The Good Guide To Office Ergonomics

The office environment is making increasing demands on employers and employees alike.  Both have to contend with constant pressures for efficiency and productivity; the complexity and choice of equipment and furniture available.  The new British and International Standards to which these are expected to conform;  and greater emphasis is being placed on health and saftety requirements.

Comfortable office seating, correctly used, makes an essential contribution to a healthy and productive working life.

The following information contains an explanantion of the importance of correct sitting posture and the physical problems that incorrectly designed seating can cause.

The incidence of back pain has dramatically increased even in the last 10 years and may well continue to grow.  Not only do back problems result in back pain and discomfort, they represent a huge cost to the economy.  Back pain is the single most important cause of occupational ill health and absence from work in the UK today.

A pain in the back - back to basics

As many sufferers will be all too aware, back pain can be difficult to treat and recovery can be slow.  If you've already suffered from one bout of backache, you are 10 times more likely to suffer another one than somebody who has never suffered from the problem. 

Problems caused by sitting in an office chair

For many people who work in an office setting, sitting in an office chair without adequate back support can create a great deal of stress on the lower back.  This is largely because in the seated position, the lumbosacral discs are loaded three times more than standing, and sitting without back support usually leads to poor posture, which stresses the soft tissues and joints in the spine.  For many people, sitting in an office chair either causes or exacerbates lower back pain.

When sitting in an office chair, shifting one's weight forward increases stress on the soft tissue, joints and discs, and this in turn can create muscle tension and pain in the lower back and legs (e.g. sciatica).

Lumbar back support is important for an office chair

The lower portion of the spine, just above the buttocks, naturally curves inward toward the belly (the lordotic curve).  A lumbar back support helps promote good posture by simply filling the gap between the lumbar spine and the seat, supporting the natural inward curve of the lower back.

Without lumbar back support, it's more difficult to maintain the correct posture - and the lumbar spine and large muscles in the lower back have to work harder to support the proper curvature and alignment.  Over time, as the body tires, the muscles holding the spine in such a position tend to become weak, and the head and the upper back tend to lean forward in the office chair.

With good lumbar back support from the office chair, the muscles surrounding the spine are relieved of the responsibility of having to keep the spine naturally curved.  This support is especially important when seated for a long period.

Positioning an office chair for back support

In addition to lower back support, there are many simple ways to make sure that one's chair provides the right support for the back and neck.  For example, for computer users:

• The office chair should have elbow supports to avoid strain on the neck.  Elbows should be able to comfortably rest on the elbow supports at a right angle.
• Knees should be bent at a right angle, with a footrest if necessary to elevate the feet while sitting in the chair.
• Eyes should be able to look straight ahead at the computer whilst seated in the office chair and ideally your pc should be as glare-free as possible.  This may mean positioning the monitor so that the overhead lighting and sunlight are not reflecting on the screen.

Workstation ergonomics

Look at the positioning of your pc.  Guidelines suggest that the monitor should be positioned approximately 12-30 inches away from your eyes.

A good guide to positioning is to place the monitor about an arm's length away.  The top of the screen should be roughly at eye level. 

Ideally your screen shoud be as glare-free as possible.  This may mean positioning the monitor so that the overhead lighting and sunlight are not reflecting on the screen.  Try positioning the monitor so that it is at right angles to the window.

Experiement with your monitor until you find the best position.  You may need to move your desk slightly or close the blinds.  If glare continues to be a problem, try using an anti-glare screen.  Adjusting the brightness or contrast could make a big difference.

At Jills Office Solutions, we have a range of ergonomic workstations and specialist back chairs on display for demonstration purposes.