Ensuring Work Health And Safety In The Office

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By Sarah Smith

workdeskWhen overseeing a business, it is unfortunately very common for employees to get injured. Whether that is a repetitive strain or a posture problem, there are steps that can be taken to avoid these kinds of situations altogether. With the proper healthy alternatives to the norm in place, the workplace can battle these kinds of issues.

The best way to avoid incorrect posture from occurring is by understanding how to achieve neutral posture in the office as this will ultimately prevent injuries from occurring. Neutral posture is when an individual sits in a comfortable way so that their joints are aligned natural. This will help lower the chances of the employee developing some sort of musculoskeletal disorder. Besides this, the employee should change their posture often. It does not matter how good the individual’s posture may be, sitting in any position for too long of a time is unhealthy. Ideally, the employee should switch up their posture roughly every 15 minutes. This can be done by simply changing the height of the chair being used or moving back a little bit more into the chair. Of course, getting up and moving around for a minute or two every hour will make a big difference too.

One item in particular that business owners should invest in is adjustable task chairs. These items are ideal for employees who do not get much movement throughout the day at work. Adjustable task chairs work by providing direct support to the workers, even throwing in the option of changing up their posture during their work shift. Additionally, adjustable task chairs are great for people who are working with an injury. That is because a lot of times injured employees may have difficulty fitting into a standard chair. These types of chairs, though, won’t have that kind of issue.

Similar to this, the way an office is designed can play a huge part in ensuring work health and safety. In fact, the equipment and furniture that makes up the office itself should be fully analyzed to figure out whether or not it creates risk factors. For instance, when arranging the shelves, the items that are constantly being used should be as close to the work area. This will prevent the likelihood of overhead reaching to occur. Then, if there are any office tasks that are repetitive like stamping dates onto envelopes or folding letters, invest in automated equipment. While some business owners may look at these types of machinery as another expense, it is definitely worth it to avoid the costs of workplace injuries.

Obviously injuries in the workplace is a serious matter that happens way too often. Thankfully, though, there are preventive measures that business owners can take to avoid posture problems and repetitive strain injuries from developing. Employees, and the workplace alike, do not have to be left feeling and looking vulnerable. Instead, be ready to expect the unexpected. There are plenty of ways to ensure both work health and safety in the office. One really good way to learn more about Workplace health and Safety is by taking a course through a provider like Rose Training. You can check out their website to learn more about the courses on offer.