Today, the work environment is much more demanding, and therefore the notion of ergonomics has become more and more important. Besides the growing number of people spending long hours in their cubicles, the need for an ergonomic office environment, to say the least, is indispensable. A perfect ergonomic workspace not only increases the productivity but also the employee well-being, which subsequently, reduces the possibility of musculoskeletal disorders and increases the satisfaction level.
Neglecting Proper Chair Selection and Adjustment:
The very basic part of the office ergonomic design is the selection of chairs. But still, a common error is the carelessness of choosing the suitable chair for the personality and the disregard of the importance of the correct fitting. When focusing solely on chair selection and adjustment, it’s easy to overlook other crucial aspects of office ergonomics, such as the positioning of monitors and the impact of office ceiling lights on overall comfort and productivity. Numerous offices select chairs that are not suitable for their employees as they don’t focus on features like lumbar support, seat depth, and armrest height. A chair that does not fit the user’s body proportions can cause a lot of discomfort and so on, it is more likely to cause chronic back pain and posture-related issues.
Overlooking Monitor Positioning and Screen Ergonomics:
The study of the location of computer monitors is one of the most important yet overlooked aspects in ergonomic office design. Irregular monitor placement can lead to neck pain, eye tiredness and even headache in one’s life. One usual error is the awkward placement of the monitor either too high or too low hence users will have to tilt their heads either upwards or downwards resulting in the neck problems that can be long-term. In the best-case scenario, the top of the monitor screen should be at or slightly below eye level, thus avoiding the need for the neck to be bent.
Ignoring the Importance of Keyboard and Mouse Ergonomics:
The keyboard and mouse are mainly the main interfaces between the employees and their workstations; thus, their ergonomic design is very important. Yet, the importance of the correct keyboard and mouse positioning is usually overestimated. Most of the office set-ups have keyboards and mice on the wrong angles, therefore, the worker gets wrist strain and repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Using ergonomic keyboards and mice with such features as split key layouts and contoured designs, the RSIs can be greatly reduced by the fact that the hand and wrist position will be more natural.
Cluttering Workspaces and Neglecting Organization:
The often-ignored part of the ergonomic office design is the way of arranging and clearing the workspaces. A cluttered desk not only is a punishment for productivity but also is a hazard for the people in terms of ergonomics. Employees who are compelled to pass through the mountains of papers and the stuff left on the floor most likely develop awkward postures and movements and thus the risk of injure their muscles and bones is higher. Besides, cluttered works spaces will not let the proper positioning of ergonomic accessories such as footrests and document holders to happen, thus, they will be useless.
Neglecting Employee Input and Feedback:
The most terrible fault in the creation of an ergonomic office is the refusal to take the opinion of the employees. Although the standards of ergonomics and the best practices are the basis for the decisions of design, the peculiar needs and preferences of the individual employees have to be taken into account. The inability to take into account the suggestions of the employee can lead to the creation of ergonomic solutions that are not effective or on the contrary, it will be the cause of negative impact. Neglecting employee input and feedback when designing office spaces can lead to costly mistakes, such as overlooking critical considerations like suspended ceiling cost per m2, which may impact both budget allocation and the overall comfort and functionality of the workspace.
The mission of creating a comfortable office setting is to be achieved by being aware of the usual mistakes and to take the steps to prevent them, thus making the workplace more productive and comfortable for the employees. The organizations that would avoid the mistakes like the chair selection and adjustment, monitor positioning, keyboard and mouse ergonomics, workspace organization and the design process of the employees would be creating workspaces that would help in the health, well-being and performance.
