Thanks to the increasing popularity of Apple’s iPad, tablets, in general, are being seen in the business and student world as THE number one tool for marketing, business communication, reading or even interactive learning. The tablet is considered by the majority of the population as a must have item to present information, design or communicate more effectively and from anywhere with ease – so much so that issues surrounding injury due to poor posture while using the tablet are overlooked.
Thankfully, professionally certified ergonomists (Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomists in Canada and Certified Professional Ergonomists in the United States) have recognized these painful issues and are bringing them to the forefront. The hot topic has been brought up in numerous articles and forums on Ergoweb and EWI Works blogged about it when the iPad hit the market (see “pros and cons of the iPad”)
Recently, on April 18th, OHS Canada published a great article on the subject, “iPain in the Neck“ and if you’ve been wondering about the impact of using a tablet, it’s a recommended read. Written by Ann Ruppenstein, you will find the opinions of certified ergonomists, such as Dan Robinson of Robinson Ergonomics Inc., on considerations for the use of a tablet. This great think piece does not dismiss the usefulness of the tablet, but does discuss the implications of how the tablet is used and how often.
As with every piece of business technology and furniture, developed to make our lives easier, there are a lot of pros and, if used properly, does not have to lead to cons such as pain, discomfort or injury. If you want to introduce the tablet to your organization, contact EWI Works for more information on what you need to know to be able to use this highly portable computer properly!
