Importance of a Good Ergonomic Workstation

Importance of a Good Ergonomic Workstation Health Articles | October 1, 2007 Repetitive strain injuries in the workplace?are continually rising, costing billions of dollars annually.? With the right office ergonomic set-up, employees can perform better and companies can reduce the number of injuries and their associated costs.? Introduction Do you experience recurring back problems, itchy dry eyes, and/or numbness, pain or tingling in upper body parts including wrists, elbows and neck? Do you work long hours glued to your workstation without taking breaks? Chances are you are a part of the 7% American population suffering from repetitive stress injury (RSI), carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and/ or musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s) caused by excessive use of poorly designed products. According to studies conducted by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), these conditions constitute almost 19% of hospital stays and 14% visits to a doctor’s office. Not only do these occupational medical conditions affect the workforce, they also cost employers billions of dollars towards compensation claims, hidden expenses, productivity loss, employee attrition, surgery, medical treatment and litigation. According to National Council of Compensation Insurance, average compensation for CTS amounts to $33,000 per patient and these costs are escalating with each passing year. Let’s give you more insight to health related effects of poorly designed workstations. While a physician can prescribe medication for some of these problems, others require consultation with a specialist and repeated visits to a hospital. Some ailments like CTS call for surgery. Data for the years 1997-2000 shows that only 23% of those who underwent surgery for CTS could join their earlier jobs. Several CTS patients have to undergo a second surgery with no guarantee of getting back normal hand movement.Benefits of an Ergonomically Enhanced Work Environment Ergonomically designed workplaces are the best solution to all the problems mentioned above. They offer numerous advantages to both, employers as well as employees. Healthy Workforce ? Instead of workers adjusting to standard tools and equipment, ergonomics promotes product designing based on human body structure and requirements. Therefore, these products drastically reduce the strain workers experience due to repetitive use of machines, computers, scanners, industrial apparatus and related instruments. Less strain equates to reduced instance of occupational illnesses and therefore healthier employees. Enhanced Productivity ? A healthy workforce translates to enhanced productivity. Easy to use equipment keeps the work momentum going on for longer durations. Workers experience less fatigue and are happy to use tools designed especially for them. Reduced Number of Sick Days Reported ? People with reduced instance of work associated ailments implies they take fewer days off due to sickness and work more number of days in a year. This means lesser number of workdays is lost. Savings ? By using ergonomic workstations, employers save huge amounts of money otherwise spent in compensation claims, treatments and litigation.Guidelines for An Ergonomic Workstation Casual lifestyles combined with long working hours further add to workplace related ailments. Simple changes in routine activities go a long way in prevention of stress related injuries. Furniture ? Use furniture with adjustable height. Your arms should comfortably rest on the table when using a computer. Adjust table or chair height if your hands bend up or down while typing. All the furniture should be easy to use. Consider special requirements of differently abled users.Chairs should be comfortable, have adjustable backrest and provide lumbar support. Chair casters should be suitable for the floor.? Optimal lighting saves employees from squinting while reading. At the same time, lighting should not be too bright to hurt the eyes. Move the screen slightly to overcome the problem of light glare from the monitor. PCs and Peripherals ? The market is flooded with ergonomically designed PCs, mouse, laptops, keyboards, monitors and associated gadgets. Purchase the best that your budget allows. Buy approved well-established products. Determine the actual issue to be resolved and then buy the product designed to take care of the concerned problem. Workstation Arrangement ? Arrange a workstation such that the user is centrally placed so he/she can comfortably reach each corner of the allotted space. After arranging everything, the workstation should still be left with enough space so the user does not feel drowned in office equipment. Place the monitor at arms length 2 to 3 inches above the eye level. If at this distance, you are unable to read clearly, then use bigger fonts or set your monitor for magnified viewing. Never keep the monitor too close to the eyes. Workstation arrangement should allow users to move around comfortably. Posture ? Pay attention to your posture. Correct posture keeps the body straight without exerting pressure on the spine. When typing, your wrists should flatten out as much as possible when. Keep your neck and head straight when looking at the monitor. Adjust monitor height or angle if you find yourself bending your head to read. Breaks ? Take short breaks every hour. If possible, walk up the aisle. Stretch yourself and exercise your eyes. Hand stretches are important for keyboard users. Eye movement is particularly required if you look at the monitor for extended durations. Look at far away objects and blink rapidly for a few seconds every 15-20 minutes. This relaxes the eyes and replenishes the moisture necessary for keeping them clean and lubricated. Exercise ? A combined stretch and exercise routine is important to the prevention of repetitive strain injuries.? When taking short breaks throughout the day, perform active stretches and exercises to prevent muscle imbalances from developing in the fingers, wrists, shoulders, chest and back.? Devices like Flextend, Restore, resistance bands, or going to the gym several days a week, can significantly improve performance while staving off career-ending injuries. Taking the appropriate steps to prevent injuries from occurring to employees is extremely important for the success of any company as healthy, happy employees produce quality results in less time than those functioning in a poor work environment.? Intelligent companies realize that having a high volume of workplace injuries can damage their bottom line drastically due to the costs associated from lost time from work, light duty restrictions, job retraining, medical treatments, lawsuits and increased insurance rates. Take the time to speak to your health and safety supervisor about implementing a good ergonomics program in your office to increase moral and productivity ? It works! Article Tags: Ergonomic Workstation

