What Every Manager Should Know About Office Ergonomics

It’s the easiest way to improve your bottom line – that’s the first thing you need to know about office ergonomics. This isn’t just about improving employee comfort, but also the rewards that come with it.

What Every Manager Should Know About Office Ergonomics

Working effectively without being in pain or overtaxing the body allows staff to bring a higher level of focus to their work. This translates into better productivity and a happier workforce. Who could say no to that? You might be wondering why this is so crucial now. Didn’t people survive without ergonomics in the past? Firstly, we want to thrive, not just survive. And decades of research have now shown us the grave consequences of this lack of awareness. But, more importantly, the workplace has changed and continues to do so. The human body simply isn’t designed for everything the modern office job requires it to do. Office ergonomics is booming for that reason. You don’t want to be waiting for something to go wrong. With a little ergonomic know-how you can intervene and help your employees before something goes wrong.

This is what we teach in our Office Ergonomics Essentials course. Designed for managers, supervisors, team leads, and office safety specialists, this two-day interactive learning experience offers you everything you need to know about ergonomics and overseeing a productive, creative, and safe workplace. Ergonomics is like buckling up your seatbelt. It’s just part of the job, something you do in the present to prevent problems in the future.

Office Ergonomics Essentials: One Course, Everything You Need

The idea isn’t to eliminate the ergonomist. Rather it’s to recognize when an ergonomic assessment is needed and what you can do immediately while your employee waits to get one. As someone in a decision-making role, you need to be working from a place of knowledge when people bring in suggestions that may not turn out to be safe. This happens all the time with new office furniture. It sounds great in theory, but in practice those LEDs might be too bright for your open office and those desk add-ons might cause excessive bending and reaching. Spotting these issues or knowing the potential risks can save you thousands in overhead costs. All too often it plays out like this: a new piece of office furniture arrives to much excitement in the office. Over time, staff start experiencing discomfort leading to reduced productivity. Next, you hire an ergonomist to come in for an assessment. The ergonomist identifies a solution requiring modifying or replacing the furniture. The costs of all this are considerable, especially when a small investment in knowledge, like the Office Ergonomics Essentials, would’ve given you the tools you need to prevent this entire episode. The added benefit we offer in our course is training in the latest tools and EWI Works’ apps. This gives you the independence to stay up to date with emerging concerns and changes in workplace hazards.

Get Informed, Stay Up to Date

Ergonomic concerns often arise from something that seems harmless or even as a step forward. We all support environmental initiatives, such as increasing digitalization to cut down on wasting paper. As such, many people have been offered or encouraged to use multiple monitors at their desks. This is hands down one of the biggest causes of worker discomfort in recent years. It’s not inherently bad to use multiple monitors, but they need to be at the right height and angles to be safe. You should also know, for example, that it’s important for all of someone’s screens to be the same make and model. In Office Ergonomics Essentials we cover quick, simple stretches and break strategies as well, so you’re aware of how and when to rest the eyes, neck, and other sensitive areas.

Ergonomics is Here to Stay

Changes and new technologies shouldn’t be disruptive. With our help in designing those changes or putting controls in place, we can actually use these opportunities to optimize human performance. So, join us at Office Ergonomics Essentials. We have courses scheduled in Edmonton and Calgary, and are always open to coming to your city – let us know! Ergonomics is here to stay. Don’t get left behind. EWI Works offers many services that can improve your quality of life and health at work. Find out more about our Online Training, Services, and Resources. Follow us on Twitter for more updates and offers, or sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our homepage.