Think about how many hours you spend sitting down in front of a computer. For most of us, it’s more than we would like to admit. Investing in a healthy workstation setup goes a long way when it comes to increasing your comfort and efficiency when using a computer at work.
After all, a safe and healthy working environment is a productive working environment. Many organisations, regardless of the size of their business, strive towards creating an ergonomically healthy work space for all of their employees. Using poor ergonomic practices and not investing in the correct equipment and supplies can lead to lower productivity and physical injury.
No matter how your office is designed, it is the enterpriser’s responsibility to ensure each employee is using the correct ergonomics in the workplace. All the interior design, fancy chairs, desks, equipment is not going to help an employee who slouches or slumps awkwardly at their desk, which is why we recommend purchasing office furniture that is going to improve the lifestyle of your office groups.
5 Ways to Improve Workstation Ergonomics
Good Working Posture
Whether your employees are working in a factory or in a corporate office, the first priority to establishing healthy workstations is ensuring your employees maintain a well-structured posture at their computer desk. Good posture is more than finding a comfortable position that feels and looks right, it’s about sitting or standing in a neutral body position with a relaxed posture that requires no stressful angles or excessive reaching to complete tasks.
Office workers should sit with hands, wrists, and forearms straight and inline parallel to the floor. The head should be level, facing forward with no turn to the left or right, and be in line with the torso.
Invest In an Ergonomic Office Chair
If you spend most of the day sitting at a desk, it is important you use an ergonomic chair that offers various adjustments and settings to support your posture. The best office chairs have adjustable height, armrest, lumbar support, and seat pan depth settings.
One of the most important tips for adjusting your office chair is ensuring that your feet touch the floor, it doesn’t matter how well the chair is adjusted, if you do not sit in it properly you will not receive the benefits. Even the best chairs may not work with certain individuals with disabilities and requirements, so be sure to test a few chairs out and ensure that the chair accommodates you and your lifestyle.
Correct Display and Height Distance
Eye strain is common among workers who spend a majority of their day looking at computer monitors. Therefore It is recommended that monitors and devices are placed and adjusted at an eye level with the individual, as viewing your screen should not take straining or squint of the eyes.
Individuals should not be required to turn their necks to the left, right, up, or down to view a display. This applies to individuals with the conventional single monitor and power users employing multiple displays as well.
Maintain Physical Activity 
One of the most important tips for office workers is for them to get up and move around maintaining their physical activity to give themselves a break from their everyday coworking spaces. It is recommended that once an hour workers should stand up from their workstations and take a few minutes to walk around, whether it is getting a drink, visiting the breakout space provided, looking out of the window, or taking a toilet break.
Remaining in the same position every day can cause strains and become highly effective to someones mental health. Alternating tasks, incorporating several rest breaks, hot desking, stretching, or even working from home and doing simple exercises can improve the productivity of the workforce throughout the working area, which is why break out areas are so essential for informal meetings.
Positive Working Environment 
One of the key factors in ensuring you remain healthy at your workstation is the overall working environment. Making sure that employees receive the correct amount of lighting, temperature, humidity, and conveniences are ergonomic essentials.
Lighting should not cause glare on computer screens, meaning workplaces should be equipped with softer light systems. Lighting that is good for reading printed material is not necessarily the best lighting for computer displays. Temperature settings are a bit trickier due to each individual preferring different, yet every attempt to be made to maintain a temperature that is comfortable for as many people as possible to improve the health and safety within a working environment.
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Recap of 5 Ways to Improve Workstation Ergonomics
- Good Working Posture
- Invest in a Good Ergonomic Office Chair
- Correct Display and Height Distance
- Maintain Physical Activity
- Positive Working Environment
Maintaining Healthy Work Spaces
Whether it is your office desk in the office environment, or your home office desk it is important to ensure you are positioned comfortably in order to produce good work. Investing in office furniture that is going to ensure your employees work at a healthy station can have a huge effect on the success of your organisation, improving productivity, efficiency, and mental and physical health of your employees.
Think Office Work Spaces
At Think Office Furniture we supply the highest quality modern office desks, corner desks, chairs for office breakout areas, meeting rooms, and offices, to encourage the health and wellbeing of individuals throughout the workplace.
If you would like to find out more information on how our products can help enforce healthy workstations throughout your business then please do get in touch, and we will be more than happy to help.
Looking to invest in a breakout area in your office working space? Discover our guide to How Important Breakout Furniture is to your Office Space.