets and other storage for documentation.
Consider Employees in Larger Offices
Offices with many employees in one space have to ensure shared resources are easily accessible for every member of their staff. For this to happen, they should locate printers, telephones, and printers strategically.
Guarantee Sufficient Lighting
Lighting is a critical element in the strain and productivity of employees. If your employees are working in dark spaces, their productivity gets affected negatively. Areas that have too much light also make them to strain.
Employees should have blinds to block sunlight if they are facing a window behind the computer screen. This is a great way to preventing eyestrain.
If you have been wondering how you can improve your office space ergonomics, here is the best place to start and move forward. Use some or all of these tips for the best results.