What to consider when building an office equipment list for employees
Here are a few things to consider when creating an office equipment list for employees.
1) Specifications: ensure the items specifications fit the employee.
It's easy to base everything off of a person’s height however other factors also play a part when choosing the right piece of equipment. Such as arm length, hand size and previous injuries to name a few.
2) Job Task: What do your employees need to get their job done safely?
Are they testing phone apps all day, in back to back zoom calls or reading through documents most of the time? All of these job tasks require a different job function from our bodies. Knowing what your employees are in need of can help you determine what equipment is correct for them.
3) Real estate: Space is a huge component playing a role especially with employees working from home.
It’s not uncommon to perform an ergonomic assessment on employees who believe they need to buy a desk converter to make a designated area for themselves to work on. However, after reviewing their own pictures of their current workspace and having them take measurements of the desk they’re currently utilizing then comparing these measurements to the desk converter they had in mind we determine the converter would have been too high and too large. They would have faced the risk of contact stress along the forearms as well as the converter possibly falling on them because it was not suitable for the table they planned on using it on. We determined they would benefit from a keyboard tray instead.
4) Budget: Budget is not just about the item’s price but also about wasteful purchases not suitable for the employee.
You want to ask yourself “Am I paying for a person’s idea of what they want out of their workday or a realistic expectation.” Many people read reviews about amazing equipment that promise a better life, for example a treadmill desk, however is this really what the employee needs and will use properly? I for one know that if I walked while I worked I would more than likely fall flat on my face or worst onto the screen. I prefer to alternate meetings from zoom, where I sit, then phone call where I walk around with my headphones (stretching when possible). Routine change works just as well!! Therefore, in order to make the equipment distribution cost effective you want to educate those purchasing to eliminate wasteful purchases.
5) Education: Education is gold when it comes to purchasing equipment for yourself or others.
There are many ways to get it wrong and knowing how that can happen can be extremely impactful for all parties. For example, everyone’s body is different and we know that but do we know why? This matters because the slightest difference in height can alter angles on our bodies which can lead to compression of precious nerves that keep our bodies working the way they should and can then lead to injury in the long run.
Also, knowing how equipment should be used can help determine if it’s a right fit for that individual. For example, did you know the longer you stand the longer your body is exposed to compression forces along the back, knees and pretty much your entire lower extremities. We shouldn’t stand for longer than 20-30 minutes at a time and when people really REALLY listen to their bodies they learn they only tolerate 15min. Now, if knowing you should move every 30 minutes to use a piece of equipment safely are you willing to do it? Is it worth investing in? Maybe it’s not.
Improper use of equipment can cause long term injury and knowing what fits the person's size, space, job task and work habits can help when creating an equipment list with guides to help those choosing. There are many individuals like myself out there that can help guide you through this process or even help each employee find the right equipment for them. It can save you money, time and most of all prevent injury.