Importance of Ergonomic Office Fitout Furniture

If you ask any employee, their number one priority while working will almost always be comfort, which ultimately leads to increased productivity. Understandably, finding comfortable solutions that aren’t your bed or couch can be difficult, especially for work. However, there are some small changes you can make to your office space that will improve comfort levels tremendously. Enter, office ergonomics. For those who are unaware, ergonomics refers to the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment, keeping in mind the capabilities and limitations of the worker. Below are some reasons as to why ergonomic office fitout furniture is important and how you can implement ergonomics into your office space.

Reduce Pain and Prevent Injury

Believe it or not, having an ergonomic office fitout is one of the best ways to prevent workplace related injuries and chronic pain. If employees are sitting the wrong way at work for hours on end, they become susceptible to developing a repetitive motion injury, which is a type of musculoskeletal condition that can be developed when a group of muscles is overworked or constantly strained. If workers develop one of these conditions, it can lead to months of expensive physical therapy sessions and even time off work, which can have an impact on productivity. However, the risk of developing these conditions can be reduced by taking the time to develop an ergonomic office fitout. For example, making sure an employee’s computer screen is in line with their eyes to reduce neck craning, which overtime can lead to chronic pain and injury.

Increased Productivity

As workers, we all look for ways to increase our productivity, something that can sometimes seem impossible. Luckily, ergonomic furniture has a positive correlation to productivity as it eliminates the need for unnecessary movement and awkward working positions. Without discomfort while working, employees have the capacity to work for longer periods of time and produce high quality work. In addition, absence of pain and discomfort while working leads to employees associating feelings of positivity with work and in turn, they’ll notice increased morale in the workplace.

Cost Effective

In any business, the idea of saving money is always attractive, especially if it involves improving the workplace at the same time. Contrary to what many believe, ergonomic office fitout furniture is affordable for businesses. While, yes, an ergonomic office fit out can initially be more expensive than a regular office fitout (depending on what brand you choose), it can save businesses some money in different areas.

As mentioned before, having an ergonomic office fitout plays a huge part in decreasing risk of workplace related injury, which means that workers are less likely to make workplace compensation claims. Research has shown that workplace compensation claims have decreased dramatically in businesses where there is ergonomic friendly office furniture, which means the costs in the claims themselves decrease. As a result, this also leads to lowering administrative costs that go into addressing and paying the claims.

How Can I improve My Office Ergonomics?

Improving the ergonomics in your office space is simpler than you might think and involves just a few small changes and purchases to ensure you and your employees are comfortable. Making a workplace ergonomic friendly involves setting up desks, computers and chairs so that they flow with the body’s natural movements.

• Purchase chairs and desks that support your feet and arms
• Position your keyboard and mouse close to the front of the desk
• Make sure your computer screen sits at eye level to reduce neck strain
• Purchase ergonomic accessories such as footrests, laptop lifts and wrist rests to offer an extra level of support.