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Giving your offices a modern look and feel

In today™s competitive world, office furniture needs to encourage efficiency and productivity and offer a workspace that is attractive to your staff and clients. Buying contemporary office furniture will help you achieve this. Picking modern office desks and chairs and storage solutions will help to build this type of work environment. Typically you™ll be looking at modern aspects in your desks, computer workstations and executive furniture and storage, meeting and reception furniture options. You may wish to look at buying glass modular desks option to give a cutting edge feel to your company. You might want to go that bit further and order eco friendly office furniture. Eco friendly office furniture There are several furniture options on the market if you want to look at these options. For example, there are office screens, both free standing and desk standing types, which are built of sustainable materials. It™s also worth knowing that some office workstations use wood sourced from managed forests and are crafted using environmentally friendly techniques. Kompass workstations are one such product line. They offer plenty of desk top and storage space to hold office equipment and supplies. Putting the modern office furniture together When you™ve short listed your items of contemporary furniture, make sure they blend together. Not always easy, but try and visualise how these furniture pieces will work together before you buy!

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Furniture Manufacturers

If you are in London and are in the market for contemporary office furniture manufacturers, then you are in for a pleasant surprise. There is a great variety of competition to choose from. Whatever styles materials or manufacturing standards that you have in mind will probably be represented without too much searching on your part. Here is a handy guide to get you moving in the right direction: The CH Workspace Company in London offers full lines of contemporary furnishings including: seating, desking, meeting, storage, reception, screening, canteen and call center items. In fact they have over 30 furniture ranges available from stock. They also offer free space planning and design services. Delivery and installation is also free and guaranteed within 5 days of purchasing. Margolis Office Interiors LTD in London is a contemporary office furniture manufacturer and distributor that is unsurpassed in selection. Margolis offers a wide range of modern and traditional designs in office furniture from simple desks, tables and chairs to complete designed offices. Reception furniture, office seating, executive desks, workstations, office desks, boardroom tables, training room tables, computer desks and tables made from chrome, glass and aluminum are but a portion of their offerings to you. In business since 1911, they promise a customer service-oriented experience at all stages of business with you.The Century Solutions Furniture Company in London offers service for all your corporate office furnishing needs. No order is too big for this contemporary furnishing giant. They offer sheik and hip designs coupled with dignified class. Their selection is unparalleled and their customer service is rated exceptional. As you can see, you are in for a pleasantly easy shopping experience while in the market for contemporary office furnishings in London. The only difficulty you may encounter is the fact that you will be impresse by all of the options available. Shop well.

