Since many people spend eight and more hours daily working at their office and sitting at their desks, the problem of workplace design suitable and convenient for everyone is quite a topical one. Ergonomics deals with these problems since it studies workplace environment efficiency (Monarch Basics). Ergonomics helps design workspaces in a way that will make people who work there feel comfortable and help in reducing their tiredness.
Ergonomic reorganization of the offices has become popular among the interior designers not so long ago. The subject is highly topical nowadays because more and more employers start to pay attention to their employees’ health conditions as well as to seek additional and non-evident ways of enhancing their productivity. Apart from that, the ergonomic organization of the workplace contributes to the decrease of work-related health issues and diseases people may have because of long-lasting staying in the same position. That is why furniture and interior designers and constructors promote the idea of workplace ergonomics implementation and study its benefits and possible disadvantages.
More and more companies nowadays start thinking about creating ergonomic offices, mainly because of the specific furniture design that decreases the probability of emergence of health issues caused by spending much time in the sitting position. The most simple and, at the same time, the most common example of ergonomic furniture is a chair that enables the worker to stay in the ideal upright position (Monarch Basics). It also supports the spine, neck, shoulders, and hips and may be properly adjustable to any body type.
When compared to a standard workplace organization, ergonomic offices have several significant advantages. First of all, their design and construction of the furniture physically support the employees and protect them from work-related injuries and other negative health impacts (Monarch Basics). Previous research on ergonomics state that it also enhances the productivity of the workers since good postures, fewer motions, and appropriate heights of the furniture help them not distract during the work process (Middlesworth). Moreover, since people working in the ergonomic offices feel less tired and exhausted because of bad posture and poor health conditions, the quality of their work performance increases as well. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the possible difficulties that may emerge after the implementation of workplace ergonomics. Thus, managers should consider its influence on the company’s revenues and costs to see whether ergonomics helps increase the former and reduce the latter.
The present research is devoted to the development of the ergonomic workplace design and furniture that will fit ninety-five percent of workers. The study will be based on factual data concerning the average weight and height of the workers of an office. This information is needed to accurately calculate the characteristics of the ergonomic chairs and desks for the office. The novelty of the present research is expressed in the fact that it focuses on creating a complete workstation that will fit the majority of the workers. The study examines workplace modernization as a holistic process but not as the implementation of separate pieces of furniture. Thus, the research results may be applied to predict not only the efficiency of the implementation of ergonomic furniture in a particular office. They will also help find out the general efficiency of this practice and its impact on the health and general performance of the workers.
Works Cited
Middlesworth, Mark. “5 Proven Benefits of Ergonomics in the Workplace” ErgoPlus, Web.
Monarch Basics. “What Are the Benefits of an Ergonomic Office” Monarch Basics, Web.