With the emergence of the new Omicron Covid 19 variant, Inspired Ergonomic’s clients are reporting the on going concern amongst employees return to the office.
It was only 2 weeks ago that we were providing a walkthrough service for a large law firm, checking in and providing ergonomic advise and support for employees who were only just returning to the office after working from home since the start of the first lockdown. There was a general air of relief to be allowed back in, but the concern for their safety is now returning.
Since the beginning of the pandemic we have provided 1,000s of remote homeworking assessments to our corporate clients, in addition to the in person office visits we provide. As part of this service, we offer a free pre assessment form. This is starting to generate some interesting statistics that support the anecdotal evidence that we have witnessed in the increase of the following musculoskeletal issues when working from home. The image above is taken from our questionnaire which captures the most common issues that are being reported. These include:
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Headaches
- Visual fatigue
- Lower back pain
We see a direct correlation between those who exercise more and have less pain and those who have significantly reduced their exercise levels since working from home, with the lack of commute and the blurring of work and home life, making it difficult to remember to take a break.
So during our one to one ergonomic DSE assessments, workshops and walkthroughs, we concentrate on providing advise, not only on posture and psychological prompts to encourage working well, but also an education on exercise hacks and tips on how to balance your home and work life and stress management techniques.
The huge rise in headaches reported has been unique to homeworking, with some experiencing such severe headaches, often for the first time, that they have sought medical advise and been for MRI’s. Yet, investigations are often negative, with shoulder and neck tension from adopting continuous awkward postures for hours on end, dehydration, lack of movement and visual fatigue being the cause. As soon as these are addressed, the headaches quickly ease.
For more help and advise, contact us at [email protected] or enquire about our free risk assessment form.