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Finding the Perfect Open Office Furniture

With the advent of ever increasing cost for commercial real estate, companies seeking to reduce or minimize overhead have had to try to efficiently accommodate their employees in smaller work places. The architectural solution is the open office. When open office furniture was introduced in the 1960’s, buildings were generally designed and constructed differently. Much of the average office facility was laid out with a series of walled, widowed offices, interior conferencing areas and strings of long connecting, corridors. Smaller, open administrative bullpen areas were filled with desks back to back, giving workers little “working” space and no privacy. The design became too expensive and was resistant to change. Open office furniture became the conduit for new building design. When many of the exterior private offices were removed, office space opened up adding additional precious square footage that could more effectively accommodate growing numbers of employees. One critical aspect of open office furniture is that makes efficient use of vertical space, thereby fulfilling employees’ task needs, allowing privacy while occupying a smaller footprint. By putting books, manuals, files and personal effects above the work surface, businesses are able to save valuable floor space and put more people in a smaller area. And because of the proximity of shelves to desks, paperwork and other materials were easily accessible, and not filed away in bulky, space consuming cabinets or on remote bookshelves. Open office furniture gave companies a financially sound solution and a larger return on investment. MAiSPACE understands the thought process behind companies desire to buy space saving open office furniture, but sometimes forego important features to save money. MAiSPACE saves companies money by providing quality, low cost open office furniture with all the options that make the workstation attractive and the worker productive while increasing floor space efficiency. Special features like off-modular capabilities, stacking and de-stacking panels, with floor to ceiling capabilities and lay-in cabling, give designers and facilities managers the tools they need to make our open office furniture functional, beautiful and cost effective. Using budget friendly MAiSPACE open office furniture, gives corporations the ability to address all real estate concerns and stretch their dollar. Another key element of open office furniture is its inherent flexibility. As companies evolve, the number of employees and the way they work frequently change. While dry wall can be altered, it’s a messy, time-consuming and expensive proposition. Open office furniture, with its easily assembled and reusable parts and pieces, is, by its very nature and design, flexible and changeable. The idea was to have open office furniture components — the partitions and the desks and shelves attached to them — modular and completely mobile, so that office workstations could be remade overnight rather than over months. MAiSPACE has taken those original open office furniture concepts and created a beautiful, stackable open office furniture system. Facility managers now have the ability to tackle the ordeal of resolving issues of change using our open office furniture with minimum downtime and minimum purchases. Since MAiSPACE’s primary focus is on the production of high quality, low cost open office furniture, we are constantly making improvements to the look, design and performance of our products. Thinking outside the “open office furniture” box, MAiSPACE’s design incorporates flexibility and function to allow workspaces to look attractive while being completely efficient. The ability to stack and de-stack panel frames provides staggered wall heights and enhances the office workstation layout. MAiSPACE designs are far removed from Scott Adam’s “Dilbert” looking monolithic open office workstation. Open office furniture or “cubicles” evokes images of a maze of regimented boxes and sterile, uniform impersonal workspace. MAiSPACE, on the other hand, allows companies to create a visually appealing footprint while targeting the needs of their employees, making them productive and comfortable. With over 15 tile options, including three types of glass, on 3 ? ” thick panels, MAiSPACE promotes visibility and privacy, simultaneously. You can get the architectural feel of substantial open office furniture, without feeling “boxed in.” Another important advantage of open office furniture over conventional furniture was the ability to make the workstation ergonomically correct. The open office furniture produced by MAiSPACE is flexible and adjustable to meet individual preferences. The user creates a comfortable environment by determining the optimal placement of panel-hung components, adjustable at 1 inch increments; having flexible non-handed orientation for the workstation; and curvilinear work surfaces with cascade edges. Keyboard trays and tool rail tiles allow for easy access to work tool. Incorporating the effectiveness and well-being aspects of ergonomics into systems furniture purchases can produce cost benefits in terms of significant reduction of workmen’s compensation, insurance expenditures and absenteeism. Our open office furniture also features tackable acoustic tiles, work tool rails, white boards and non-handed components with off-modular capabilities, which allow workers to be both productive and express their individual identities. Open office furniture becomes warm and cozy, comfortable workspaces. When building design changed to include large open areas devoid of easy access to wall cavities or power supplies, electrical and power issues needed to be addressed. MAiSPACE open office furniture revolutionized the contract furniture industry by developing and patenting a standards compliant plug-and-play cable management system in our stackable panel system. Our patented zone distribution system incorporated into our open office furniture includes plug-and-play connectors, lay-in cabling and the largest capacity in the industry. It not only supports any network or system you have today, but is one of the only open office furniture products actually designed to grow and change as you do with remarkable ease. Managing voice, data, and power cabling is a snap with MAiSPACE open office furniture because cable runs are laid in behind lift-off panel segments, not bundled and fished through structural elements. MAiSPACE modular furniture cabling can also save money on the initial installation since it’s installed by lower cost furniture installers. The cable installers need only do the connections at the end of the “runs” and the customer can be up and running. Open office furniture is here to stay. For those who know that open office furniture really is the right solution for their building, their corporate culture and the space, they can be assured that by using MAiSPACE their financial goals can be met beautifully. You no longer have to choose between function, frugality and fabulous. MAiSPACE will provide a professional in-house design team to produce the best and most cost effective open office furniture layout, not only to satisfy your current staffing demands, but also to help you plan ahead. Our designers understand all your facility issues and employ the most appropriate open office furniture product applications. You can bring style, design and function to your corporate workspace with the quality of MAiSPACE’s beautifully designed, budget friendly open office furniture.

