How To Attain The Best Ergonomic Accommodations

Written by Tim Rhodes Last Updated: Mar 17, 2023

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Studies show that through the employment of ergonomic accommodations in the workplace, employee satisfaction improves, and overall workplace productivity increases.

You may be asking yourself why are ergonomic accommodations so essential, and what are they? – It is vital to understand what ergonomics is. 

Experts say that ergonomics is the study of how a person interacts with their work environment, specifically, it is how effective the design of their work area and how effective these work areas are to overall job performance and the employees’ health. 

If you are interested in ergonomics and want to find out the nitty-gritty, take a look at askjan.org. 

The right ergonomic accommodations will prevent injuries, accommodate people with disabilities, and prevent musculoskeletal disorders. 

As I’m sure you can agree, ergonomic accommodations are pretty necessary when it comes to your health and your workplace productivity.

How To Find The Best Ergonomic Accommodations

I’m going to suggest ten steps that you can do to improve your workplace productivity by using ergonomic accommodations. 

Step 1: Research And Evaluate How Ergonomics Improves Workplace Productivity

The first step to improving your workplace productivity or that of your employees is to research and evaluate how ergonomic accommodations can increase productivity.

Take your time and look into many different sources. 

Countless reliable studies state how ergonomic accommodations increase workplace productivity. 

Find and focus on the ones that are the most beneficial and attainable to you. 

Observe your workplace and see if there are changes that you could make.

You can choose one of two options at this stage.

You can make partial changes to your workspace, or if you are the employer, you can do an entire office makeover to make the office more ergonomic.

Many companies have already started outfitting office spaces with ergonomic accommodations, leading to greater employee productivity. 

That said, companies are succeeding exceedingly well once they have changed the status quo.

Step 2: Conduct Office Interviews

A great way to figure out if you mayneed to employ ergonomic factors is to conduct office interviews if you are the employer.

In this step, you will need to go around to your employees and talk to them.

Find out from your employees if they think having ergonomic accommodations will increase their work productivity. 

If you or your employees are happy, you will want to achieve all you can to be the best at what you do. 

Otherwise, if you want better ergonomic standards to produce better quality work, talk to your employer.

Or if it is just you who makes these decisions, take matters into your own hands and make your work area more ergonomically friendly. 

Step 3: Evaluate Your Workplace For Risk Factors And How You Can Fix Them

If you want to improve the ergonomic accommodations you currently have in your office space, you need to do a risk assessment. 

To start with, identify any obvious issues in your work environment. 

Are there places that are hard to access, or are there some problem areas?

These are questions you must ask yourself if you want to improve upon your workspace.

If you can increase the ease of how you work or how your employees work, you can prevent and eliminate serious injuries. 

By improving your office ergonomic standards, you immediately improve the speed at which you complete tasks.

Injuries commonly associated with poor postures, contact stressors, and wrong hand and feet placements will be a thing of the past.

You may need ergonomic equipment which will aid you in removing back pain issues and improve your quality of life immensely.

Step 4: Pick the Right Style Of Chair To Increase Workplace Productivity

Below you can see different styles of chairs that increase workplace productivity.

Style of chair: Ticova Standard Ergonomic Chair

Office chairs are some of the most used pieces of ergonomic furniture in the workplace. 

Finding the right ergonomic office chair can be challenging, as is the case with most things, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all. 

There are many styles to choose from, and many chiropractors and orthopedic surgeons recommend ergonomic office chairs. 

If you would like to look at what these health care professionals recommend, look at the strategist’s website. 

In today’s modern world, most of us work at a desk job. 

Your job could be in IT, admin, freelancing, or you may even be an entrepreneur working from home. 

The risk of developing musculoskeletal dysfunction is a genuine worry.

These conditions negatively affect your work ethic, and your productivity suffers.

Now more than ever, this is an increasing problem, especially during the COVID 19 pandemic when working from home is on the rise.

More and more health care experts are recommending ergonomic furniture.

The Ticova ergonomic office chair is one of the chairs recommended by health care professionals; you can find it at amazon.com. 

This chair’s style is a standard ergonomic furniture item, as it is also the simplest. 

This chair has a fully customizable headrest that aids your neck, head, and upper back. 

This chair type has adjustable armrests and lumbar supports that guard the lower back curve and encourage good posture development and continuation.

If simplicity is what you’re after, then this chair deserves a look.

This chair style is a simplistic yet excellent example of ergonomic furniture and would be a great way to improve your workplace productivity.

