I find the popular perception is that repetitive strain injuries are the significant (slow hurt) danger in office environments.  Repeated keying and mousing is certainly a concern, but I find the greater hazard is the posture many of us maintain during our seated computer work.  Too often, I observe people slouching and reaching forward.

I came across some metrics that reinforced my belief.  I finished a year-end report for one of our larger Calgary office ergonomics clients.  As part of our regular process, we invite anyone requesting an ergonomic evaluation to fill out our simple, on-line discomfort survey.  The data from 131 responses showed that 3 body parts (coincidentally) all had the same incidence of discomfort at 36%.  The body parts were the right shoulder, the neck and the lower back.  Next was the right wrist (24%), the left shoulder (21%) and then the upper back (19%).  For me, this was a clear indication that posture is the most significant hazard with the workers at this client company.  High levels of discomfort for the shoulders, neck, low back and upper back indicate a slouched posture.   So now we need to figure out what to do about it.  Once we ensure the workstations are set-up properly, we may need to reinforce our posture coaching with some computer-based prompts about posture or peer observations.

To reduce the incidence of back and neck discomfort, avoid reaching or slouching by keeping your shoulder blades against the backrest and tucking in close.  You can link to our one-pager on workstation set-up to help you make sure your own workstation is encouraging you to “sit back and relax”.

1. Leaning forward,
2. Tilting the seat backrest back far enough so the headrest is out of the way, or
3. Altering the headrest in some way.  (I have heard reports of putting the headrest on backwards or removing the headrest altogether!  Obviously this is not recommended.)

Of course, there is a better way.  It just costs more money.  Some vehicle manufacturers have been using active head restraints for years that would meet the safety standards but not encroach on neutral upper back and neck posture.  The headrest design connects the headrest to a mechanism in the upper part of the seat.  Whenever there is a quick acceleration of the vehicle that forces the driver backwards into the seat, the headrest pivots forward to meet the driver’s head to prevent it from ‘whipping’ backwards.  Simple.  Now if only we could get all vehicle manufacturers to incorporate this proven system so we can avoid the unintended slow hurt pain syndromes that come with holding our head in a non-neutral position!

I have been doing a fair bit of travelling this week – 4 plane rides and the better part of 10 hours of driving (6 of them in a rental car).  I am reminded that it feels like automobile and plane manufacturers appear to put more efforts into the ergonomics of the production line rather than the ergonomics of the seats!

I am writing this blog while sitting in an economy class Embraer 190 seat.  It feels a lot like all the other aircraft seats I have sat in recently – a backrest that is too short (I am 5’ 10”) with a shape that looks like the imprint a car tire makes in the snow when it spins out.  It is caved in just where I need it to be pushed out – right in my low back.  If you are flying regularly, you might already carry a neck pillow.  It might be time to invest in a nice lumbar support or ask for a travel pillow to put between your low back and the seat.  It will make a world of difference to how you feel when you arrive back on terra firma.

Of course, vehicle seats vary greatly but I rarely find one that provides enough adjustment for me to sit comfortably.  As with your flights, a lumbar pad will come in handy to help supplement any lumbar support provided by the vehicle seat.  If you are like me and struggle to position the headrest comfortably in newer vehicles, then you should have a read of my related post on headrest standards to understand why most new vehicles are forcing your head forward.

I find my back doesn’t travel well between the reduction in exercise from the long days, the awkward handling of bags and the extended periods of sitting in uncomfortable plane and vehicles seats.  My best defense is to supplement my seat lumbar support and to make sure I do some simple stretches and stabilization exercises when I have a few spare minutes.  You can check out a couple examples of practical exercises in our ‘Free Stuff’ section (http://ergorisk.com/freestuff/).

Exercise balls are just that – exercise. Users need to activate their core muscles to maintain stability and good posture.  The spine should always have an “S” shape with an inward curve to the low back (lumbar), not a “C” shape hunched back which places strain on the tissues of the spine.  If we were working at our desks on an exercise ball, it is very difficult to consciously maintain good back posture and complete our work tasks. Since exercise balls do not have a backrest, users typically end up hunching forward with a rounded upper back as we get sucked into the work on our desks.

Instead of using an exercise ball at work, try working from a standing height (if your desk is able to be raised high enough), walk around your office while on speaker phone, or schedule short micro breaks throughout the day to get you up out of your chair at least once per hour.  For some useful Office Ergo Tips, check out our Free Stuff section.

Investing in a good multi-tilt ergonomic task chair is always money well spent. Take the time and effort to investigate a proper ergonomic task chair and don’t rely on the supplier’s recommendation, what looks cool or getting the ‘sale’ item at the local office supply store. I don’t like leaving a workstation assessment knowing that I wasn’t able to create a safe work environment for the user. Having the right equipment allows me to adjust it while I am there and then make behavioural recommendations to keep the worker safe. Now that is a successful ergonomic workstation evaluation!

I had another great visit up to an oil and gas site in northern Alberta. I was working with one of the site contractors on safe movements when shoveling. I decided it was time to take my turn in front of the camera to try and figure out the best practices for shoveling snow out from underneath a platform. This can be an awkward task for the folks who complete this work. They are often seasonallabourers who don’t have much experience doing this and they likely haven’t received any coaching on best practices. Not to mention access to appropriate tools. I quickly realized the importance of having the right shovel for the task – I would have liked a longer handle!
I wrapped up my visit by providing some best practice posters and also a video on recommended techniques for snow shoveling. Just like any physical labour, if you do it properly it can help you become stronger and healthier.

And we have a selection of free resources in the “Free Stuff” section in our navigation for you – feel free to download them for your office or team use.

If you have any questions, please call or email anyone of us – our email and contact information is in the footer of this page.