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Everything about the Wooden Office Furniture

The importance of the office furniture is not unhidden. You must be well aware about the role that good quality office furniture plays. Yes, good quality office furniture allows you to achieve a unique recognition for your office and your company as a whole. Nowadays, there are options that allow you to purchase the office furniture at the discounted prices. You can easily access the internet for the different online stores that sell different varieties of office furniture at the discounted rates. Since many years, wood has been the material that has been mostly used for manufacturing the different varieties of office furniture. The wooden office furniture mainly comprises of wooden tables, wooden partitions, wooden chairs, wooden computer table etc. Nowadays, there is an availability of the sheesham office furniture. Sheesham is a dark colored wood which is believed to retain its shine for a longer period of time. You can always visit a number of stores that can provide you information about the wooden office furniture. You can get new ideas to be used for enhancing the beauty of your office which is the actual lifeline of your business firm. Before purchasing the wooden office furniture, make sure your employees™ workstations have adequate space for legs, and movement. Also ensure that the wooden office furniture doesn™t consist of any sharp edges that can cause any harm to the employees. Wooden office furniture can add that formal touch to your office. Wooden office furniture of different designs is mostly been used in the offices of today. You can even look out for options of the wooden office furniture over the internet. There are a number of online stores which are ready to provide you wooden office furniture at the discount rates. Wooden office furniture can actually help you in grooming up your office as a whole.

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Creating an Ergonomic Home Office

