Office professionals don’t normally have to wear protective gear to work. Nor do they have to lift heavy objects or operate dangerous machinery. On a relative scale, their risk of injury is low. Or is it?
Impossible to ignore
Companies often come up with multiple rationales for not pursuing ergonomic improvements. “It’s too expensive,” one business leader might say. Another: “We don’t need ergonomics. Our staff are healthy and happy enough.”
The problem with these excuses is that they don’t align with the facts. Business leaders who default to this stance do so in defiance of reality:
- Musculoskeletal diseases cost the Canadian economy upwards of $22 billion each year, with injuries costing an additional $15 billion (Source).
- MSDs are the number one type of lost-time work injury reported to the Workplace Safety Insurance Board in Ontario (Source).
- Musculoskeletal disorders and injuries account for almost a third of lost time to injuries (Source).
It’s a fact: sitting for a living raises people’s exposure to health risk.
Why ergonomics?
Ergonomics, according to the National Research Council of Canada, is “the application of scientific knowledge to the workplace in order to improve the well-being and efficiency of both the individual and the organization.” Put another way, ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the office worker as opposed to forcing the office worker’s body to fit the confines of the job.
Anecdotal reports and published facts point in the same direction: ergonomic improvements in businesses, far from being an unnecessary drain on finances, are relatively inexpensive and in time prove to be a powerful investment on a human level.
Healthy employees, supported by a management team that has made ergonomics a priority, are happier, more productive employees. According to a recent CareerBuilder survey discussed in Forbes magazine, almost 90 per cent of employees at companies committed to well-being initiatives are more likely to recommend their company as a good place to work.
Monitors are an obvious place to start for businesses looking to up their ergonomic game on behalf of the employees. Having a monitor in the wrong position, even just by a little bit, can lead to a variety of aches and pains in the eyes, neck and/or back.
Here are a few questions about employee monitors companies need to look at as they begin the process of improving ergonomics:
- Is the monitor directly in front of the employee? Employees shouldn’t need to turn to face their monitors. And the monitor shouldn’t be too high or low. The top of the monitor screen should ideally be directly at or just slightly below eye level.
- Is the monitor too close? Employees must be at least 1.5 feet away from the eyes to avoid eye strain or even long-term vision problems.
Employees should be able to use their monitor without straining or squinting or contorting their bodies into any awkward positions.
“Life is good” with LG monitors
LG’s has a reputation as a maker of best-in-class viewing experiences, with computer monitors built to match the unique needs of business.
The display quality of LG monitors serves to greatly reduce user eye strain. Other features, such as the Ergo Stand, which allows employees to adjust their display height as needed, go a long way toward preventing (or at least keeping at bay) neck and back issues.
Are you looking to increase your company’s commitment to your employees’ health and well-being? Take a look at LG’s range of ergonomically designed computer monitors.
