Image © OpenOfficeMouse.

Ergonomics isn’t rocket science – comfort is job one, and intuitiveness is always, always going to get you there two-thrids of the way. A seat that supports your lumbar area. Keyboards that cushion your wrist.

So what could the guys at OpenOffice be thinking with this un-ergonomic eighteen-button monster?  (read more)

Do you need to hire an ergonomics professional to reduce outbreaks of aching backs and carpal tunnel in your office? Do you need to take the ergonomic bull by the horns?

Science says yes – according to Dr. Jasminka Goldoni Laestadius from the World Bank’s Joint Bank/Fund Health Services Department,

“Just providing new office furniture and written instructions is not sufficient to achieve proper accommodation,” Laestadius’ paper reads. “Good office equipment is a poor substitute for good working positions.”

The study was conceived when the World Bank workforce moved headquarters – an excellent opportunity for Laestadius’ team to study how proactive ergonomics could improve employee health.

The employees were divided into two groups – one simply got new ergonomic office furniture, together with the manuals to set them up and no more. The other received new furniture and information, plus personalized attention from an ergonomics professional.

The second group was found to experience less musculoskeletal pain and eyestrain, with a corresponding jump in productivity. “Better postures meant less pain,” the paper concludes. “This verifies our experience that equipment such as an adjustable chair does not add value unless properly adjusted.”

The study was published in the October issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

(If your office could stand a World Bank-grade ergonomics upgrade, consider checking out Cubicles.com’s selection of ergonomic chairs. Unfortunately, professional ergonomist not included.)

Ergonomic chairs are a crucial part of an efficient office setup. Coupled with remanufactured cubicles, you get a double load off your conscience: a green and healthy office at the same time!

For example, the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL USA) asked Cubicles.com to help put their New York office together. The office would serve as a telemarketing hub seating a hundred employees; each station would need to be ergonomically sound, and costs would need to be kept low.

Cubicles.com completed the job with pre-owned Steelcase and Herman Miller workstations, as well as five dozen Eurotech ergonomic chairs. Completed in August 2003, the new office continues to serve an essential role in the EGL network: an environment-friendly and ergonomically satisfying workplace that continues to reap significant returns on EGL’s investment.

Proceed to this page to see how Cubicles.com delivered on its commitment to EGL: Cubicles.com EGL page.