Style of chair: Reclining Ergonomic Chair

When it comes to comfort and support, an ergonomic reclining office chair is the best choice. 

You can buy the duramont reclining office chair. 

These chairs’ reclining capabilities are ideal for those who experience discomfort or even pain from lumbar spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease. 

To learn more about musculoskeletal disorders and the effects associated, have a look at business furniture.co.za.

If you like to sit in a reclined position with your feet raised on a footrest, this chair could work for you. 

These chairs tend to be larger than the standard style ergonomic chair, and they either partially or fully recline.

This chair’s design maximizes comfort and alleviates back pressure, especially for those of you who put in long hours at work. 

Thus injuries are prevented, and other office risk factors we successfully address office risk factors.

What’s nice about this style of chair is that it can accommodate attachments.

Add on table attachments can be ordered for the chair and another option being free-standing tables that slide over the seating area. 

You are making it possible for computers or anything else within your vicinity to be reached easier without placing added strain on you.

Remember that you must take regular short breaks to improve circulation throughout the day, even with this ergonomic office chair. 

Standing up and walking around now and then will enable your body to relax, relieve strained eyes, joint pain, and encourage better posture practices. 

Someone who has existing health problems or who enjoys working in comfort may need this ergonomic chair style to work productively. 

Style of chair: Kneeling Ergonomic Chair

This style of office chair is more design innovative than most of the ergonomic office furniture on offer. 

You can find this type of chair at supply wise.co.za.

If you’re forward-thinking and would like to try out an ergonomic office chair that is different from the rest, but you’re not quite sure yet, then have a look at kneeling ergonomic options. 

To find out more about how this design works, look at spine-health.com for more information. 

What makes this chair different from the more standard ergonomic designs out there? 

Well, firstly, this chair is designed to be used in a kneeling position, which is very cool.

These types of chairs will allow your weight to distribute between your hips and knees evenly. 

The partial kneeling position and the fact that the chair has no back will enable good posture.

That’s not all it will do. 

This chair will also force you to be more conscious of the pressure you put on your back when using non-ergonomic accommodations. 

You will begin to notice the real difference in productivity levels when using non-ergonomic related furniture. 

With this chair style, you will reduce any back strain you would be having if you were sitting in a conventional non-ergonomic office chair. 

Another cool aspect is that this chair’s design reduces spinal compression, helping to combat the stress and fatigue that your body experiences while working. 

This chair style will give you a degree of comfort that you might not usually have while working.

Lastly, this chair’s bold design will allow your spine to sit naturally, which will reduce your chances of gaining a musculoskeletal condition.

Getting yourself a kneeling ergonomic chair for your workspace is a great way to add some innovation to the area and improve your productivity.

Style of chair: Saddle Ergonomic Chair

If you’re looking for a chair that can double as a desk chair and a computer chair, look no further.

You can buy this chair at ergonomics direct.co.za. 

This chair style is shaped uniquely in the form of a horse saddle, and you would sit on it similarly.

Don’t be afraid of gravity here; let your legs hang down to the floor and widen naturally. 

If you’re struggling with the imagery, picture yourself atop a horse in a position somewhere between standing and sitting. 

Sitting in such a manner will allow proper spinal positioning. 

Are you suffering from lower back pain? 

Is your productivity at work decreasing?

If you answered yes, then this could be an excellent choice of chair for you.

Don’t be discouraged by the chair; this chair is easy to sit in and is very comfortable.

With long term use, your back and leg muscles will grow more robust; the site ergonomicchairs.com can provide you with more information on how the saddle chair and other ergonomic chairs do this.

What’s nifty is that saddle chairs often have adjustable height settings.

Rest assured, even if you are on the taller side, you can still use a saddle chair. 

Being backless and without armrests, this chair style eliminates some of the common problems associated with traditional office chairs. 

Slouching is mostly eliminated, and your body’s circulation improves.

No more pins and needles to distract you from what you love doing.

The saddle chair allows you more freedom to move around and breaks up the monotonous cycle of always trying to get into a more comfortable position.

Looking for something adjustable that promotes acceptable health practices and is comfortable no matter your height, then this could be the office chair for you. 

Style of chair: Exercise Ball Ergonomic Chair

Now the exercise ball ergonomic chair may not be for everyone. 

This style of chair has the added benefit of offering you a workout while you work! 

It’s nice to know that all those sedentary hours at your desk can entail a little exercise with this type of chair. 

