ERGONOMICS
Ergonomics has a wide application to everyday domestic situations, but there are even more significant implications for efficiency, productivity, safety and health in work settings. For example:
The multi-disciplinary nature of ergonomics (sometimes called ‘Human Factors’) is immediately obvious. The ergonomist works in teams, which may involve a variety of other professions: design engineers, production engineers, industrial designers, computer specialists, industrial physicians, health and safety practitioners, and specialists in human resources. The overall aim is to ensure that our knowledge of human characteristics is brought to bear on practical problems of people at work and in leisure. We know that, in many cases, humans can adapt to unsuitable conditions, but such adaptation leads often to inefficiency, errors, unacceptable stress, and physical or mental cost.
An ergonomically good environment is not only health and safety compliant but also leads to improved efficiency and employee satisfaction. FIRA senior ergonomist Levent Çaglar explains why it needs a holistic approach. There is significant scope for organisations to improve efficiency, health and safety and employee satisfaction by applying ergonomics in the working environment. Ergonomically designed workplaces, equipment and jobs aim to modify the environment to meet people's needs. There are many such needs within the office environment. The preliminary requirement for office furniture is that it is safe and stable and does not expose users to the foreseeable risk of injury. To achieve this, the furniture must comply with the appropriate European or British standards for structural strength, safety and stability. Workstations and chairs – a holistic approach The worksurface of a desk should be large enough to accommodate all equipment and paperwork in an arrangement acceptable to the user. As different jobs require different equipment, it is not possible to produce a generic ideally sized desk. Therefore, desk design should be modular to allow expansion or reduction as task demands change. The shape should fit the anatomy of people - people's arms move in an arc, for example. In other words, desks that curve around the user allow comfortable access to a larger area. Wave fronted desks achieve this better than L-shaped workstations. The dimensions for desks are given in BS EN 527 part 1 (Office Furniture - work tables and desks: dimensions) and BS EN ISO 9241 part 5 (Ergonomic requirements for office work with VDTs - workstation layout and postural requirements). The height of the desk should be suitable for everyone who is required to use the workstation. If the desk is non-adjustable, a height of 720mm can accommodate 90 per cent of the population. However, shorter users would require a footrest to enable them to achieve a satisfactory working posture. A height adjustable desk (from 660mm to 900mm) can accommodate everyone without a footrest. As the majority of office tasks today involve the use of a visual display unit (VDU), the depth of the worksurface should be great enough to ensure that the user is not too close to the display screen. This is known as the eye to monitor distance. The optimum eye to monitor distance for a small (15 inch) monitor in the seated position is 600mm. However, users have different preferences and distances between 450mm and 750mm are acceptable. As the screen size increases so does the eye to monitor distance. The minimum depth of the surface will, therefore, depend upon the preferred eye to monitor distance of the user and the type of monitor. Conventional CRT screens require a much deeper desk than flat screens. Flat screens do not mean that the desk depth can be reduced, however, because people still have legs that need to be accommodated. There should also be an additional space of 100mm in front of the keyboard for users to rest their wrists. For seated work, sufficient clearance between the underside of the worksurface and the floor and between the legs of the worksurface is needed. This allows the user to change position to maintain comfort levels and eases the use of VDU equipment and associated tasks because there is room for thighs, knees, lower legs and feet. BS EN 527 part 1 states that to achieve this, the user should be provided with a clear width of not less than 600mm beneath the worksurface, a clear depth of not less than 600mm from the front edge of the worksurface and a vertical space of not less than 650mm from the floor. However, these are only the minimum dimensions and larger clearances are preferable to give greater freedom of movement. The very nature of office work can result in people spending prolonged periods of time in the seated position. It is vital, therefore, that any seat provides stable bodily support in a position that is comfortable over a period of time, physiologically satisfactory and appropriate to the task or activity. The main requirements for
an office seat are that: BS EN 1335 part 1 (Office furniture Æ office work chair: dimensions) specifies requirements for various aspects of office seating such as height, depth and width, and dimensions of backrests and armrests. However, it is acknowledged that seating comfort is a complex matter, which involves more than just supplying a chair that fulfils these criteria. The chair cannot be considered in isolation. It must always be considered in conjunction with the worksurface and the tasks being undertaken. If the user's work is varied, involving frequent changes in position such as walking from office to office, the posture changes allow muscles to alternate between states of tension and relaxation alleviating the pressure on spinal discs. For some workers, however, whose daily tasks require sitting in a relatively static position for extended periods respite for muscles and spinal discs is not so easily achieved. This is highlighted in the instance of VDU workers where the workstation equipment determines the person's posture. For example, the position of the operator's arms, hands and the distance he or she can sit from the desk is dictated by the position of the keyboard and the arrangement of equipment. There is limited opportunity for them to change position at their desk whilst still being able to complete their task. There is some clinical evidence that constrained postures such as these contribute to adverse health issues like back pain. It is essential, therefore, that predominantly desk-based office workers have an adjustable chair , which allows plenty of posture changes. Adjustment should be possible to the backrest, seat and backrest height and the degree of seat tilt by controls that are easily reached from the seated position and operable without excessive force. It is counter productive to have a chair with numerous complicated controls which users do not know how to adjust, adjust incorrectly or simply do not bother