Whether you are working from home or back in the office, it is so important for your well-being that you have the correct workstation set up.
The Health & Safety Executive states “employers have the same health and safety responsibilities for employees working from home as for any other employees, including the duty not to charge for things done or provided pursuant to their specific requirements. If you have staff working at home, you must still manage the risks to their health from display screen equipment (DSE)”.
There are some simple steps you can take to reduce the risks from display screen work:
- Breaking up long spells of DSE work with rest breaks (at least 5 minutes every hour) or changes in activity
- Avoiding awkward, static postures by regularly changing position
- Getting up and moving or doing stretching exercises
- Avoiding eye fatigue by changing focus or blinking from time to time
Long-term home working
Where employers decide to make working from home arrangements permanent, they should explain how to carry out full workstation assessments and provide workers with appropriate equipment and advice on control measures.
The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors has published a very useful guide to help people working at home. CIEHF-Working-from-Home-Infographic.pdf (ergonomics.org.uk)
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Adjustable desks allowing the user to stand. This has proved successful for those suffering back/musculoskeletal problems.
Trampolines - Bellicon - maker of mini-trampolines, or “rebounders,” principally for fitness workouts has also tried to make trampolines a central part of work well-being. For office workers, that could mean taking breaks from the desk to “rebound” or, better yet, working at a standing desk while constantly bouncing.
Let us know your experiences of achieving a comfortable workstation.