According to bustle.com, this style of bounce ball chair is not only good for your health but will also get your creative juices flowing. 

You can purchase the Safco Zenergy Ball Chair.

These types of ergonomic chairs strengthen your core muscles, improve your posture and your stability. 

Not to mention that they are both aesthetically pleasing and also a fun addition to your workspace. 

The promotion of movement with this chair will aid your circulation and help you to combat stress and fatigue. 

Want better posture?

This chair hinders slouching, a few days use, and you will improve your posture. 

How cool is that? 

Worried you may be too tall for this type of ergonomic chair? 

There isn’t any need to worry. 

These chairs come in many different heights, which you can see once you inflate them. 

A few of these exercise style ergonomic chairs can come with attachments, and there are attachments that you can buy for them. 

Headrests are available as well as wheels if you want to improve mobility even more. 

Another added benefit is that this style of chair is affordable. 

You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to find one that is perfect for you. 

If you wanted to, you could buy two or three and pay less than you would for a more traditional ergonomic chair. 

You don’t need to sacrifice productivity for comfort. 

Get to searching for the perfect ergonomic exercise ball. 

Step 5: Pick the Right Style Of desk To Increase Workplace Productivity

Standing Desk

If you thought ergonomic accommodations only involved office chairs, think again. 

There are many different types of standing ergonomic desks. 

For this article, I will discuss the general style of ergonomic standing desks.

These desks are innovative, and the design keeps productivity in mind. 

Many have numerous features to help you manage your work area and your overall job productivity. 

Standing desks often have features that include but are not limited to: ladder capabilities for increasing height, sitting position adaptability, and most shelves can hold up to sixteen kilograms. 

If you thought it couldn’t get better, think again. 

The assembly of these desks is also super easy.

If you would like to purchase a standing desk like the jumbo desk stand, take a look at desk stand.com. 

If you are health savvy and want a desk that will benefit you health-wise, then a standing desk may be what you need. 

Standing desks will lower your chances of weight gain and obesity. 

Compared to passive work, standing triggers calorie burn, which, in turn, aids you in keeping those kilos off. 

Standing desks are known to reduce back pain and can even reduce your chances of getting heart disease.

They could even lower your blood sugar levels. 

Standing desks, irrespective of these other benefits, could also improve your mood and energy levels. 

Standing desks are sure to help your productivity and allow you to reach your goals that much easier. 

Want to reduce the amount of time you spend being sedentary and improve your mental well-being?

I suggest you go out and get yourself a standing desk. 

If you would like a more in-depth analysis of standing desks’ benefits, look at the article on healthline.com.

Step 6: Pick The Right Ergonomic lighting 

Lighting

Another notable ergonomic accommodation just so happens to be the lighting. 

If you are looking for a great ergonomic desk light, you can purchase one at loot.co.za.

You may be asking yourself why ergonomic lighting is essential? 

Statistically, eighty-five percent of all the information we receive comes from our sense of sight.

We are preventing workplace incidents through ergonomic lighting, which could result in loss of time and life.

We are also reducing the adverse effects of headaches and fatigue through the use of quality ergonomic lighting. 

If you would like to read up some more on ergonomic lighting and why it’s necessary for the workplace, please check out ccohs.ca. 

If you are struggling with vision issues in the workplace, it may be time to purchase yourself an ergonomic desk lamp. 

As we progress into our sixties, we may need two hundred and fifty percent more contrast to view the same documents that those younger than this have no problems viewing. 

These reasons showcase why quality lighting is essential, especially concerning the workplace.

Erroneous documentation or presentations could result in job loss, decreased productivity, and mental health problems.

Why strain your eyes and struggle when you could make use of ergonomic lighting. 

It will make your life easier, and this could lead to improved happiness in the workplace.

When looking for the right ergonomic lighting for you, keep in mind that there are many options, and you may need to weed out the good from the bad. 

Quality LED ergonomic lighting has a life span of more than fifty thousand hours; this is very cost-effective for employers. 

Whether you are an employee or an employer, ergonomic lighting could greatly benefit you. 

Step 7: Pick The Right Keyboard Accessory

Keyboard

Ergonomic keyboards are a thing! 

Check out takealot.com to see for yourself, and if you do happen to buy one because of just how great they are, so be it. 

You may not have known that there are health benefits associated with using ergonomic keyboards at home or in the office. 

Traditional keyboards are a thing of the past, and thank goodness, this is the case. 

People worldwide are developing and have developed carpal tunnel due to the continued use of these traditional keyboards. 

