Now, there you are…reading this..Perhaps, if you are like me, your eyes are scrunched up, your shoulders are slumped and your nose just simply should not be that close to the computer screen….Ah, have I caught you readjusting? Well, I have done the same. I am now the model of ergonomic posturing. Unfortunately, not for long… Studies and multiple internet articles show that bad posture at your computer could cost you in time away from your business and medical bills.
Like one of our clients today, you possibly have also invested into an expensive computer, or possibly a desktop PC with one of the latest Intel quad-core CPUs, lots of RAM, an SSD flash drive and a 23-inch monitor. You have also paid money to your people for the best installation job and all the latest software. Most likely, you had to sell your computer processor or your old laptop before it. You are now all set and ready to go! One question though, before you take off into the far corners of Google… Have you considered whether your latest acquisition and its set up is good for your health? And I do not mean the sheer hours you are going to spend staring at that computer screen on doing whatever else you do at your computer. I am talking about your physical positioning in front of that piece of computer hardware.
A Microsoft study quoted in SMH shows the average office worker spends six hours a day at his/her computer. If you ask me, I do not know where they got that ‘6 hours’ figure from, most likely the USA. Here in Australia, I would be lucky to get away with 8 hours a day. Indeed, apparently, the only thing we spend longer touching is a pillow! (Yeah…not sure about that either…I only get 6 hours of sleep…)
According to the same study more than 30 percent of office workers have taken time off because of ailments like repetitive strain injury (RSI) and carpal tunnel syndrome. All the things that your OHS workplace assessment person warned you about. Things seem to be getting worse, because ten years ago, researchers were quoting figures indicating that a quarter of all people who spent more than three hours working on computers suffered from painful aches in their hands and arms on a weekly basis. The reason for the increase may be in the fact that most users these days have switched to notebooks, without bothering to equip them with an external keyboard and mouse. According to the friendly OHS officer at the place where I often rent a desk (for my MacBook) to find time away from the geeks, laptops are ‘an ergonomic crime scene that has reportedly crippled more than one of my fellow office refugees’.
Another possible reason for the growing problem is that more and more of you (in fact, most of you now) have computers at home. And most of you part with your office computer only to reunite with your home digital master. I am a definite example of such lifestyle…and in the middle I supplement electronics cravings with iPhone and iPad…:(
To help avoid potential health risks ensure that you request a regular OHS assessment at work and that all the necessary recommendations are implemented. Also ensure that you set your home office correctly. Do not just think about the latest software, let the computer repairs man worry about that. Think about the equally important elements like a stand that elevates the screen to a good viewing angle a good chair, a desk that is comfortable and set at the right height. Mobile Geeks recommend that you consider those issues first and only then call us. Trust us, as professional computer repairs people, we will find a way to set your computer up in a way that works with your ergonomic requirements.
Happy sitting
MobileGeekette / Mobile Geeks 1300 883 021
