The average Colombian office working spends on average 6 hours or more at his or her desk. Besides the problems caused by being sedentary at your desk for many hours at a time, many of the health problems office workers experience are the result of improper of the equipment provided in the office. However, the average office space design rarely takes the physical limitations of the human body into account. This is reflected in the large number of injuries, general physical discomfort and mental fatigue many workers experience, all leading to the decline in worker productivity, which ultimately affects the Colombian business economy.
Most Colombian workers have unfavorable ergonomic conditions in their jobs. The main problems are the lack of proper ergonomic chairs and desks, poor location of computer equipment and the number of hours spent at the desk in sedentary positions.
The idea of maintaining constant movement while seated at the desk, having good posture and minimizing the load on the spinal column is all part of “ergonomic hygiene.” The benefits of proper ergonomic hygiene are: reducing the risk of back pain and improve mobility and increased productivity.
Below is some recommendations to promote healthy posture, reduce injuries and increase worker productivity:
1. Alternate your body position throughout the day while always maintaining good posure. Stand up, move around and for a few minutes at least once every hour. Doing this will improve your circulation and will reduce tensions in the back, neck, fatigue and improve mental clarity.
2. Add a variety of activities to your daily work schedule. For example, spend an hour typing at the computer, make copies, file paper, visit other workers or anything that involves getting you on your feet.
3. Make sure you have the right ergonomic chair for your. You must use a chair that at minim, provides you with proper lower back support. This is one way to prevent lower back pain and reduce overall body fatigue. If your chair is inadequate and purchasing the right chair must wait, at least use an orthopedic cushion to adjust your position and support your lower back.
4. Keep your knees at the same level of your hips and your feet should sit flat on the floor. Opt for an adjustable chair that allows you to raise or lower the chair until your thighs and buttocks are resting evenly. If the chair can not be adjusted, again, use an orthopedic pillow to elevate your body, or in the opposite case, a footrest to allow your feet to sit flat on the ground.
5. Keep your head and neck straight. When working at your computer, the center of your computer screen should be roughly even with your shoulders to keep you from arching your neck up or down. Ideally, your screen arrangement should allow you to keep your neck straight, your head level and your eyes looking directly in front of you. This will help to prevent a great deal of the neck and back pain many office workers complain about.
6. Adequate ambient light. Use natural light when possible, controlling for big changes in light intensity throughout the day and in different seasons.
7. Cleaning. Keep your space clean and tidy. You can easily find your working material which will help you to avoid natural twisting and turning whle you rummage through your things to find what you need. In addition, an organized work space causes less stress and obviously will contribute to respiratory health because there will be less dust in the air.
