Ergonomic Workstation Assessment
Posted: October 17th, 2013
Ergonomic Workstation Assessment
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Ergonomic Workstation Assessment
Office Ergonomics Workstation Assessment Worksheet
Date: ___________
Name: ________________________
Department/Location ID: ___________________
HOW TO USE
Each category has several questions with an option to answer yes or no to each of them. A ‘YES’ answer signifies that you are satisfied with the amenities offered in that category. ‘NO’ answer shows discontent in the category in question.
CATEGORY 1: WORKPLACE
| a) Height of the workplace;
Does it allow the workers to position the upper body parts appropriately? Are the upper body parts at a neutral position? Can the worker use the keyboard appropriately in this position? |
YES | NO | Body position whereby all the muscles and joints are able to perform all the work required without strain and with very little effort is called the neutral position (Bust et al, 2005). For example:
In the case of the shoulders, they should be relaxed and comfortable as opposed to being shrugged. The back should be straight and be supported to avoid straining. |
| b) Is there enough space for the workers feet beneath the work surface?
|
YES | NO | Enough space will facilitate the maintenance of the neutral posture by the workers well as to increase the ease in making movements. |
| c) Are items the workers are using frequently within their reach when they are working? | YES | NO | This will promote good posture among the workers and will minimize strenuous physical demands that result in time wastage during work hours. |
| d) Presence of adequate storage facilities, is the space enough for personal items, files reference items and office supplies? | YES | NO | Adequate space decreases the amount of clatter in the work place increases the efficiency and productivity of the employees. |
| e) Adjustability of the workplace, is the environment easily adjustable? | YES | NO | Ease in adjustability is important as it improves adaptation of the neutral position. It also facilitates safe positional changes during the course of the work period. |
CAREGORY 2: THE OFFICE CHAIR
| a) Suitability of the chair to the floor type in the office, are the casters of the chair suitable for the floor in the office? | YES | NO | For a carpeted office, the hard plastics are most suitable. For the tiles, rubberized casters that are softer are most suitable. |
| b) The number of legs the chair has, does it have 5 legs? | YES | NO | A 5-legged chair is more stable and less likely to tip over. Chairs with fewer legs are less stable and more prone to tipping over. |
| c) Seat pan height, does it adjust to the workers liking? | YES | NO | Appropriate adjusting will enable the employee to be comfortable and will ensure the neutral position is maintained |
| d) size of the seat pan, can it support the size and the weight of the worker? | YES | NO | The appropriate seat pan should accommodate comfortably the hips and thighs of the employee using it. This will ensure that they are comfortable during work hours. |
| e) Tension associated with the seat pan, is it appropriate for the body weight of the employee? | YES | NO | If the tension is loose, the seat becomes unstable and may tilt backwards uncontrollably. For the right tension, the seat is stable and does not tilt as the other one does (Bust, 2008). |
| f) Depth of the seat pan, is it 2-3” between the back of the knees and the seat pan itself? | YES | NO | Increased pressure behind the knees affects the circulation of blood in the lower regions of the foot. This pressure may cause numbing of the foot in such circumstances. |
| g) Support of the back, is the spine supported in a neutral position as required? | YES | NO | Proper support of the back encourages the neutral body posture and avoids any straining to the back as it may have serious medical implications. |
| h) Does the chair provide armrests? | YES | NO | Armrests provide support for the forearm, this is important because it also determines the level of relaxation of the shoulders since they have a similar axis. |
| i) Does the seat pan have a waterfall shape at the front? | YES | NO | This means that the front part of the chair is rounded to reduce the pressure applied behind the legs. Pressure will affect the circulation of blood that will make the foot go numb severally. |
| j) Does the chair function properly? That is it does not require any repair however minimal | YES | NO | A chair that is not properly functional is a safety risk in the office. The user will not know when the chair will completely be worn our and hurt him or her. |
CATEGORY 3: THE COMPUTER
