Injury prevention and workplace safety should be the top priority among employers. Not only does preventing workplace-related injuries help ensure the company save money by lowering healthcare and insurance expenses, but it also helps to foster a healthy relationship between the company and staff. Staff who feel healthy and safe at work will be more focused and engaged at work, resulting in increased productivity.

When talking about workplace safety, the first thing that comes to mind is hazardous roles such as construction and maintenance. However, desk-bound staff are at similar risk of workplace-related injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, and chronic backaches. The repetitive motion, together with the lack of movement, are the fundamental causes of such injuries. Hence, the importance of optimal workplace ergonomics.

What body posture is ergonomically optimal for desk-bound employees?

• Use a chair that provides proper lumbar support. The height of the chair should allow your thighs to be parallel to and your feet completely flat on the floor.
• The computer monitor should be at eye level and an arm’s length from your face, which will help reduce the strains of your eyes while keeping your neck straight.
• Suppose you are talking on the phone. In that case, rather than placing it between your neck and shoulder, use either in speaker mode or a headset.
• Your mouse and keyboard should be slightly below or level with your elbow.

Importance of workplace ergonomics for staff’s health

• Reduced health care expenses: Poor posture leads to long-lasting ill-effects such as carpal tunnel syndrome, which requires expensive surgery to fix. Adopting proper workplace ergonomics practices can prevent such effects before they affect both employer and employee.
• Increased productivity: Comfort plays a huge role in your employees’ productivity. The less comfortable they are, the lower their productivity. Your employee might perform better at work if they are not distracted by frequent backaches and body pains.
• Lesser frequent leaves are taken: Lack of proper workplace ergonomics might lead to more employees taking regular leaves just to take time off to rest and recuperate. More missed workdays mean lower productivity and less workplace satisfaction.

How can I improve workplace ergonomics?

If you are looking for ergonomic solutions to improve the working environment of your desk-bound staff, then starting by getting ergonomic furniture is an excellent way to start. TakeAseat offers an extensive range of ergonomic furniture and products, such as ergonomic office chairs, sit-stand desks, and many more.

In addition, you can also start by doing an ergo self-test on your workplace ergonomics to assess the standard of your current workplace setups.

Ensuring optimal ergonomic body postures for your employees in your workplace does bring significant benefits not only to your business success but also to their health and wellbeing. Contact us today or visit us at our furniture shops at Woodlands, Ubi, and Jurong to find out more about our services and products that will help keep your employees healthy and happy.