Cramming staff in like cattle with cheap equipment and little thought of their comfort will not, as some bosses seem to think, maximise profits. William Ellison explains the benefits of an ergonomic approach
A workplace injury isn’t something that happens only to the horny-handed toilers of the shop floor. The office can be just as dangerous as a factory. For example, when you sit at your desk, do you have a sore back? Do you have a pain running down from your shoulder? The most likely explanation is that your posture is wrong because you are sitting hunched forward.
But how someone sits is just part of the problem. The height of the desk and of the chair in relation to the desk both make a difference, as do the position of the computer and its components, the monitor’s brightness, the working environment and the type of work being carried out. Constant repetition of the same action is also not good.
Ergonomics is more than just a buzzword to allow consultants to charge a fortune for turning a desk 51/4 closer to the window. It is the study of humans in relation to the working environment: the adaptation of machines and conditions to fit the individual so that he or she may work at maximum efficiency.
More than just layout
David Hallett of King Sturge says that it would be misleading to think that ergonomics is just about office layout – the overall design of the building is important. Open-plan offices are in vogue: they create good-quality environments and are more efficient. The appearance and feel of the building are important in attracting not only investors and tenants but also quality staff.
The British Council for Offices has recently published a guide to good ergonomic practice, Best Practice for Offices. Alan McKenzie of architect Sheppard Robson, speaking on behalf of the BCO, says: “This is not based on fashion, but relates to good practice in the workplace. It is evident that by following guidelines, office workers can avoid injury and ill health.”
For the information of dyed-in-the-wool cost-controlling bosses, £11m a year is lost to back and spinal injuries alone. For thosewho think that ergonomics will be here today and gone tomorrow, a swift search on the internet produced half-a-million returns for the term.
The Americans can be thanked for its rise, just as they can be thanked for making the UK much more litigious. And although early legal cases of repetitive strain injury failed, many similar cases are now being settled out of court to keep back the flood.
Peter Hall of Chesterton says: “It has hit the headlines in terms of work. If people are not shown the right techniques for lifting, it can end their working life. Days lost through industrial injuries are considerable. In the office with many different workstations, there is the potential for injury. There are several reasons for paying attention: legal, financial and moral. Nowadays people are very aware of US-oriented litigation.”
However, it would be impossible to transform an office overnight. The cost alone would be staggering. Trevor Wright of Connaught says: “An ergonomic seat will make you sit properly but the cost can put people off. In business, cost is always the bottom line – but it depends on how you evaluate your staff’s productivity.”
Two issues: human and business
Wright believes that there are two issues involved: the human and the business. The human issue relates to the happiness of the workforce, while the business consideration relates to how happy workers are in the place of business. “A happy workforce is a cost-effective workforce,” he says.
But hitting the right balance is a problem, says Wright. Where space is costly, as in central London, the inclination will be to cram in as many people as possible to achieve the best value for money.
Call centres are proving to be the testing ground for ergonomics. The average building is designed to be used for only a set number of hours a day and is normally given the night off to allow the dust to settle. This means that after eight to 10 hours of activity, with computers, fax machines, air-conditioning units churning away, the building is allowed to cool down and recuperate.
Kelvin Williams of health and safety specialist National Britannic says that a lot of problems are associated with air quality. “Take an office full of VDUs, where no-one is considering the services. A reduction in humidity raises the heat, leading to dry throats, sore eyes and dry skin. If the ventilation is bad, carbon dioxide is allowed to build up, making people feel sleepy and creating sore heads,” says Williams. “The air quality gets steadily worse the longer the building is used and not allowed to recover. Call centres are a 24-hour operation.”
Wright adds that it is not natural to have people in close proximity. People need space. “You have to look at the factors around that,” he says. “You have to enhance the environment of the people staring at screens and the noise levels. People are more used to the single-office concept and the decibel ratings are based on the partition system.”
Watch that radiation
The little things count: keeping down radiation levels from computers, the correct level of lighting, headsets for telephones. McKenzie adds that new ways of working include convenient vending zones for refreshment, breakout spaces and lounges to allow the mind to rest.
There should also be places to exercise, which not only provide circulatory benefits but also help to relieve eyes from computers and the monotony of paper tasks. “The workplace will become more effective and productive by improving the environment,” says McKenzie.
Wright adds: “Unfortunately, there is a long way to go with the education of the business leader. If you look at the churn volume at call centres, unless the environment is comfortable, people will leave. Employers have to see the benefits in retaining staff. There are hidden costs if they are lost, such as the cost of training new staff. If the correct investment is made at the start, the staff will stay.”
Hall agrees: “Not enough employers take it seriously,” he says. The way forward, he believes, is through education. “Some people are not receptive – they believe they have never had an accident in the workplace, but that does not mean it has not happened. The message has to be positive. People have to understand the workplace can be dangerous.”
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Upper limb disorders |
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A preventive management approach |
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Good ergonomic practice can do much to prevent upper limb disorders, formerly known as repetitive strain injuries. ULDs cost 4.2m working days a year in the UK alone. The Health & Safety Executive has published a guide for employers, Upper Limb Disorders in the Workplace, which states that managers should: ” understand the issues, such as how ULDs occur and what they are; ” create the right environment for dealing with ULD problems; ” assess the risk of ULDs in the workplace; ” reduce the risk of ULDs occurring; ” educate and inform employees; ” manage any incidents; ” do regular audits on ULD prevention programmes. |
