The Skinny On “Active” Work Stations and Ergonomic Furniture

Pun Intended…

Ergonomics is the “melding” of man and machine in order to provide for the most accommodating (comfortable, safe, reliable, functional, useable), experience for the human being or “Designing for Human Use”.

their figures were “generous”.

The Skinny On “Active” Work Stations and Ergonomic Furniture – PART_01

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I recently read an article, which discussed “Active Work Stations”, and ergonomic furniture. As I read it, I became increasingly perplexed by the misuse of the word “ergonomic”. The article also noted a study done at the mayo clinic in 2011, and another done at the University of Tennessee in 2009. I don’t know all of the specifics about how these studies were conducted. Although I ultimately agree with both conclusions, it is my professional opinion that, (5 year degree with thesis in Industrial Design/Engineering with many years of human factors /ergonomic design study, years of added self-education, observational testing, and scientific method analysis), their figures were “generous”.

There has been a recent trend in office environments to use both “active work stations”, and additionally “ergonomic” office furniture. It is increasingly more common to see inflatable balls at someone’s desk or to see employees standing, rather than sitting at their desks.

Active Work Stations:

Many companies are making use of “active work stations”. One such device is basically a desk, attached to a treadmill. The idea is that a person can walk (exercise), while working. While it is possible to work while working, what is the efficiency of this work or for that matter what is the quality of the exercise, and further, how safe is “working” under these conditions. The 2011 study found that medical transcriptionists had a decrease in efficiency of 16% while typing and walking. The article also points to another study at the University of Tennessee in 2009, where fine motor skills were reduced by 11% (clicking a mouse). I believe both of these figures are extremely low, but based upon a noticeable reduction in efficiency for even the most basic of actions, one can see the challenge of simultaneously working and exercising.

The Skinny On “Active” Workstations and Ergonomic Furniture – PART_02

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In these types of studies, there are many variables that must be addressed:

1) What is the task/work?

While it seems obvious that trying to both type and walk at the same time will increase the difficulty of both tasks, what is being typed also really matters. Subjects like stenographers who type while listening to spoken word. They are quite accustomed, through the use of shorthand at abbreviating what they hear, thus reducing the amount of time it takes them to transcribe spoken words. Consider a worker thinking about their own words to write or compiling a group of ideas or documents and words and also accurately typing these words into a computer or drawing or performing calculations for that matter. This by far is a much more difficult task or group of tasks than just merely dictating.

2) How fast is the treadmill going?

Again. While it seems obvious that trying to both type and walk at the same time will increase the difficulty of both tasks, how fast is the treadmill going (how hard is one actually exercising), and how efficient is the worker at keeping her balance, regulating her gait and speed, and safely judging her distance in all directions while on the tread deck.

Not only is it dangerous to both work and exercise at the same time, it is inefficient, and both tasks suffer considerably. I have found that a task such as simply reading a page of text at 0.5 mph on a flat deck decreases the reading speed of the user. An increase in speed causes two things to happen; first a marked decrease in reading speed, and second, a marked reduction in reading comprehension.

Conversely, a marked decrease in speed while focusing on the task of reading, and a further decrease in speed while reading for increased comprehension of the text. In addition, at increased speeds, starting at 1.5 mph, the user becomes unstable on the deck and begins to irregularly track up, down and side to side, as well as increasingly rely upon hand rail leaning in an attempt to stabilize herself. This stabilization through leaning decreases exercise efficiency of up to 90% at higher speeds. As the difficulty of the tasks increase, the efficiency and proficiency of the work decreases. The easier the task/work, the more efficient the user is at being able to both exercise and work. A CEO who is dictating to an assistant may be able to obtain 75% - 90% efficiency while simultaneously running on a treadmill and speaking, but how many workers are in this position. While the most basic tasks of clicking on a mouse and taking dictation have a decrease in efficiency of more than 11% and 16 % respectively, I would argue that both the efficiency and proficiency of any more difficult motor and cognitive work, would be as low as 50% - 100% depending upon the tasks and the increase of exercise.

The Skinny On “Active” Work Stations and Ergonomic Furniture – PART_03

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Ergonomic Furniture:

Many companies and employees are making use of “ergonomic office furniture”. So what is “ergonomic”? The International Ergonomics Association defines it as such: “ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.”

As an industrial designer and engineer who has studied ergonomics, and designs ergonomic products.

I can simplify this definition:

Ergonomics is the “melding” of man and machine in order to provide for the most accommodating (comfortable, safe, reliable, functional, useable), experience for the human being or “Designing for Human Use”. True Ergonomic products address not just the physical properties of a product, but also the psychological, emotional, and social properties of a product.

The word ergonomic is derived from the Greek words:

"ergon," meaning work, and "nomoi," meaning natural laws (Human capabilities in relation to work-demands). These work demands may be at the desk, in an automobile or on a treadmill.

SO… Is a treadmill with a desk “ergonomic”? I would have to say no for the simple reason that running while working is the opposite of “optimize human well-being and overall system performance”, as combining these to human activities actually causes the opposite to happen.

The Skinny On “Active” Workstations and Ergonomic Furniture – PART_04

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The word ergonomics is thrown around a great deal these days in marketing and advertising, but the truth is that very few products, “including” many exercise machines are ergonomic. There are four very good reasons for this.

1 – Aesthetics. Style always seems to trump ergonomics (function). Looks and style are what sells a product.

2 - Cost. Price plays a big roll in being able to sell a product, and more often than not, at least for now, ergonomic equals more expensive.

3 - Social Stigma. If everyone in your office is sitting on a traditional chair, and your “ergonomic alternative” is to sit on a bright purple inflatable bubble that looks like a beetle, chances are you might settle for the chair because of social pressure.

4 - They lie. The word ergonomic in anything, especially furniture and exercise equipment is a big selling point, but much of the time, these very products are not ergonomic at all.

I have also found that the biggest problem with ergonomic furniture is:

1 - The User. Simply, most people are not using these products correctly, and no one is educated enough in the office or gym to correct these ergonomic issues. Case in point; I am sitting on an ergonomic chair as I type this article/blog/discussion. There is only one correct way to sit on this chair, but many incorrect ways.

2 – The Product. Simply, most people are not using these chairs properly because the products they have chosen are incorrect or the inferior products.

What Is The Answer:

When it comes to work the simplest answer is, just work. When you are not working, then exercise. The solution to stress, sickness, obesity, tiredness, inefficiency, and boredom in the work place is philosophical. In my studies, and indeed in my own office, I have found that workers who have the freedom to move, leave their desks, stretch, nap, and exercise are incredibly productive, healthy, happy and in shape people. Giving the go ahead for that 1-hour lunch to exercise and a couple 15-30-minute breaks during the day not only energizes workers, but helps them become more productive as well. Yes. There are deadlines in all offices, and this is often unavoidable, but as a rule, an office environment which allows workers to exercise (work-out, walk, run, swim, yoga, etc.), and even power nap produces more proficient, and efficient workers at the end of the day. And. Let’s face it, in an 8 hour work day, many workers only perform about 4- 5 hours of real work (from my research and my own anecdotal observations in the work force, booth as an employee and a boss), so why not make those productive hours even more productive, and why not make those unproductive hours productive and healthy as well.

-PT|HAX™

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