Office Ergonomics: Practical Applications

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Hardback
$75.95
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ISBN 9780849379758
Cat# 7975
 

Features

  • Addresses a variety of environments including working within cars and at home
  • Offers advice for creating suitable conditions to accommodate all workers
  • Covers a wide range of input methods such as touch screens and voice recognition software
  • Details the role played by psychosocial elements within the workplace
  • Explores the risk assessment process from identification to management and reduction
  • Includes coverage of current trends, such as wireless technology and laptops
  • Summary

    Moving from theory into practical reality, ergonomics has come of age as a useful tool for generating safe, comfortable, and productive working environments. Tackling both the simple and complex aspects of a variety of workplaces, Office Ergonomics: Practical Applications demonstrates how to create offices that accommodate all workers. The book contains practical advice on how to maintain an office environment that promotes a healthy, safe, and efficient workforce.

    Covering workstation design, selection, layout, and use, the book details the impact of computers on worker well-being, particularly when used under unfavorable conditions, and discusses how ergonomics can accommodate disabled workers. The author emphasizes the need to offer ‘protection’ to people involved in manual handling in offices, an issue that is frequently overlooked, and offers advice on how to work satisfactorily in non-office environments. She explores the possible negative outcomes, such as back pain, headaches, and upper limb disorders, of a poorly designed workstation.

    Walking you through all the features of an office, the book provides insight into the potential problem areas that workers often encounter. The book explains how to identify suitable workstation furniture, test it, trial it, and introduce the final selection so the workforce accepts it. The author draws on first-hand experience dealing with difficulties in many types of office situations to provide straightforward, easily applicable advice on how to improve the workplace to reduce the likelihood of workers experiencing discomfort, ill-health, and dissatisfaction.

    Table of Contents

    Working Posture


    Introduction
    Sitting versus Standing
    The Back
    Posture
    Maintenance and Monitoring of Good Postures
    Summary
    The Design of Workstation Furniture
    Introduction
    Desks
    Partitions
    Chairs
    Accessories
    Summary
    Workstation Trials
    Introduction
    Task analysis
    Trials
    The Roll-Out
    Summary
    Computer Use
    Introduction
    Desktops
    Flat Screens
    Laptops
    Wireless Technology
    Out-of-Office Working
    Summary
    Screen Displays
    Introduction
    Memory
    Displays
    Summary

    Input Devices


    Introduction
    Keyboards
    Mouse
    Touchpads
    Trackball
    Joystick
    Touchscreens
    Graphics Tablets
    Voice Recognition Software
    General Design Requirements
    Summary
    Organizational Issues
    Introduction
    Job Design
    Work Rate
    Rest breaks
    Overtime
    Incentives
    Motivation
    Shift Work
    Compressed Working Week
    Managing Change
    Summary
    Training
    Introduction
    The Trainees
    Training Methods
    The Course
    Alternative Approaches
    Making Training More Effective
    After the Course
    Summary
    The Environment
    Introduction
    Noise
    Lighting
    Thermal Comfort
    Summary

    Manual Handling


    Introduction
    Manual Handling Injuries
    Reducing the Risk
    Training
    Summary
    Work-Related Ill Health
    Introduction
    Upper Limb Disorders
    Responding to ULDs
    Backache
    Visual Fatigue
    Stress
    Summary

    Disability


    Introduction
    Workstation Arrangements
    Computer Work
    General Environment
    Summary
    Risk Assessment
    Introduction
    Sample Checklists
    Case Studies
    References