The way you arrange your home office desk can actually protect you from stress injuries. In fact, increasing your comfort may also increase your performance. A good computer desk will provide somewhere where you can work in an organized and comfortable way, and with enough storage space for all your paperwork and accessories. The following guidelines can be incorporated into your home office for a healthy, comfortable workspace. And remember that if you feel an ache, take a break from your home office computer desk.Ergonomic computer desks are designed to help prevent eye strain. The ergonomic desk will have a monitor position that is approximately 24″ from the user. The monitor screen position will be at the top of, or slightly below eye level. A document holder or copyholder can be added to properly position the document upright. Other accessories related to eye strain can are glare filters to reduce glare, brightness and reflection. Task lighting also will help to illuminate documents and avoid shadows.To prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, use an adjustable keyboard tray with your home office desk that keeps the wrist straight in a neutral position. Keep the bottom of the elbow even with the keyboard height. Keep forearms approximately parallel to the floor. Use minimum force while striking keys. Utilize chair arms for support.Neck strain will be felt if the desk height is not correct. The correct position keeps your shoulders relaxed and in a neutral position as you type. Avoid cradling the phone between your shoulder and ear. Keep elbows close to your sides as you use the keyboard and mouse. Do not overextend your arm to reach the mouse. Keep the mouse as close to the keyboard as possible. Take a moment every so often to roll your shoulders up and back to alleviate tension.Back pain is another sign of poor seating. Adjust your desk chair so your thighs are parallel to the floor. Sit back in the seat so that your lower back is supported firmly by the chair or a lumbar support cushion. Place feet on a footrest to relieve “pull” on the lower back (recommended if your feet don’t touch the floor). Try a molded seat cushion, which distributes weight and adds support. Make sure to get up and stretch every hour.Products If you’re likely to spend a lot of time sitting in front of your computer, it’s important that your chair and desk are properly designed and adjusted for comfort. Ergonomic computer desks and chairs are designed to promote good posture and reduce the likelihood of aches and pains arising from working in the same position for long periods.Home laptop computer desks come in various styles, to fit in with your d?cor and the layout of your home office space. A wide variety of ergonomic computer desks and workstations to meet any need including ADA wheelchair desks are available online. Balt computer desks are a globally known brand for dependable and innovative computer support furniture since 1985. Perfect for home, office, or classroom, the Balt Furniture Ergonomic Home/Office compact student computer desks are durable, space-efficient, and ergonomic. Balt makes height adjustable desks, mobile laptop and mobile desktop computer desks, and group workstation computer desk. The platforms on the adjustable computer desks have several height settings for the proper ergonomic position. The split level design makes the Balt workstation collection supremely versatile. Mobile computer carts, which are portable and can easily be moved around, are another popular choice for the home office, and come in a choice of styles, including compact ones suitable for laptop computers.Compact computer desks provides the ideal workspace for your dorm room or office. The multiple shelves are the perfect location for your printer, monitor, and CPU and there is a slide-out keyboard tray as well. CD storage slots on both sides keep work or music at your fingertips. Corner computer desks can be the ideal solution if you want to save space.Orispace Compact Home Office desks are perfect for small spaces and home offices. Aesthetically pleasing and highly functional, the desks can be ready to set against a wall or in a corner. The desks include a handy pen and letter holder, built in shelves, and locking casters. A Corner workstation will take advantage of that dead space and tuck itself out of the way, leaving your space clean and beautiful. This desk is loaded with shelves and CD storage. Works best with a flat screen monitor.In summary, important ergonomic furniture for home office include a well made adjustable ergonomic chair and desk, good lighting that helps prevent eyestrain, ergonomically designed, adjustable document holders/stands, and an ergonomic keyboard tray.http://www.ComfortChannel.com continues to expand their product offerings that fit into the latest Home Office trends including a large selection of home office computer desks, ergonomic office chairs, document holders, monitor risers, and adjustable workstations. The site also serves as a resource for detailed information about ergonomic seating and other furnishings for the home office.In 2005, Brian Metzger was named Chief Financial Officer, as well as member of the Board of Directors of Zearth.com Corporation. Dr. Metzger assumed the responsibilities for all financial reporting, marketing, and back end operations for comfortchannel.com, an online retailer of home and health products. Based in Montana, Comfortchannel.com has been in business since 2000.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Metzger

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Concept Office™: Ideas on Designer Office Interiors & Furniture

