The ergonomic office – Fresh HR Insights has much advice to give employers with regard to providing a good health and safety standard in the office. Offices have much improved from the days of tall stools and long-legged desks, and lowly paid staff hunching their shoulders over ledgers. At least we like to think so! Now, in the 21^st century, it really is incumbent amongst employers, to make sure that all employees have equipment that does not harm their physical and mental health. Many labour under the false illusion that the office is a safe place just because it is an office. Wrong!

Fresh HR Insights has seen more injuries and conditions arising from desk and screen work in the recent years. For example, small muscle fatigue of the hand from extensive keyboard work that develops into a serious repetition strain injury. Sore eyes gained from background light onscreen that become acute eye strain. Lower back pain caused by poor posture that becomes chronic spinal inflammation. These conditions have impacted on the lives of thousands. To develop these conditions at work can cost employers a lot. Workers compensation, loss of team members, increased recruitment costs, high staff turnover and a lot of sick leave soon adds up to a big financial problem.

Fresh HR Insights response to employers who frequently ask what to do when faced with these situations is…. ergonomics! Create an ergonomically friendly office space for your staff and these problems can go away.

These simple steps will help employers develop ergonomically sound office work stations and practices which are conducive to maintaining and protecting staff posture, comfort, health and safety. Also by following this link you will find governmental advice on how to set up an ergonomically friendly office

Ensure staff know they can take a break from sitting at a desk and encourage them to walk around to stretch their legs. Sitting for too long can be harmful.

Give staff a varied menu of tasks on and off the computer and allow them to alternate these to prevent strain. Staff should take a pause every hour from repetitious work.

Make sure desks and chairs are suited to the physical needs of staff. Position computers and screens at appropriate height and distance from the staff member and ensure keyboards are ergonomic – enabling palm and wrist resting, light touch keying, adjustable and

Make sure ergonomic principles are a matter of policy within the office.

Follow this link for governmental advice on how to select furniture

Good examples of ergonomic desks and chairs are those that are designed to be adjustable and to reflect different sizes and statures of the anatomy.

Best buys for any office would be a scattering of task chairs – suited for the short-term work, intensive chairs for those who need support over longer periods of time and who have some posture issues, and therapod chairs – for those needing a level of specialised support at their desks. These, at the time of writing, can be sourced from $425 to $1,338 approximately each.

Similarly, electric height adjusting desks will ensure staff can sit with physical ease with an appropriate arm reach: these can currently be sourced from $1424 to $1925 per desk.

These prices are small to what you may have to pay out if you don’t go the ergonomic way!