Architects of their own downfall in the office

Safety and comfort in the workplace is beneficial to both employee and employer ...

"Badly designed offices are seriously undermining the productivity of staff, claims research carried out among managers.

A report, supported by the Design Council and produced by the international architecture firm, Gensler, claims that making people work in unsuitable and unpleasant surroundings cuts productivity by a fifth and costs British business billions of pounds in lost output each year.

Workplace morale is undermined by offices which are uncomfortable and unattractive, says the report, with complaints over lack of space, inappropriate office layout and an assumption among staff that the biggest factor in office design has been cutting costs."   continued ...   (Via Guardian)

A highly productive office.

Ergonomics as Computer Devices Grow Smaller and Smaller

As devices become smaller and smaller, recognition for ergonomically enhanced peripherals are getting much more attention ...

"If Cyberhand Technologies International, Inc. is any indication of the future of ergonomics for wireless devices, then watch out! The Canadian manufacturer recently received a very large order for 3 of its peripheral designs:

CT4700 Wireless Keyboard
X Series Controller
Advanced Computer Pointing Device

The order came from Connection Devices Distribution, Inc., a company that dominates the U.S. market share for these type of peripherals. With this new business relationship, Cyberhand is poised to be seen as a "a premier manufacturer of quality, performance driven Pointing Devices and Smart Wireless Keyboards"."   continued ...   (Via BellaOnline)

Ergonomic assistance.

The Alternative Work Force: Safety Challenges When Employees Work Remotely

How to ensure a safe work environment for distance workers ...

"It is estimated that between 30 and 40 million people in the United States are now either telecommuters or home-based employees. Sales and service personnel, working in primarily non-supervised situations, also constitute a large percentage of our work force.

The growing trend toward building an alternative workplace, including various combinations of non-traditional work settings, practices and locations, is accompanied by some unique management challenges for safety, health and environmental excellence. Safety professionals require skills to help prevent accidents and incidents in these situations. At the same time, alternative employees require personal or self-management skills to help them take responsibility for SH&E performance.

Pharmaceutical companies, for example, employ thousands of sales and detail people who travel alone to physicians' offices, pharmacies, supermarkets and the like. Machinery and parts manufacturers, computer hardware and software manufacturers and many other companies that supply an intermediary manufacturer or the end-user have scores of mechanics and service personnel who travel and work in unfamiliar environments. This poses an ongoing challenge for their safety, health and well-being."   continued ...   (Via Occupational Hazards)

Safety while working at home.

The National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition

Advanced Registration.

Keep Your Eyes On The Road and Your Hands Upon the Wheel

Tools for assisting drivers to drive safely ...

"Someone at Toyota has been sitting shotgun with me. And to prove it, the company has come up with what my friends and family have wished for since I [somehow] got my license many years ago. A new image-processing computer system using a camera near the steering wheel will detect when a driver stops looking at the road. And to let you and everyone else in the car know you’re not paying attention, there will be a nice beeping noise like when you forget to put your seatbelt on. If you still refuse to take your eyes off your radio, cigarette lighter or the cows on the side of the road, the brakes will just kick in for you. Genius, I say. The feature will be offered in Lexus luxury models in Japan next spring."   continued ...   (Via Gizmodo)

Helping us drive more safely.

Microsoft Takes Comfort to a New Level With Advanced Ergonomics

Trying to get a more comfortable fit and, perhaps, reducing injuries ...

"Continuing its commitment to delivering the most comfortable peripherals available, Microsoft Corp. today launched three new products designed to make time on the PC more comfortable than ever. A revolutionary ergonomic keyboard design, a sleek Comfort Curve Keyboard and an affordable High Definition optical mouse showcase the latest innovations in ergonomics and make time spent on the PC more enjoyable.

Equipped with breakthrough comfort enhancements and designed for those who already love split keyboards, Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 debuts a proprietary “gull wing” design featuring a new 14-degree gable that brings the keys closer to the users’ fingers, reducing unnecessary motion while encouraging a more natural typing position. In addition, an optional palm rest for a 7-degree reversed slope, a cushioned wrist rest and a 12-degree split encourage better wrist and arm alignment, allowing users to work and play on their computer in a more natural and instinctive position.

Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is equipped with timesaving features including a Zoom Slider that is conveniently located in the middle of the keyboard for effortless control without requiring users to take their hands off the keys. In addition, Back and Forward buttons and My Favorites Keys enable users to easily navigate Web pages and commonly used documents with the touch of a button."   continued ...   (Via NFHO)

New Comfort Keyboard.

MP3 players may cause hearing loss

Continuous loud noise will impair hearing regardless of source ...

"Technology giveth, technology taketh away. Cellphones cause brain cancer, wearing a tattoo t-shirt will certainly end in a much deserved poser pummeling, and now…listening to your MP3 player causes hearing loss. A study by Harvard Medical School found that the in-ear-style headphones increased sound levels “by up to 9 decibels” over can-style headphones — that’s the sound of normal breathing at the low-end but significant at high levels on the exponential decibel scale! Ok, so that increase alone won’t shatter your drum but the study also finds these headphones inefficient at blocking out background noise providing incentive to crank it up baby, yeeeah! Harvard creds not good enough for ya? A study completed last month in Australia shows a quarter of all people surveyed listened to their “iPods at volumes that could cause long term hearing damage.” Well, none of this should be a surprise — just think of how many times those Haight Street Gap workers blast their Juice Newton to avoid the incessant slur of “doses” and “sticky green buds.”   continued ...   (Via Engadget)

Loud noise is not a good thing.