Who is actually responsible for the optimum design of home workspaces?
Employers have a duty of care for the workspace design of every employee, whether at home or on company premises. These workspaces must, of course, fulfil occupational health and safety criteria. The important questions to ask when setting up a workspace are: Has a risk assessment been performed? Does the workspace have sufficient daylight and artificial light ? A number of companies have already made company-wide agreements concerning home workspaces and developed suitable standards. Others are just getting started. I have developed a test for the initial assessment of home workspaces in terms of ergonomics.
What are the most important criteria for creating a good home workspace?
Good employers ensure that their staff have perfectly set-up home workspaces. This includes:
- An individually adjustable office chair
- A height-adjustable table
- A separate screen, also individually adjustable using a monitor support arm
- A separate keyboard and mouse
- Optimum light conditions.
It is not enough to simply provide the employees with these resources; the employees must know how to use them and what really matters.
So, how should one use an office chair, for example? What does it need to be capable of?
The right seat height is important when setting up an office chair. When seated, the knee joints must be positioned vertically above the heels. The chair backrest should be adjusted with the most strongly curved section at belt height. Pressure against the backrest promotes balance and movement when seated. The weight of the arms must be fully borne by the armrests; the upper and lower arms form an angle of approximately 90 degrees. The desk should be adjusted according to the height of the armrests. Most importantly: the shoulders must be relaxed.
The most important tool in the home workspace must surely be the computer. What is essential when it comes to screens?
When adjusting and tilting the screen, you should ensure that you can see the top and bottom lines without moving your head. Good light conditions are also vital. The screen should not be positioned in front of a window. Rather, it should be placed at 90 degrees to the window to prevent glare.