Ergonomics in Office Design

The Special Importance of Ergonomics in Office Design in the United States

Ergonomics used to be a synonym for Human Factors ' Nowadays , the term typically refers to the design of workplaces in to maximize both safety and productivity . The United States laws on safe work environments have managed to stimulate immense interest in ergonomics Ergonomic seating , furniture , lighting , and workstations are all considered equally important ( Ergonomics Create an Ergonomic Office . The main reason why office designers consider ergonomics an essential aspect of their work today is not just the law of

the land that makes workplace safety an issue of great importance . Rather , the reason is twofold (1 ) There is a constant , ongoing decline in the number of workers at manufacturing plants , thereby making offices necessary for the workers who have shifted to office work and (2 ) The workforce of the United States is aging , a fact that entails increasing needs for safety and health in office design (Stuthridge

According to Usernomics , a company that designs offices on the basis of ergonomics biometrics in addition to anthropometrics are significant in successful , ergonomic office design in modern times . The company explains the importance of ergonomics in office design thus The easier it is to do a job , the more likely it is to see gains in productivity due to greater efficiency . Analogously , the safer it is to do a job , the more likely it is to see gains in productivity due to reduced time off for injury . Ergonomics can address both of these issues concurrently by maximizing the workspace and equipment needed to do a job ' Robert Stuthridge , who works with the Integrated Ergonomics LLC as the senior health ergonomist , agrees on the importance of ergonomics in office design by adding that the labor force that has

THE SPECIAL IMPORTANCE OF ERGONOMICS IN OFFICE DESIGN IN THE UNITED STATES Page 2

migrated from industry to office work has brought with itself pre-existing injuries ' besides premature wear and tear ' making it even more important for office designers to use the principles of ergonomics . Additionally , the expert on ergonomics states that the most prevalent as well as costly diss related to the workplace are musculoskeletal diss .of the back , neck and upper limbs ' and age is a huge risk factor in these diss . Given that the American officer is aging , ergonomics is the need of the hour , for it address back problems by designing seating that would reduce the risk factors of musculoskeletal diss for officers of all ages

Stuthridge also writes that apart from musculoskeletal diss osteoporosis , upper limb problems .and osteoarthritis can have an adverse impact on functionality . For this reason , people with these types of diss - particularly if severe or chronic - might be classified as disabled ' Seeing as the United States deals with the problem of disability in the workplace with the ADA , a law that makes it obligatory for employers to make appropriate changes in the workplace so as to accommodate the disabled workers ' needs , ergononomics gains importance...