What is ergonomics and why is it important?

With its name of Greek origin meaning “work standards”, it is nothing more than the study of man in relation to his work , including contact with machines and equipment necessary to carry it out.

This makes it possible not only to avoid poor working conditions, but also to improve them, in order to ensure an environment that is less harmful to people and that offers more comfort to everyone involved. In this way, employees can work better and are more satisfied, which results in benefits for companies.

What is the main standard governing ergonomics?

Companies should conduct a thorough analysis of their work situations, including risk assessments and hazard identification. This assessment must result in a well-registered document that includes a prevention plan and an action plan for implementing ergonomic solutions.”

In addition to these aspects, NR17 also addresses minute details about different elements of work, for example, the appropriate use of furniture, the transportation of loads and work with machines and tools.

What are the principles of ergonomics?

Generally, when we think of ergonomics, we think of people’s posture at work. However, it goes much further. This is because ergonomics is divided into three important aspects. ³

Physical

Regarding the physical aspect, ergonomics focuses on the body’s reactions and ways to promote its safety — without compromising physical conditioning.

For example, it will assess people’s posture , the repetitive movements performed that can cause serious conditions, such as RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury), as well as the best way for a certain activity or job to be done without putting the person’s integrity at risk.

Cognitive

Cognitive ergonomics addresses the mental aspect of the worker , including in relation to memory , reasoning and work relationships.

Thus, it can be applied, for example, in work involving people and machines; in relation to illnesses caused by mental stress, such as Burnout Syndrome and in excess work that can also compromise psychological and physical integrity, as in the case of exhaustion , anxiety , among others.

Organizational

The focus of this type of ergonomics is to analyze the organizational structure of work, from its processes to policies. It will address, for example:

• shifts and working hours;
• work environments;
• home office modality ;
• person’s satisfaction with the company.

What is the purpose of ergonomics and how does it work?

As you have seen, the main objective of ergonomics is to guide, prevent and adapt the work environment and situations in order to reduce possible health problems that arise during the work routine. In addition, ergonomics aims to optimize and improve the company’s productivity.

To achieve this, the first step is to consider ergonomics from a local perspective. In other words, a company will never use another company’s ergonomic plan to fulfill its obligations and implement ergonomics.

This is because, to apply it, you need to understand the particularities of your own environment, as well as the profile of your employees and the activities they carry out.

For example, in a bank, where people deal with a large volume of data, work on computers and carry out detailed and demanding work, the type of ergonomics applied, including in relation to mental health actions, will be one.

In a store that sells shoes and has a warehouse on the second floor, the mental stress may not be as great, but the risk of accidents when transporting boxes and physical exhaustion may be higher. Therefore, the ergonomics of this place will be different.

What is the purpose of applying ergonomics?

By analyzing each company environment and making the necessary adaptations, the use of ergonomics serves different functions.

The first of these is prevention. After all, it seeks to improve the physical and mental aspects of workers in relation to their routine, which helps to avoid occupational diseases that interfere with their quality of life.

Another important aspect is that ergonomics aims to reduce the risk of workplace accidents , which can cause a lot of headaches for companies. It also seeks to reduce absences due to health problems, which seriously compromise productivity.

Finally, it is a way of ensuring the safety and health of workers, showing that the company cares about each person and takes steps to ensure that ergonomics are applied.

As a result, the work environment becomes more pleasant and the employee is more satisfied. This results in work well done and increased productivity — without compromising quality of life.

Is ergonomics really necessary?

Yes. Not only because of the law, but because of the consequences of various work practices. For example, in 2021 , according to data from the Ministry of Labor, back problems were the second biggest cause of absences in companies.

Therefore, ergonomics is a means for companies and employees to find balance in the work environment, aiming to promote the prevention of Burnout syndrome and improve quality of life, as well as avoiding the emergence of other serious conditions, such as depression .

How to apply ergonomics at home and at work?

Now that you have seen what ergonomics is and its importance, it is essential to know how to apply it. To do this, check out some ergonomics tips that will help you both in your work at the company and when working from home !

Start by analyzing the environment and the worker

In a company, the first step to improving ergonomics is to analyze the scenario. After all, not all people will have a condition that interferes with their work or that requires change.

Therefore, it is important to analyze the environments, equipment and postures that people have when they are working.

In terms of psychology, ensuring mental health requires conducting interviews with each employee to understand their concerns and diagnosing those who experience stress or disorders.