| a) Position of the monitor in reference to the sitting position of the employee, is it directly in front of the worker? | YES | NO | This position minimizes the straining of the neck while turning to view the monitor of the computer. Increased rotation causes more strain on the neck and shoulders that may be uncomfortable for the employee. |
| b) Height of the monitor with regard to the location of the employee is it at or slightly inferior to the eyelevel of the employee? | YES | NO | This is the most appropriate level for the monitor since it is natural to look up and down while reading. Any other position is not appropriate because it causes straining of the eyes (Friend & Kohn, 2007). |
| c) Distance between the monitor and the employee, is it a large or small distance? | YES | NO | Focusing is easier with a greater distance as opposed to a shorter distance. A big distance is therefore more preferable. |
| d) Does the computer monitor pusses glare? | YES | NO | Glare affects the employees’ eyesight since it affects the clarity of the eyes. The monitor should therefore, not posses glare to ensure a good working environment for the workers. |
| e) Do the employees use computer glasses? | YES | NO | Failure to use the glasses makes the user strain his eyesight too much and results in awkward postures far from the required neutral posture. |
| f) Does the location of the documents’ encourage adoption of the neutral position especially for the head, shoulders and the neck areas? | YES | NO | If the documents are too far away from the monitor, picking them will induce unwarranted stress to the employee especially for the arms, shoulders and back regions. Such documents should be placed nearby to reduce this. |
| g) Does the position of the keyboard ensure the neutral position is upheld? | YES | NO | Proper positioning of the keyboard should resulting correct placement of the arms, shoulders and wrists. Because of this, the worker attains the neutral position that is required. |
| h) Does the position of the mouse invite the neutral sitting position? | YES | NO | The mouse should be placed in such a way that the arms and shoulders are aligned in order to achieve the neutral sitting position. |
| i) Position of the mouse tray and keyboard, is it stable and within reach of the user? | YES | NO | The position of these trays should be within reach and at the same height to avoid straining in the case of the workers. This will ensure that they are always in the recommended neutral position. |
| j) Functionality of the computer and any associated equipment, do they require any maintenance? | YES | NO | The need for maintenance reduces productivity and causes inefficiencies in the workplace. Time is also wastes during the repairs. |
CATEGORY 4: OFFICE EQUIPMENT
| a) Does the use of the telephone allow neutral movements of the neck and shoulder especially? | YES | NO | Telephone use should not interfere with the position of the employee, however, if the telephone use is increased, the employee in question should use a headset. |
| b) Does the use of the rest of the office equipment enhance the neutral body posture? | YES | NO | Interfered access to the other office equipment as printers and photocopiers may induce stress to the body especially is they are far from the workstation of the employee (Stanton, 2005). |
CATEGORY 5: GENERAL WORK ENVIRONMENT
| a) Lighting in the workplace, is the lighting suitable for the task expected to be performed | YES | NO | Bright lighting is recommended for hard copy use for example books and journals. On the other hand, dimmer lights are suitable for the people using computers in order to minimize the glare. |
| b) Are the levels of noise in the workplace condusive for the job description? | YES | NO | Too much noise will cause the employees to be distracted while in some rare cases, too little noise may also be distracting for some workers. |
| c) Is the room temperature in the workplace comfortable for optimum productivity? | YES | NO | The use of fans and air conditioners may be used b y the employees to ensure comfort in the workplace. |
References
Ergonomics Society (Great Britain), Bust, P. D., McCabe, P. T., & Ergonomics Society (Great Britain) Conference (2005). Contemporary ergonomics. 2005. London: Taylor & Francis.
Ergonomics Society (Great Britain), Bust, P. D., & Taylor & Francis. (2008). Contemporary ergonomics 2008. London: Taylor & Francis.
Friend, M. A., & Kohn, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of occupational safety and health. Lanham, Md: Government Institutes.
N.a. (2005). Visual ergonomics handbook Boca Raton, FL: CRC/Taylor & Francis.
Stanton, N. (2005). Handbook of human factors and ergonomics methods. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
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