Ergonomics and Workplace Wellness

I attended two events today addressing issues of health and wellness in the workplace—one was pretty broad and the other focused more specifically on ergonomics. These topics have come up at some of our recent staff meetings, and I know they have come up at branches and Central recently as well, so I hoped that I might learn some useful things I could bring back with me.

The ergonomics session was led by Judy Village, a professional ergonomist from the University of British Columbia. It was targeted more toward architects and planners, and I'm not planning on being involved in any major building redesigns anytime soon, so some of it went a little over my head. But there were some very useful tips that could apply to more minor redesigns of workspace and workflow, which any of us could probably use.

For example:

• Take a "systems approach" when thinking about ergonomics. While you may think you need a new chair because your back hurts, the problem might be how you're sitting in the chair, or the amount of time you spend in it, or the kinds of things you're doing, so getting a new chair may not solve your problem.
• Think about everyone who's using the workspace, including staff, patrons, IT services, cleaning staff, supervisors/administration, occasional visitors, couriers/postage delivery, etc.
• Look at ways to revise your workspace so that similar tasks are near each other and you don't have to make a lot of awkward motions to do your day-to-day job.
• Break down processes into all their component tasks so you can analyze them and question if everything you're doing is actually necessary. Village gave an example of a library shelving operation that she broke down into 24 component tasks, 15 of which were unrelated to shelving! Eliminating unnecessary steps can make the workflow process more efficient in addition to making it safer.
• Try out different ways of organizing tasks and workspaces and evaluate them alongside one another. If you're reorganizing a space that is used by multiple workers, see how different configurations work for different-sized staff.
• Don't try to find the "perfect" posture for your chair and then sit that way all day. You should be able to achieve a neutral posture (with a straight back, right angles of knees and elbows), but posture change and movement is essential.

The second session was co-presented by Lois Dye and Siobhan Champ-Blackwel. They took a broader look at workplace wellness, arguing that it has seven components that need to be in balance: physical, environmental, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and occupational. Their presentation was based around information that can be found at the ALA-APA Circle of Wellness website, so I refer you there for some intriguing tips and tools.