Long hours at work, sedentary lifestyles and lack of exercise have led to various health problems. Add to this a host of employees suffering from health problems due to improper ergonomics. Ergonomics consists of one’s work environment and elements like design, function, safety, etc of one’s workstation to match the employees’ physical requirements, capabilities and insure their good health and well being. Parag Shastry who is the Chief Ergonomist at Godrej Interio’s Ergonomics Cell explains how improper ergonomics can cause health hazards and also gives tips to avoid them.
How common are health problems due to improper ergonomics?
Problems related to improper ergonomics in offices (un-ergonomic chair and furniture, lack of awareness about correct ergonomic work practices) are very common today. The latest documented data based on research available with Godrej Interio states that nearly 71% of employees in various organisations suffer from one or the other health problem which can be attributed to improper ergonomics.
What problems can/do people with a desk job face due to improper ergonomics?
Musculo Skeletal Disorder (MSD) develops over time and can affect body muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves. There are several reasons why young employees in various organisations are vulnerable to MSDs, the leading cause though is improper seating, especially for more than 4-5 hours at a stretch. Health problem range from discomfort, minor aches and pains, to more serious medical conditions like cervical spondylitis. Due to sedentary lifestyle coupled with choice of bad chairs and unhealthy lifestyle, more and more professionals working in MNCs, IT-ITES and other sectors in the country are falling prey to this phenomenon.
What is the correct posture of sitting on a chair?
The correct posture is 90-90-90 – the back-thigh angle should be 90 degrees, the thigh-leg angle should be 90 degrees, and the leg-foot angle should be 90 degrees.
What health issues can a bad posture lead to?
Health problems range from discomfort, minor aches and pains to more serious medical conditions like cervical spondylitis.
What are the right specifications for office furniture?
There are two basic principles for selecting the right furniture for any Indian office:
- The furniture should be designed keeping in mind the Indian body dimensions. Imported furniture / local-make furniture is generally not best-suited.
- The product must be tested for its durability and quality (a non-ergonomically designed chair will impact the user over a period of time, however a badly designed bad quality chair might break and have an immediate impact on the health and wellness of the employee resulting in injury.
Many people are now suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). What is it and how can it be prevented?
Carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS is a painful hand and arm condition which is caused due to pinched nerves in one’s wrist. There is an increasing number of cases of CTS in India in the last few years and is impacting the productivity of organisations and individuals. There are a few simple techniques which can be deployed by the employees to avoid CTS:
- Avoid continuous working with the mouse/keyboard beyond 30 minutes at a stretch (take health breaks).
- Learn simple wrist exercises and practise them regularly.
- Do not delay the visit to a doctor/expert in case you detect early signs of CTS and implement modifications/changes as suggested.
Can you give some tips to avoid improper ergonomics?
- Don’t sit in a slouching position as it can lead to MSDs and cause recurring pain, numbness, tingling and stiffness of various muscles.
- If you use a laptop stand, use an external keyboard for typing as the raised stand can cause wrist problems over prolonged use.
- Don’t sit on the edge of the seat. Make use of the back support of the chair to avoid strain on back muscles and ligaments.
- If you lean to the front you will notice your feet drifting back to the base of your chair; you may even be tucking your feet under the chair. Avoid doing this as it leaves your feet without any support and also restricts blood circulation.
- Take periodic health breaks to move around and stretch yourself. A still posture reduces blood flow to the muscles and increases fatigue and can also lead to numbness and pain.
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