According to team-prestige.com, more than fifty thousand people have musculoskeletal disorders, partially due to non-ergonomic keyboards.

Ergonomic keyboards are not as pricey as you may think. 

They are one of the most affordable ergonomic items on the market.

Ergonomic keyboards are proven to decrease workplace disorders and injuries as well as increase productivity. 

Are your wrists and hands hurting you? 

Have you been working on computers for a long time and continue to work on them? 

If you answered yes to these questions, you really should consider an ergonomic keyboard.

Ergonomic keyboards prevent musculoskeletal disorders through the placement of your hands and wrists.

Due to these keyboards’ design, you will place your hands and wrists in their natural positions. 

These keyboards furthermore prevent us from straining and reaching as much while we work at the computer. 

The numeric pad on an ergonomic keyboard is convenient, and due to the keyboards compactness, more of our desk space will be free. 

Ergonomic keyboards are the way of the future. 

Don’t resist; go out and get one. 

Prevention is better than a cure, and we want to prevent ourselves from developing musculoskeletal disorders. 

Step 8: Pick The Right Ergonomic Footrest

Footrest

An ergonomic footrest is indeed an essential item for any office.

There are many footrests on the market; if you are interested in a great one, look at the ergonomic dynamic frame and board footrest on the site, supply wise.co.za. 

The concept behind ergonomic footrests is simple. 

If you have somewhere to rest your feet while you work, you will be more likely to move around during the day. 

There are many benefits for us to consider regarding ergonomic footrests, the least of all being productivity.

Footrests prevent you from developing computer-related musculoskeletal disorders. 

Using these footrests will allow you to improve your posture and reduce back pain.

Ergonomic footrests also improve your circulation and prevent numbness and generalized aches and pains. 

Lastly, ergonomic footrests increase our energy levels and improve our focus in the workplace.

There are many different kinds of footrests that we can choose from on the market. 

Some of the different footrest designs are stationary, rocking, peddling, and swinging. 

Remember, the body thrives when in motion, so it makes sense that your focus and productivity would improve. 

If you were to pair an ergonomic exercise chair with a swaying footrest, you would have double the mobility! 

From what I’ve learned regarding ergonomic footrests, I now believe that they are perhaps a form of the most underrated ergonomic accommodations. 

If what I said isn’t enough to convince you to get a footrest for your workspace, look at ergo impact.com; according to this article, even physical therapists recommend footrests. 

Step 9: Make Your Workspace Design Ergonomically Friendly

It would help if you kept in mind that you will work more efficiently and productively in a work area with primary reach zones. 

These are areas in the office where you can easily reach for items, such as an office desk.

You should be able to reach these key areas with minimal effort. 

If you find yourself having to move away from this work area, you will waste time.

You can make your space more ergonomically friendly by placing things within easy reach. 

You can also make sure that you are using horizontal and vertical office furniture. 

As you can see, it isn’t productive to have a work area that isn’t ergonomic as you will waste too much time and effort. 

Have a look at your office space and see how you can change chairs and desks to make it more ergonomically friendly.

Step 10: Ensure Your Environment Is Ergonomically Accommodating

You might not have thought that the office climate would have an impact on the overall ergonomics of the space, but it does. 

Office climates can affect your workplace productivity, both positively and negatively.

Most of us work better in a comfortable climate. 

We can think of it this way; there is air temperature, air movement, and humidity. 

Each of these elements needs to be adjusted to ensure a comfortable workplace environment.

Depending on the time of year, you must set your heater or aircon accordingly to be comfortable enough to want to work.

Keep windows that do not bring drafts in by desks open. 

If you follow these steps, your workplace environment will be more ergonomically friendly, and will most likely be more productive. 

Final Thoughts

To conclude, the science of ergonomics is shockingly interesting. 

Who would have thought that ergonomic standards are so crucial to our everyday lives?

As we have seen, there are ten different steps that we can take to ensure that we are employing ergonomic accommodations to increase and improve our workplace productivity. 

We have come to know that one of the leading causes of musculoskeletal disorders is non-ergonomic furniture, particularly in the workplace. 

The information has shown us that ergonomic office furniture and equipment has many health benefits.

Without the innovative designs of ergonomic furniture, our workspaces would be extremely unpleasant to inhabit, and we would not be productive in our respective jobs at all.

I’d like to encourage everyone, myself included, to find out more about ergonomics and ergonomic accommodations to be as productive as possible in the workplace environment.