Here is a simple, yet powerful example of how small ergonomic adjustments can make a huge difference in comfort, and it also serves as an example of the benefit of teamwork. We have many examples, but this one is recent and a good case that ergonomic assessments often do not require any equipment or expensive changes.
An employee at one of our client sites has been leaving work with extreme lower back pain for the past several months, and was barely able to walk, yet didn’t experience the pain while actually at work or at his desk. The discomfort started when he left work and kept getting worse.
He often worked from home, but the pain only occurred when working in the office and would last for several days before resolving.
At the end of the office workday, he had trouble getting in and out of his car as well as trouble driving. He said he shuffled to his car when leaving work. He didn’t experience the pain any other time and could do normal activities including long drives, without discomfort.
During the assessment nothing really jumped out that was a likely cause of the discomfort. His chair wasn’t great, but he said it was comfortable and it was a good fit. A chair with better lumbar support might help, plus a laptop riser to raise the height for viewing, but neither seemed like the issue. At one point the DOHS staff learning assessments thought perhaps the employee didn’t want to drive to the office anymore. However, that really didn’t feel like the agenda.
As part of our process, we review each other’s reports. The colleague doing so noticed that the employee had a forward shoulder reach resulting in scapular protraction (forward rounded upper back)- possibly because he sat at the left arm of the desk and because of space, sat close to the corner at the front of the desk. However, this shouldn’t cause the low back pain.
Reviewing the pictures again to check the forward roll, we noticed a slight twist left when he was sitting in the chair and he had mentioned the pain was greater on the left side! It was barely noticeable and may have been missed without the pictures and without teamwork.
We suggested moving his workstation to the front desk to eliminate the slight twist. This allowed more sitting room as well workspace. That’s all it took! He recently emailed that he is completely pain free and doesn’t need the new chair!
Sitting at a desk with improper posture, incorrect use of office equipment, and/or for too long, result in discomfort, poor concentration, and also potential for an injury. Yet all three are completely preventable and easily corrected with cost effective measures and tips.
Set up doesn’t need to be this ‘rigid’ and isn’t a one fit all approach. In fact, ergonomic assessments are an art as much as a science.
However, can you identify the issues in the header picture at the top of this blog that could lead to discomfort or a potential ergonomic injury?
The outcomes of an ergonomically correct workspace set-up are often immediate with just a few adjustments. Office set-up matters regardless of what type of office equipment are available. Incorrectly using the best equipment available, no matter how good it is supposed to be, or not knowing how to make adjustments on the equipment including chairs for example, mitigate all benefits.
Ergonomic policies and assessments are often – and should be – a component for safety and wellness programs. Dimensions offers several beneficial solutions to prevent ergonomic injuries, and improve comfort,
- Ergonomic Assessments for offices, labs, and manufacturing areas
- Ergonomic Awareness Sessions including tips and recommendations
- Train-the-Trainer Sessions for Safety Teams
- Consultation
It’s not just what we do but how we do it that sets us apart!