Did you know that your employees' health could be having a negative impact on your small business? If you haven't invested in the health of your employees, it's time to start!

More and more, employees are facing preventable health risks that are caused by the workplace. Luckily, many companies are taking notice and have decided to take a stand to help their employees. An important element of their approach is the implementation of ergonomics in the workplace.

So, what is Ergonomics? Ergonomics is the study and design of the most effective and healthy ways to work. By considering human abilities and limitations in the workplace, ergonomics work to eliminate any barriers that can have a negative effect on a worker's health.

Below you will discover how to introduce ergonomics in the workplace to improve your employee's health. In turn, you will learn how implementing ergonomics in the workplace can lead to improved employee work quality, productivity and engagement.

Creating an Ergonomic Workspace

Do you know how to set up an ergonomic workplace? Setting up an ergonomic environment begins with the employee's workspace. We want you to have a look around your office. Do you see that your employees are equipped with ergonomic office equipment? If they are, are your employees using it properly? Let's have a look at some office equipment that can help improve the health of your employees.

1. Ergonomic Chairs

A lot of office workers spend most of their time sitting in their office chair. Sitting for long periods of time can lead to an increase in body aches and pains. So, how can these health risks be minimized? Invest in an ergonomic chair. A good ergonomic chair is designed to provide better support and adjustability to employees. The chair should be adjusted so that the employee's feet can be placed on the ground with their knees at the same height as their hips. This will help improve employee posture and prevent back, leg, shoulder and neck pain.

2. Sit-Stand Workstation

To prevent employees from leading a sedentary lifestyle, we suggest the introduction of a sit-stand work station. Introducing this type of workstation will encourage employees to move more throughout the day. By alternating between sitting and standing positions, this will help reduce lower back and neck pain. It is recommended to alternate between sitting and standing positions every 30 minutes. It is important to communicate to employees the proper way to stand, because standing improperly can be just as detrimental to their health as sitting all day long. The proper standing position should encourage employees to stand with their feet hip distance apart keeping a small bend in their knees and low back.

3. The Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse

You may not realize this, but an improperly positioned computer monitor can result in neck and eye pain. Whether you are sitting or standing the monitor should be directly in front of the user - at least an arm's length away, and the users eye level should be near the top of the monitor. Since most of your employees are bound to be different heights, we suggest implementing an adjustable monitor stand. This will give your employees the ability to adjust the height of the monitor and avoid neck pain that is brought on from either looking up or down to the screen. Now let's look have a look at the keyboard and mouse. When these computer tools are improperly positioned employees will experience an increase in muscle pain. To avoid this muscle pain, the keyboard and mouse should be positioned in a way that allows employees to keep their elbows by their sides and their arms at a 90-degree angle.

Benefits of Ergonomics in the Workplace

Why is ergonomics important for your business? Creating an ergonomic workspace and introducing ergonomic office equipment is important because it represents a commitment to health and safety. This will lead to an increase in healthy employees, which will benefit your business. Let's have a look at three benefits of ergonomics in the workplace.

1. Ergonomics Improves Work quality

Working in an office environment normally translates to employees spending a lot of their time sitting at their desk and staring at their computer. Without the proper ergonomic equipment, employees can face back pain, wrist pain, neck pain and more. Imagine trying to produce top quality work when your back is throbbing in pain. This is where ergonomics comes in. By investing in ergonomic equipment for the office, employees' pain will be greatly reduced. No longer will they be distracted by that debilitating pain in their neck, they'll be focused on completing their work to the best of their ability.

2. Ergonomics Improves Productivity

Ergonomics make all the difference in the workplace. Let's have a look at the introduction of the sit-stand workstation. We now know that alternating between standing and sitting positions prevents aches and pains that are brought on from sitting all day. But, did you know it also leads to an increase in employee productivity? Research found that staying in the same position all day causes fatigue in the workplace, resulting in less productive workers. The introduction of a sit-stand workstation allows employees to alternate between positions increasing employee energy which leads to more productive workers. It is also important to note that when an office is equipped with ergonomic equipment - the employees will become more physically comfortable in the work environment. Without the distraction of aches and pains, employees will be more productivity in the workplace.

3. Ergonomic Improves Employee Engagement

Implementing ergonomics in the workplace will help you connect and engage with employees which will result in lasting and engaging relationships. Employees will notice that you are putting in effort to ensure they have a higher work-life quality. This will improve or add to the employee morale which will result in a more engaged workforce, as employees will feel well cared for.

Are you Ready to Build your Ergonomic Workplace?

If you're relying on non-ergonomic office equipment in the workplace it is probable that it is having a negative impact on the health of your employees. So, when you're evaluating whether to implement ergonomics in the workplace, remember it won't only have a positive impact on your employees, it will benefit your business too.

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