Ergonomic workstations and office furniture ... |
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Ergonomic workstations
Workstation set up - Monitor placement At issue is the fact that different tasks requires greatly different amounts of light. For example, reading a document requires four to five times more light than does viewing a monitor. On top of that, the growing population of older office workers need more light than their younger counterparts. Specifically, people in their sixties require approximately 350% more contrast than do people in their twenties. What this adds up to is a tremendous disparity between the lighting needs around an office – and the conclusion that a single source system of overhead lighting is quite inadequate. Using a task light to supplement the ambient lighting scheme of the office can be an integral part of a comprehensive strategy to combat CVS and musculoskeletal discomfort. Task lighting solves the above lighting issues by offering a direct and adjustable source of light where it is needed most – on the task at hand. People require approximately 5 times more light to read standard documents than to view a monitor. That’s why single source overhead lighting is not an effective lighting solution, because different parts of the workstation require different amounts of light. Task lighting, an essential component of an ergonomic workstation, allows users the ability to direct light where they need it (e.g., on documents) for maximum visual comfort and minimal glare. Furthermore, task lighting has been shown to have the added benefit of increasing worker productivity, largely due to individuals being given control over their own lighting levels. A laboratory study at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center found that subjects who had controllable lighting felt more comfortable in the room, rated the tasks as less difficult, and rated the lighting quality as higher than subjects who did not have control. Interestingly, participants who had control over their lighting produced a 35% to 42% decrease in energy consumption. The most cost effective way to provide employees with additional control over their environment is through the use of task lighting. Good task lights provide a wide range of adjustability to avoid creating glare on the monitor, work surface and documents, and the best ones also offer an asymmetrical design to direct light where it is most needed, and a compact fluorescent bulb that reduces heat output and saves energy. Another strategy to reduce the risks of CVS involves addressing computer screen glare, which primarily affects vision but can also cause awkward postures as people move to avoid the glare. Says Dr. Hedge, “Optical glass glare filters on computer monitors can dramatically reduce health and vision problems related to computer glare and help boost productivity in full-time computer users.” While CRT monitors are a prime source of glare and should be outfitted with quality eye protection filters to minimize the risks of CVS, the new breed of flat panel monitors is less prone to glare and may not need external eye protection filters. Creating a Healthy Workstation by Rhonda Crenshaw, Director of Humanscale’s National Ergonomic Group
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