This approach helps identify what works well in the company and what needs improvement. This principle applies not only to large corporations but also to home office or home-based work, where individuals operate as self-employed with an office at home.

In these models, analyzing and recognizing mistakes is essential to identify necessary improvements.

For example, if you know that a certain piece of furniture is causing back pain, you need to accept the condition, seek a health professional and invest in replacing the furniture to prevent the situation from getting worse.

In addition, it is also worth changing your routine and lifestyle, including specialized exercises to help strengthen your body. Another option is to force yourself to take breaks so that you don’t forget to relax and reduce stress . A good tip in this regard is the Pomodoro technique: set a timer for 25 minutes (concentration time), with 5-minute breaks (rest time).

Count on specialized professionals

Although NR17 exists to guide companies in implementing ergonomics, it is essential that it is not done haphazardly. In other words, you cannot decide to change your furniture just by going to a store and choosing a chair that has the “ergonomic” label.

To avoid further problems and not invest the wrong resources, companies and self-employed professionals need to rely on specialized help in ergonomics. This can come from any professional who has specialized in ergonomics , whether in the areas of Health, Engineering, Occupational Safety, among others. ⁵

This way, it is possible to change only what is necessary, also ensuring greater savings.

Maintain proper posture

During work hours, maintaining good posture is essential to avoid pain and injuries. In this case, this does not mean standing rigidly all the time, but rather adjusting your posture according to the activity performed.

For example, for people who work with computers al day long, it is essential that the chair is positioned neither too high nor too low , so that the feet are always supported.

In this case, it is even possible to use a footrest to make them more comfortable. Another tip is to choose a chair with lumbar support and armrests, so that your elbows are aligned at a level of 90°C.

In turn, in tasks involving carrying loads  , there are other precautions to follow. For example, you should never carry weight on your head, always preferring to carry it with your arms outstretched and close to your body. Another essential tip is to leave the path clear and as short as possible, so that loading can be done quickly and safely.

Use the right lighting

It may seem like a simple detail, but did you know that correct lighting ⁷ is closely related to ergonomics? After all, it concerns not only eye comfort, but also the prevention of headaches and great visual strain.

Therefore, the first thing to think about is screen protection when using the computer for many hours. In this case, the ideal is to keep the brightness level controlled, so that excessive brightness or lack thereof does not generate long-term consequences.

Therefore, since it is something that can be controlled by the employee, it is important to raise awareness about this aspect. Another important point is to encourage and help people who wear glasses to have lenses with special protection for working with screens . Placing a protector on each person’s computer also helps to reduce the effects of light.

In terms of environments, lighting should be planned according to the activities. In this case, it is important to balance natural light with artificial lights, so that the body does not alter its physiological schedule.

Therefore, it is possible to follow some tips such as:

• work with different lighting sources, such as spotlights and adaptive table lights to avoid strong shadows and reflections;
• use bulbs of adequate power to generate comfort in each environment, such as LEDs , which have a uniform light ;
• balance the color temperature of the lamps so that they do not generate effects that are too stimulating or too relaxing;
• use blackouts and curtains for greater light control.

Do stretching exercises

Stretching exercises help prepare your body for the position it needs to be in. Therefore, it is important to do them before starting work, as well as doing them at intervals.

According to a study published in the Scientific Journal of Nursing in 2022, for example, research highlighted the importance of this practice among healthcare workers.

In the study “Presence of musculoskeletal symptoms and effects of workplace gymnastics in administrative employees of a public hospital”, 73.3% of the 15 employees who participated in the study reported musculoskeletal pain. After the program, this number dropped to 46.6%.

Therefore, it is essential to have the guidance of experts  , in order to teach you which movements are ideal. After all, an incorrect exercise can also cause injury. For this, the ideal is for the professional to be qualified in the area: for example, an occupational physiotherapist , who has completed a postgraduate degree in ergonomics , can work in the area.

Therefore, a good practice that companies can implement is to invest in workplace gymnastics, with these professionals guiding people’s exercises during breaks. This way, it is possible to ensure that everyone will follow the practices and keep their bodies healthy.

Take regular breaks

Exercise breaks are important, but it’s also essential to take breaks to simply relax. This is because they include essential actions to keep your body healthy, such as drinking water or going to the bathroom.

Therefore, it is important for employees to take breaks from time to time, including to change position and help blood circulation. For home office workers or freelancers, they often lose track of working hours, especially since controlling productivity can be challenging. The need to maintain productivity to ensure a stable income adds to this difficulty .frequent breaks — the Pomodoro technique can help here. In addition, using work organization methods ⁸ also helps to focus concentration on the activities to be carried out, making them complete in less time and with greater productivity.

