FOCUS ERGONOMICS
ERGONOMIC SOLUTIONS FOR HOT
DESKING ENVIRONMENTS
There are three key solutions that can be
installed in oœ ice environments to
aid flexibility of workstations
for ergonomic wellbeing.
Sit/stand desks are
increasingly popular
as these not only
allow the user
to adjust the
height of the desk
when seated,
but also to vary
between working
in a seated and
standing position.
However, the cost of these
desks can be an obstacle for
specification in some environments and not
all oœ ice workers want or need sit/stand
functionality.
Use of an ergonomic chair is an important
factor too, because the chair supports
the spine and encourages a good seating
position. A good chair should also be height
adjustable and provide options for neck,
back and arm support.
For hot desking environments, selecting
the right monitor arm is perhaps the
easiest and most eœ ective measure for
adapting workstations for diœ erent users
quickly and easily. For example, CMD’s
Reach Plus monitor arm, which attaches to
any desk with a universal C clamp fixing,
30 MARCH 2022
REFERENCE NOTES
(i) www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
S0160412020321127
(ii) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/msd.pdf
(iii) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/about.htm
enables fingertip movement of the screen
position to enable the user to adjust a
single or double screen configuration to
the optimum height and position for
them. The monitor arm can
support combined monitor
weights of between
6kg and 15kg but
the user can easily
move them up,
down, sideways or
forwards and back.
Monitor arm
development is
constantly evolving
and CMD will be
launching the Miro
monitor arm in 2022, which
will be capable of supporting
any monitor from 1kg to 10kg and allow
the user to adjust the height of their screen
quickly, with a patent pending mechanism
that allows synchronised movement of
both arms, enabling them to open upwards
and close downwards in a smooth and
simple vertical action.
Many agile working models involve
people working from laptops at home and
bringing them into the oœ ice, so oœ ice
workstations that enable rapid ergonomic
set up of a laptop alongside a monitor
are also key to providing the ease of set
up and adaptability workers need. Look
for ergonomic workstations which can
be configured to include monitor and
laptop support. These can provide ease of
adjustment for both the monitor and laptop
screen with the use of a separate keyboard,
to allow rapid set-up and positioning,
avoiding the temptation to hunch over a
laptop.
ADAPTABILITY
The statistics show there has been a
physical deterioration amongst staœ over
the past two years, with the HSE(ii) reporting
that of the 470,000 workers suœ ering from
work-related musculoskeletal disorders
in 2020/21 an estimated 85,000 reported
that this was caused or made worse by
the eœ ects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
However, as workers return to the oœ ice
it is important to note that prior to the
Coronavirus pandemic the main causes of
work-related musculoskeletal disorders
from the Labour Force Survey(iii) were
manual handling, working in awkward or
tiring positions and repetitive action or
keyboard work. This goes to show how
workstations that can adapt to individuals
are just as essential as individuals who can
adapt to changing work routines.
“For hot desking
environments, selecting
the right monitor arm is
perhaps the easiest and most
effective measure for adapting
workstations for different
users quickly and
easily.”
/S0160412020321127
/msd.pdf
/about.htm
