Category Archives: Ergonomic Office

Ergonomic Office, home or Work

Height Adjustable Desks

I have been working in an office for a couple of months now.
I used to wear contact lenses in my former job as a sales rep, but since I work in an office and stare at the screen all day my eyes become dry and the lenses start bothering me. Despite regular pauses, looking away to rest my eyes, I become tired more easily and my eyes start itching. I think it is because of the office air conditioning and the problem becomes worse when I work at my height adjustable desk standing up. This is why I had to give up my contacts for glasses during office hours. I bought a new funky red frame to match my office chair and uniform at the call centre, which hasn’t come unnoticed by the floor manager and my fashion obsessed colleagues – I am hopping that wearing the company colours will show my commitment and affect my next pay review. It’s all about perception and image. Fingers crossed.

Electric Height Adjustable Desks
Electric Height Adjustable Desks

Contour Roller Mouse RED

RSI, tenosynovitis, or whatever you call it personally, it hurts. RSI stands for repetitive strain injury and this affliction is usually linked with typists. That’s not to say that other manual, as well as sporting, actions won’t give rise to this painful, and somewhat debilitating, condition but, in the case of keyboarditis (that’s my personal name for it), there are things out there to prevent the condition coming on.

In our modern world, there has been a huge increase in the number of people with RSI, the pain occurring in the hand, arm, neck and shoulder. There’s also been a huge increase in the number of people working hour upon hour at a computer, without looking at the ergonomics of their own personal situation.

Ergonomics – a modern world word. It means the study of the application of biology and engineering to the relationship between workers and their environment. In other words, making the working environment fit the individual’s needs. And we all need that, don’t we?

So, if your office chair and office desk are in alignment (you’ll know this is the case, if your lower arm glides smoothly towards, and onto, the desk and keyboard, without any major climb or descent needed in the wrist area), you’re already sitting pretty and so now we can concentrate on what’s happening with those wrists and fingers.

The last few years have seen a realisation that left-handed people benefit from a left-handed mouse. If you’re right-handed, the only way you may truly appreciate this is to find someone who is using a left-handed mouse and for you to try to keep your clicking speed up with your non-dominant hand.

But we now have an answer to this RSI- cum- left and right handed keyboard problem in the Contour Rollermouse Red. This new design mouse is placed centrally in front of your keyboard and means that you don’t have to regularly reach to the right (or to the left) for the mouse. The textured roller bar is built for two-handed use and has five buttons, which offer right click, left click, a double click, copy and paste. While you might be thinking that the movement of your neck, shoulder, elbow, arm, wrist and hand are minimal, don’t forget that that is how the condition starts in the first place. It’s the repetition of those minimal and, dare I say it, insignificant, movements which make a mountain out of a molehill.

While you’re on, you could also buy the support rest which fits round the Contour Rollermouse Red, as that will make that horizontal passage from wrist to keyboard is smooth and comfortable.

There, an ergonomic keyboard and mouse to complement your ergonomic office. What could be better?

Contour Rollermouse Red from Simply Ergonomic
Contour Rollermouse Red from Simply Ergonomic

Ergonomic Offices

If you know anything about office furniture, you’ll know that we’re now in the world of ergonomics. In a nutshell, this means making the office environment fit you. It means looking at your personal working space, your job responsibilities and also your body frame measurements and weight, to get the ‘best for you’ as regards to working conditions.

‘Getting it right’ will cover space, light, noise and overall sitting comfort:-

Space. A good ergonomic layout will mean that your work system is organised in such a way that you don’t have to carry heavy weights over long distances, you don’t have to overly stretch and you’re not working in cramped conditions etc..

Light. Good daylight is important and, where this isn’t possible, good simulated daylight is the next best thing. Knowing what type of lighting to buy for your office space is essential. Also bear in mind that a lot of light comes from your computer screen and this is going directly towards your eyes, which isn’t a good thing, as good light should always come from over your shoulder. I would always advise getting a filter screen for your computer, to reduce that ‘sunlight’ effect which really is too bright.

Noise. We now often hear of noise pollution and, in a busy office, pollution is often the case. For example, how often have you had to speak with call centre staff and can’t hear what your contact is saying as clearly as you can hear her colleagues? In that modern-day office, false walls in the form of screens are often used, to give that feeling of private space and to somewhat reduce the effect of the overall noise.

Overall Sitting Comfort. When it comes to seating, always look at ergonomic office chairs, as these are designed to offer many adjustments, making the chair of your choice match your overall needs. The Ergohuman range has several models, like the Ergohuman, the Ergohuman Plus, the Mirus, Enjoy and the Nefil. Spend some time finding out what these chairs offer. The features include seat tilt and glide, seat height, adjustable armrests, a lumbar support region and many other useful features and there are also additional extras, such as a headrest, a leg rest and a note table. Knowing what your job responsibilities ask of you will help you decide which of these additional extras are necessary.

Overall. An ergonomically-friendly environment makes work a pleasure and the day less stressful. It’s like any job, a bad workman always blames his tools, so getting the environment right for you means success all round.

It’s simply ergonomics.