Ergonomics & Ergonomic Assessments London
What is Ergonomics?
Ergonomics, ‘ergon’
meaning "work" and ‘nomos’ meaning law, is the practical and scientific study
of making the environment and its surrounding equipment fit people instead of asking people to fit
the environment i.e. the work fits the worker.
With the demands of modern day life and a
significant increase in IT within business and industry, most jobs nowadays require people to sit
whilst working. As a result, people work lengthy hours at their desks in uncomfortable
chairs,
adopting poor posture and using badly positioned equipment which can lead to discomfort, back and
upper limb disorders such as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
The Health and
Safety
Executive (HSE) report that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common occupational
illness in Great Britain, affecting 1.0 million people a year. They include problems such as low
back pain, joint injuries and repetitive strain injuries of various sorts. In 2003/04 an estimated
4.9 million working days (full day equivalent) were lost due to back pain caused or made worse by
work. Therefore it is good ergonomic practice to ensure workstations are set up appropriately
so that the worker can perform as safely, comfortably and efficiently as
possible.
Ergonomic Assessments
At Physio4Life our qualified
Ergonomic Specialist carries out a workstation assessment on site, at home or in the office
environment. The aim is to identify any current problem areas or future risks that may impact
on the worker carrying out their normal day to day job. Factors influencing these areas may be due
to poor or prolonged working posture, inappropriate set up of the workstation, equipment design
etc.
According to need, the assessment will take between 30 – 60 minutes and a written
report will be produced on completion. This includes a comprehensive account of observations and
dimensions between worker and workstation, problems identified, modifications made at the time of
assessment (if appropriate), and recommendations for improvements e.g. chair, mouse, keyboard, VDU
etc. Each client will also receive education on posture awareness and be issued with leaflets on
relevant ergonomic information. Physio4life is able to offer both individual and company wide
assessments. Physio4life is able to support a pricing structure to accommodate both types of
assessment.
Benefits of an Ergonomic assessment are
•
Increased
knowledge on how to maintain good posture within your working environment
• Education on
the principles of correct seating
• Confidence to adapt the work environment to suit
your
needs- maximising productivity by minimizing discomfort and fatigue
• Ensuring you and
your environment have a good working relationship
• Taking proactive steps in preventing
chronic health problems
• Meeting requirements stipulated by the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE). The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Health and Safety (Display Screen
Equipment) Regulations 1992 stipulate that it is the responsibility of the employer to carry out an
assessment of their employee’s workstation.
BENEFITS OF EGONOMIC ADVICE FROM
PHYSIO4LIFE
Physio4Life works as a multidisciplinary team giving the ergonomic specialist onsite access to physiotherapists, massage therapists, fitness consultants, surgeons and back & neck pain specialists in London.
Chartered Physiotherapists
- Which means you can be rest assured you are in good hands with our expert team who have years of hands on experience.
Massage therapists and Fitness Consultants
- Which means that once you've had your ergonomic assessment with our specialist you can see one of our in house massage therapists or fitness consultants there and then.
Leading Surgeons in Back & Neck Pain
- Working with some of the leading surgeons, back and neck pain specialists the UK has to offer we can make sure that your treatment is provided by the best available clinicians and surgeons there is.
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