Just how concerned should facility managers be about ergonomic work stations for the workers within their facilities? According to a recent study conducted by the Post Office Shop out of the United Kingdom, the answer is a resounding, "A great deal."
The Post Office Shop found that two out of every three respondents said that they were presently suffering from health- and safety-related ailments with back pain being biggest pain in the, um, butt. Forty percent of respondents said they deal with this condition on a continuous basis. Other common complaints had to do with foot and lower leg pain, 14%, wrist issues, 9%, and the need to sit less, 9%.
Move Around
While I am sure that we facility managers are aware of the need for ergonomic assessments for the folks that work in our buildings, I do believe we run the risk of not truly understanding just how debilitating sitting at a desk all day can be since we usually have to do more walking about than most modern workers to perform our responsibilities. This need for us to move around continues despite the prevalence of work order management software and other technologies that are making our jobs easier. Consider for example if your work can be done on-the-fly using mobility tools.
So how can facility managers improve the lots of their desk-bound brethren? Well, there are some simple steps we can all take to help keep our colleagues feeling fit, healthy and happy at work. The first thing that we need to do is realize that sitting and performing repetitive actions can be problematic. In fact, many people, including some at the Mayo Clinic, say that sitting is the new smoking because to sit too long each day can cause real damage and even lead to early deaths.
Be Pro-Active
Once we understand that something needs to be done, we facility managers can provide workstation ergonomic assessments for all of the employees at our facilities, and, when necessary support the installation of stand-up work stations along with other ergonomically-friendly solutions. Though there are initial costs to these solutions, money is saved in the long run through a decrease in sick-time taken, workman's comp, and lawsuits. Also, being so progressive in this area is an effective recruiting tool.
Finally, we need to make sure our organizations educate their employees. We all need to be taught to sit, stand, type, bend, pick up, look at computer monitors, and carry things using the proper posture at all times. Failure to do so often leads to lasting neck, shoulder, back, leg, arm and wrist problems.
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