34 office furniture
‘We must address these ergonomic design issues to prevent a generation that will be injured by the improper use of mobile technology’
In traditional office spaces, the Health and Safety Executive
provides guidance on the ergonomic design of computer work- places, including the relevant furniture. But for ‘office nomads’ working in a variety of places, no such clear-cut guidance exists. Walk into any coffee shop, airport, library or modern office
and you’ll see people sitting on poorly designed chairs, hunched over their devices. Their backs are rounded like turtle shells, their necks flexed forwards putting strain on the back muscles, shoulders and neck, restricting free blood flow to the brain. One new disorder has been named as a consequence of sus- tained and prolonged working with poor posture: ‘iPad neck’. Poor neck postures can also contribute to developing carpal
tunnel syndrome – a painful condition of the hand and fingers caused by compression of a major nerve. In the case of ‘iPad neck’, the median nerve is compressed as it exits the spine at the base of the neck and passes through the shoulders.
Incorporating new WOW into ergonomics
So what do we do to stop this? The answer is that in any new WOW design, any location and its office furniture needs to be designed to facilitate an ergonomic, neutral body posture. To combat the perils of sedentary work, employees should also be encouraged to change their posture frequently throughout the day. Cornell University has developed an ideal work pattern which calls for employees to:
•sit and work in neutral posture for 20 minutes •stand and work in a neutral posture for eight minutes •stretch and stroll around for two minutes •repeat this cycle throughout the working day
www.architectsdatafile.co.uk To realise the benefits and ensure they are protected,
employees need to be trained in ergonomics so that they learn how to maintain good posture. At the same time, ergonomic design strategies must be applied to every place in a building where an employee is likely to interact with technology. To encourage the adoption of office ergonomics on a wider
scale, the newly-established International Well Building Institute has launched the WELL building certification standard which gives credits for good ergonomic design and addresses issues of mental well-being. WELL is hailed as the world’s first building standard to focus
exclusively on human health and wellness. It sets performance requirements in seven categories relevant to health in the built environment – air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. Instead of meeting sustainability standards in build- ing design or construction, it does so from the perspective of the occupant. Ergonomic strategies are also being integrated into wellness
programmes run by HR departments, with organisations recognising that ergonomic designs can reduce physical and mental stress. While new WOW are here to stay, when these new methods
are also combined with good ergonomic designs the result is a healthy and productive workplace for all employees – which also delivers economic benefit to the organisation.
Alan Hedge is a professor in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University, USA.
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