For example, in an office, industry or even at home office, the Kanban  method is one of the most popular. It is a subsystem of the Toyota production system, used to control stocks, product production, as well as information.

One of its tools is cards (“Kanban” is a Japanese word that means “card” or “signaling” in Portuguese), which are very visual and divide a project or task into small steps with a deadline, priority level, task to be performed and person responsible, aiming for its most efficient completion. Then, simply move the card according to the step: “to do”, “in progress”, “completed”.

Know how to work with realistic goals

Meeting goals is something that every company or professional has. After all, it guides activities and helps people achieve their objectives. However, they can also be dangerous when there is no control or they are not shaped according to reality.

Therefore, it is important that companies and teams work towards real and achievable goals that do not come at the cost of each employee’s health.

Adapt the space

Another physical aspect, which sometimes goes unnoticed, is the details of adapting the space ergonomically.

In this sense, there are several aspects that need to be paid attention to. For example, the recommended temperature for air conditioning and climate control systems is between 20°C and 22°C in winter and 23°C to 26°C in summer , in order to keep the environment comfortable for everyone.

Therefore, it is necessary for each person to be aware of this pattern, in order to avoid fights due to lower temperatures, as well as conditions such as migraines and sinusitis complications .

As for sound, the maximum recommended is 65 dB (decibels) . Therefore, in addition to taking care of professionals who work in noisy environments, it is also important to raise awareness about the use of sound in activities that do not involve machinery.

For example, if an employee likes to listen to music, in addition to using appropriate headphones so as not to disturb colleagues, they need to keep it at a safe level in order to avoid future hearing problems.

Is it possible to have an ergonomic environment while spending little?

Of course, there are many aspects to consider, since it refers to the adaptation of the work environment and its equipment, in order to achieve the best scenario for people to work safely and with quality of life. However, it is possible to implement it with few resources. In this case, creativity is required.

Cheap ideas to maintain ergonomics

For example, in an office, the ideal height of a monitor can be adjusted by placing it on top of stacks of books. This way, the person has their vision at the right level, and can even use this material to decorate their desk.

Another idea is to rearrange the furniture to make better use of the light and avoid glare. In addition, placing shelves and books between the desks can create a more closed environment, which provides more privacy for the employee and helps to reduce noise from the desk next to them.

Another good tip, which is very cheap, is to change the colors of the walls. This will reflect natural and artificial light differently, with less glare, which helps with visual comfort. Here, the key is to choose the colors to create a comfortable atmosphere , for example, blue , which according to Heller (2000) ¹³ is the ideal color for work environments.

What other tips can I follow to improve my work environment?

Now that you’ve seen that it’s possible to apply ergonomics without spending a lot, check out other tips that can help make your work environment more comfortable. Check it out!

Use plants

In this case, using plants is an option. After all, plants not only help to make the work environment more beautiful and relaxing, bringing the idea of ​​nature, but also some species, such as the boa constrictor  , are filter plants and improve air quality.

Create a mood with decor

The decoration of a space is an important aspect, even in a company. This is because it helps to create a comfortable atmosphere, as well as making the work environment more personal, if it is in an office.

Therefore, it is worth investing in elements that prioritize employee comfort, so that they feel comfortable in each workplace, which can even influence their productivity.

For example, family photos can make the environment more welcoming. Screens or partitions can provide the privacy that employees need to concentrate, especially if they share the same space with several other colleagues.

Be careful with strong colors

Color psychology  says that certain colors can stimulate the brain in different ways. For example, blue is a cool and calming color , while yellow is the color of creativity and alertness. 

With the growing concern about occupational diseases, such as Burnout Syndrome and back pain, in addition to the high level of stress, companies and self-employed professionals need to pay attention. It is necessary to adapt the work environment and routine in order to ensure a better quality of life.

After reading this entire article, it became clear how essential ergonomics is. After all, it not only influences productivity, which is good for the company, but also prevents problems for employees, reducing the chances of developing illnesses. So, just follow the tips we gave and adapt them to your work environment — whether at the company or at home!

Conclusion

Ergonomics plays a crucial role in enhancing workplace efficiency and employee well-being. By designing workspaces that accommodate human needs, organizations can reduce discomfort and prevent injuries. Understanding the principles of ergonomics not only boosts productivity but also fosters a healthier work environment for every Oz.

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