You may not think about it, but as an office worker you are prone to a number of ailments just from sitting at your desk. Why? Because the set up of your workstation, unnatural positions and postures, as well as little movement and stretching during the working day, can be a key cause of developing musculoskeletal disorders. These include back, neck, shoulder, wrist and arm pain, as well as headaches and eye strain.
In fact, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), musculoskeletal disorders are the second most commonly reported types of work-related illness in Great Britain, making up 29 percent of reported absences in 2018/19. Not only that, but a total of 6.9 million working days were lost to work-related musculoskeletal disorders in 2018/19, with an average of 14 days lost per each individual case.
This means that office ergonomics is a lot more important than you think. At Ergonix we passionately believe it’s vital that employers carry out DSE (Display Screen Equipment) workstation assessments for employees to minimise the risk of posture-related ill health, sick leave and even compensation claims.
Good office ergonomics has a number of benefits, including:
Improve overall employee health and well-being and reduce absenteeism. Good office ergonomics is about acting on injury prevention, not response. If your employees work in a suitable and safe environment which is specific to their needs, the risk of injury or pain can be greatly reduced, leading to less chance of employees taking time off work due to ill health.
Increase in productivity and morale. If your employees are fit and well, they will be less distracted whilst working and feel happier in general, leading to a more efficient and productive environment, giving them a greater sense of job satisfaction and allowing them to work to their full potential.
Reduction of costs. Although office ergonomics requires investment from the employer, the implementation of it can actually reduce business costs. Correct workstation set up can see the two benefits mentioned above, as well as a reduction in compensation or insurance claims and lower staff turnover rates, all of which can help to reduce outgoings.
So what exactly is a DSE workstation assessment?
It is like any Health and Safety risk assessment. A DSE workstation assessment identifies hazards and risks that might impact on the health and well-being of a person who is a computer ‘user’. Under the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 (amended 2002) employees must protect their workers from health risks when using DSE daily (an hour or more at the time) if employing more than 5 people.
At Ergonix, we not only provide DSE ergonomic workstation assessments which meet the Health and Safety Regulations but exceed them. Our assessments are carried out by chartered physiotherapists who have extensive knowledge of posture and musculoskeletal injuries and are specialised in workplace ergonomics. We will travel to your office across London, Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire and each assessment is tailored to the individual’s needs. We look at the relationship between the individual’s posture, work environment and the tasks being carried out.
As a result of the changes we make from these findings, the workstation set-up will be improved and the risk of musculoskeletal discomfort, headaches, migraines and eye strain will be reduced. We also provide a report to allow employers to implement additional changes to improve their employees’ working environments.
The ultimate aim of the workstation assessment is to minimise and prevent the risk of injury, make employees comfortable and happy in their work environment, as well as educating people on good ergonomic practices.
At Ergonix, we are extremely passionate about improving and supporting employee health and well-being – and that’s exactly what good office ergonomics can achieve.
