Healthy work at the screen
Frequent and prolonged work at a computer screen can lead to neck and headaches, burning eyes or pain in the shoulders, arms and hands. This does not have to be the case.
Poorly designed workplaces can cause physical discomfort. This problem can be found in all industries and in all kinds of workplaces, whether at machines, on the assembly line, behind the counter, in assembly or in the office at the computer screen. The longer one works at a computer screen, the higher the risk of complaints. Eye burning, neck pain, headaches or pain in the shoulders, arms and hands are the most common complaints mentioned by the people affected.
Neck and shoulder pain
With neck tension, the screen is often set too high or positioned too sideways. Even jamming the telephone receiver between the ears and shoulders is not conducive. Shoulder discomfort is also often due to tables and chairs set too high or too low. This causes the shoulders to be pulled up when working. Having the mouse and keyboard too far away from the body leads to an unhealthy extension arm posture, which can cause strain. Elbow and wrist discomfort may be due to a mouse that is too large. This should fit the size of the hand. In addition, a mouse speed that is set too slowly can lead to wrist movements that trigger complaints. The mouse speed should therefore be set to "fast".
Back and eye complaints
Back complaints are often due to the fact that documents to be processed are placed directly in front of the upper body or next to the keyboard. This leads to a bent back. Armrests are also triggers for back complaints: If you lean on an armrest while sitting, this leads to a crooked posture. Eye complaints occur when working at a computer screen for too long at a stretch and when the lighting is also unfavorable. Regularly looking into the distance relieves the eye. To moisten the eyes, conscious closing of the eyelids helps. Standard progressive spectacles should not be worn when working at a computer screen. They restrict the field of vision too much. Since the area of progressive lenses for reading tends to be at the bottom, a natural head posture is hardly possible. This leads to neck problems. Glasses specially designed for VDU work are therefore the better solution.
Ergonomics and well-being
Physical complaints affect the performance of the employees concerned and cause lost working hours. All of this puts a strain on the income statement of the individual companies. Ergonomic workplaces have a great influence on the well-being of employees. The importance of ergonomic workstation design increases with the duration of use. The longer the time spent working at a computer screen, the more attention must be paid to getting the details right. The correct positioning of table, chair, screen and keyboard takes only a few minutes, but has a great effect.
Quality and productivity
If the work design meets people's needs, the physical strain is less and employees tire less quickly. In addition, motivation increases. Both have a positive effect on quality and performance as well as on productivity. In addition to ergonomic furnishings, posture, movement and interruptions to work also prevent complaints. In the best case scenario, sitting, standing and walking activities alternate. Ideally, the workload should be divided as follows: 60 percent sitting, 30 percent standing and 10 percent walking.
Costs and amortization
If ergonomics is already taken into account during the planning and new installation of workplaces, there are usually no or only very modest additional costs. However, if existing work equipment and workplaces have to be upgraded due to ergonomic deficiencies, this usually involves costs. But even in this case, the necessary investments are usually quickly amortized. This is because the ergonomic design of work usually brings considerable savings through the aforementioned reduction in the number of illnesses and accidents as well as performance increases thanks to healthier and more motivated employees.
Source: Suva