with. People should be educated to know why, when and how to make adjustments. The importance of keeping moving Advice for office workers and their managers on problems associated with undesirable working postures should concentrate on prevention rather than cure. The current view is that it is much better for people to alternative between sitting and standing postures during their work rather than remain seated. Desks that are adjustable up to 1200mm in height enable users to work whilst standing and this should be encouraged. Why not consider having meetings standing up at a high desk? Meetings with participants standing tend not to drag on Æ they finish fairly quickly! Regular exercise at the workplace can reduce the ill effects of sitting down for long periods. Periodically stretching the whole body and getting up and walking across the office are beneficial. Office jobs should also be designed to discourage workers from carrying out the same tasks all day and instead allow tasks with different mental and physical demands to be alternated. People should take frequent short breaks before they become fatigued, avoiding discomfort, monotony, error and inefficiency. Some call centres in particular have recently attracted media attention of failing to appreciate that their employees need to take breaks. If the aim is to enable people to work more efficiently be creative, healthy and happy then modification of workplaces and jobs that encourage changes in posture cannot be ignored. Lighting, heating and colour all contribute to a good environment As well as the physical factors within the office environment, lighting and temperature can also influence workers' health, comfort and performance. The lighting of an area should ensure that people can function safely, optimise the perception of visual information, maintain an appropriate level of performance and provide acceptable visual comfort. The recommended lighting level for general office work is approximately 500 lux , which is suitable for VDU operation. Other areas of offices, such as walkways, require higher lighting levels. Additional lighting at workstations may be needed, which can be provided by individual task lighters. As well as adequate lighting, problems caused by glare should be minimised. Glare, that is an unsuitable distribution of light from either windows or artificial lights, causes discomfort and a potential reduction in the ability to see details or objects. Protection against glare from the sun or surfaces exposed to the sun should be provided by curtains, blinds or windows treatments. However, it should be remembered that windows are essential in maintaining visual contact with the outside and should not be permanently excluded! Glare from artificial light sources should be addressed by positioning suitable lights or reorienting the workstation. It is accepted that thermal conditions at the workstation directly influence the comfort and performance of users - BS EN 9241 part 6: ergonomic requirements for office work with VDTs; workstation layout and postural requirements; guidance on the work environment. Recommended operative temperatures depend mainly on the activity level and clothing of the person. The suggested temperature for sedentary office work is between 19 and 23 degrees C with no more than a five-degree difference between floor and seated height as this, combined with draughts, can significantly reduce thermal comfort. The air in the office should not be stale or too dry. The relative humidity in an office should be between 40 and 60 per cent. Because of individual preferences, it is not always possible to provide a thermal environment, which satisfies everyone even if all are wearing the same clothing and perform the same activity. It is advisable, therefore, that temperatures are maintained to the approval of 90 per cent of the workers. The use of colour within the office can promote concentration, prevent deterioration in performance, reduce errors and relax stress situations. Although no specific colours have been conclusively found to achieve this, it is generally accepted that walls should be brighter than the floor and ceilings brighter than the walls. For large surfaces and as background colour, pale shades are preferable. However, when the work is of a monotonous nature, stimulating colours (in small doses) should be introduced.
For over half a century, FIRA has driven the need for higher standards through testing, research and innovation for the furniture and allied industries. New and better materials, improved processes and appropriate standards have been developed to enhance the quality of furniture and assist manufacturers and retailers to become more competitive. Information on our members' products can be found on this site in the 'search' section. A non-government funded organisation, FIRA is supported by all sections of the industry through the furniture industry research association, ensuring ongoing research programmes, which bring benefits to all. With unrivalled support from across the whole industry, FIRA also has the influence and capability to help shape legislation and regulations. FIRA is recognised internationally as being at the leading edge, with world-class technology and unparalleled industry knowledge. The FIRA Ergonomics Unit carries out risk assessments to help companies comply with health and safety regulations. Identifying problems and offering ergonomics solutions not only ensures regulatory compliance but also increases efficiency and productivity. Ergonomics advice in furniture specification and selection and the planning of office layouts is also available. Last year the FIRA Ergonomics Excellence award was introduced to give specifiers confidence that products marketed as 'ergonomic' meet genuine criteria. To gain the award, products must be appropriately designed in terms of safety, comfort and well-being. They must also comply with health and safety regulations and meet or exceed the minimum European, British and FIRA standards on ergonomics. In addition, the manufacturer must have a quality management system and an environmental policy. |
ERGONOMICS IN THE OFFICE
Why
is the video recorder one of the most frustrating domestic items
to operate? Why do some car seats leave you aching after a long
journey? Why do some computer workstations confer eyestrain and
muscle fatigue? Such human irritations and inconveniences are not
inevitable – ergonomics is an approach, which puts human
needs and capabilities at the focus of designing technological
systems. The aim is to ensure that humans and technology work in
complete harmony, with the equipment and tasks aligned to human
characteristics. 
Designing
equipment and systems including computers, so that they are easier
to use and less likely to lead to errors in operation – particularly
important tin high stress and safety-critical operations such as
control rooms. 
