Avoiding Back Pain Injuries In the Workplace
Aside from the common cold, neck and back pain related injuries are the most frequent reasons people take time off of work.
The majority of injuries that occur in the workplace can easily be avoided through education and practicing safe working habits. With this knowledge, we should feel empowered to change these statistics to keep our workplace environments productive and thriving.
Talking Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of work and it’s environment and using the right equipment to be as safe and productive as the individual can. In an office environment, ergonomics can help set up your workspace to best fit you, increasing your comfort level, lowering the chance of a workplace injury, while increasing your productivity.
Ergonomic Workstation Habits:
- Position the monitor (or computer screen) so it is just below eye level.
- Keep your head and neck balanced and in line with your torso – Stop slouching.
- While working, keep your shoulders relaxed and your elbows close to your body supported by your chair’s armrest. If your chair doesn’t have an armrest, request a new chair.
- Most modern day chairs have a lumbar support dial; adjust this to provide support to your lower back and reduce your chance of lower back pain.
- When typing, do not use the keyboard wrist rest, this is to be used when not typing. Your feet should be flat on the floor in your workstation.
- Periodically, about once an hour, stand up and stretch and take a walk around the office get your blood flowing. This helps to relieve tension in the neck and other muscles in the body.
Advantages to an ergonomic office setup
- Reduced headaches, eyestrain, and muscle strain
- Reduced stiffness and soreness in your neck and back
- Lowered chance of chronic injury of the neck and back
- Minimized Injuries from repetitive tasks, such as bursitis, tendonitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome<