Get your office design right and avoid muscle strain

by Dave Howell

With more of us spending increasing amounts of time at our desks ensuring we’re working in a healthy environment is very important.

I recently moved from a tiny flat with one of its spare rooms acting as my shoebox office, to a house. Our spare bedroom has again been transformed into my office, but I now have over double the space of my previous office. Until you have the luxury of more square footage you don’t realise how cramped your working conditions had become.

Over the five years I have been working from home full time, I have slowly evolved my office to a state where I think it is comfortable, but also a healthy place to work. I have invested in a large desk I got from Ikea several years ago called a Jerker desk. These have been replaced with the Galant range, which look similar. I’ve also upgraded my chair every year in a bid to locate the ideal one for me. My latest seat has built-in lumbar support and seems to have eradicated my occasional backache.

It’s no joke when you suddenly become afflicted with an MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorder). The most common form of these is RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury), which I had suffered from until I discovered the Microsoft Natural keyboard range. Their split keyboard is ideal for non-touch typists as it forces you to use both your hands pretty evenly cross the keyboard. My RSI has now completely gone.

The last piece of research suggests 12.3 million working days were lost due to work-related MSDs. The Health & Safety Executive not surprisingly take MSDs very seriously. You can read extensive information on their website. They also have a handy leaflet (PDF) on working with VDU’s that you can download.

Lynn Fotheringham, Marketing Director of Insideout Buildings that design and construct freestanding office environments had this advice to give after many years of experience in just this field:

• Ideally position you desk next to a north facing window, with the window on your right if you are left handed a vice versa for right handed. Also, if possible have a window in front of you so that you can look out- this isn’t time wasting; it is important for thinking and reflecting.
• Also position your desk so that you can see the door. It is subconsciously unnerving if you think that someone can walk in behind you, without you seeing them.
• Have a clear route from the door to your desk so that you can’t trip over anything.
• Have a carpeted floor surface, not a shiny surface such as wood, so that a chair with castors can’t slip from under you. I learnt this from experience!
• If you are small you need a footrest, so that you can sit in your chair and put your feet on a flat surface.
• Don’t store everything you need on shelves around your desk. Leave this area clear so that you don’t feel closed in and so that you have to get up and move about to get things.

Visits to an osteopath may help in the short term, but there’s nothing better than a well-designed office environment. After all, if you can work safely, you can work longer in comfort, which can have a positive impact on your bank balance.

Resources to help you avoid MSD and RSI at work

Healthy Computing

Everything you ever wanted to know about ergonomics and how it affects you can be found on this comprehensive site.

Health and Safety Executive

If you want to check the law regarding proper working environments, you can find all the information you need on the HSE site.

Posturite

Having a proper chair is one of the most important aspects of avoiding MSDs. Back Care has a comprehensive range to choose from.

Keytools

If you’re after a new keyboard, this site has a whole range to choose from as well as other devices and gadgets to help make computing easier.

ErgoWorks

A comprehensive website that not only contains excellent ergonomic products, but also includes a host of help and advice.

Human Scale

The manufacturer’s of a unique range of monitor stands and arms. Also, if you’re looking for a replacement mouse, their Whale Mouse should be on your shortlist.

About the Author
Dave Howell is a journalist, writer and the publisher of HomeWorker Magazine. You can read more details about HomeWorker here.