Offices have revolutionized in comparison to its traditional appearance, aesthetics, work ethics interiors, ergonomics, and furniture. The shift has been in tandem with technological advancements; the demand emerging towards functional powerhouses. And the dynamics of productivity include many aspects and uber factors. For office board-rooms, home offices, blue-chip organizations and multinational giants with a clear corporate culture, the interiors need to match up with the progress; and creative, inspirational and sustainable work environments are more within the linguistic reach of ??~conducive™ work settings. Interiors, color co-ordination and right furniture setting can help with reflecting the spirit of your business or brand. Even home offices have evolved to include the latest multi-functional designs looking into the essentials of multi-tasking. Now you can organize an office space with ergonomic desks and chairs in the coziest material. For starters, following are a few modern day office interior suggestions, A warm reception area with modern sofas and swivel arm-chairs can help in creating the first impressions Opt for designer 4-6 seater workstations as they bring uniformity to a work space Opt for multi-functional work stations and minimize cabling with cable management systems for a clean look Individual mobile storage cabinets and light cabinets and filers can help with the storage problem Infuse the office with warm colors, stain glass or wood work Use inspirational and motivating artwork??”photos, paintings etc. Invest in good lighting to avoid eye strain Executive office furniture Quality executive furniture endows a workspace with a posh and elegant exterior, without ever compromising on the functionalism. Modular furniture consists of a range of standard options such as extendible executive desks with conferencing ends, file pedestals, bookcases, cabinets, hutches, file pedestals and storage units. The Vega is one such sophisticated unit with a stainless steel top that looks into all executive needs and practical details like choice of desk size etc. It is important to check all the available options before you decide on a unit. Pay close attention to the unit, the space available and details in your office like color schemes and other furniture. Office Storage and File Cabinets Office storage solution is much more than providing easy filing and cable management systems. The concept of office storage has evolved to make style statements to ensure that the right message is being delivered to your employees and clients. Floor standing and floating storage units are great for a clean and clutter-free workspace. You get contemporary shelving units with hi-tech storage systems to ensure neat storage. Home Office Furniture Home offices need to be efficient and convenient and defining your working zone is a clear positive step. Look out for dynamic workstations that are chic and functional, like the Celeron which has ergonomic desks with storage bridge, overhead cabinet, conference shell, wardrobe tower in colors and materials to fit with your home office space. It is important to work on an ambience that supports your working style , pace and also compliments rest of the home decor. Conference tables Conference and meeting tables should go in line with rest of your office theme. Conferences and meetings are a regular feature at offices. Keep the practical details in mind like the size, shape and dimensions and the most important point, the capacity. The tables should be functional enough to support your focus and offer inspiring furniture for convenient interaction in office. Stacking chairs You get chair with and w/o arms that can be easily used as multi-functional seating arrangements for another round of use. You get chairs in different material like Vinyl, bistro, wicker, teak, steel and aluminum that also provide added comfort and a sleek, professional appearance.

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Computer Workstations

A computer workstation is engineered to provide a higher performance level, 3D graphics capabilities, higher speed networking using a faster processor, more hard drive storage space than a standard personal computer. They are designed for applications requiring a higher degree of precision, and performance. These computer workstations have found their way into areas of engineering and software development, among others due to their ability to multi-task.A computer workstation should be purchased only after careful research as they can often be task specific and can cost far more than an average home PC. A decent workstation can cost anywhere from $1000 to $5000. However, the cost effectiveness of computer workstation is another issue to be looked into, as consumer reviews show that today’s PCs are often as good as workstations. A workstation, having almost the same capabilities to offer is often priced much higher due to more expensive components. With this in mind, be sure to check out all the specs when you are seeking to buy a new computer workstation, and to compare the prices against the specs. Also, do take into account whether the computer workstation is used or new. That way, you will get the best deal for your hard-earned money.At the same time, the term ‘computer workstation’ is also used to refer to an area of generally an office that accommodates a desktop computer and its peripherals. This includes the space to place the monitor, the keyboard, the CPU and other computer components, including printers, scanners and speakers.Workstations provides detailed information on Workstations, Computer Workstations, Office Workstations, Used Workstations and more. Workstations is affiliated with Industrial Single Board Computers.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Romando

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1000 x 800 x 730
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1200 x 800 x 730
Price:

pound;152.26

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