You’ve heard this technical term floating around, especially here at VerticAlign since we’ve been so excited to start offering 1-to-1 ergonomics assessments.
What does the word “ergonomics” really mean? That’s what we’re here to uncover today.
When you break the word down, it’s composed of two parts: ergon (which means work) and nomics (which means law). So it literally means the work law around how you set up your workstation. Think about the fact that we spend 6-10 hours a DAY working and it becomes clear that we have to respect these natural laws.
That’s why in our ergonomic assessments and workshops we examine ALL the angles your body is forming at your workstation. Paying attention to your shoulder angle, wrist angle, and neck angle is critically important to a pain free set up. Part of this checkup is also evaluating your desk, monitor, laptop – all the pieces that support you throughout the work day.
Ergonomics is NOT a fancy term that is attached to good looking equipment that “might” have a lumbar curve. What makes a particular piece of equipment “ergonomic” is it’s adjustability points. The science of ergonomics is the science of adjusting a workstation that will fit to an individual body. Every person’s body angles are different, so the best kind of “ergonomic” equipment is the kind that can adjust to fit your body size.
Another piece of the pain-free-puzzle is to start including ergo breaks. Even when your workstation is ergonomically optimized, it’s still important to avoid immobility. Staying in the same position for hours on end is bad news! What’s a better idea? Taking 1-2 minute breaks throughout the day to do a posture friendly stretch! We provide suggestions for desk-friendly movements in our workshops and assessments.
At the end of the day, why should you care about ergonomics? Well, a study showed that implementation of an ergonomics program can reduce painful musculoskeletal disorders by over 60%…WOW! Watch the video and then contact us today to find the best solution for you and your team.
