Is DSE equipment the only solution to manage work station discomfort?

Is ergonomic equipment the only solution?

I am often asked to provide advice on work station assessments or display screen equipment (DSE). Usually this is because an employee has reported either lower back pain, or they are experiencing upper limb pain, in their wrist or hand.

Often they have completed their online DSE assessment when they first started their role, but they have started to experience aches and pains that appear when prolonged sitting.

My role as an occupational health advisor is to consider why the employee is in pain, and what is stopping them working productively.

My first piece of advice is to ask the employee what hurts, and when does it hurt. Is the pain better on days off, or during annual leave? If so, why? What are they doing differently? In many cases the answer is that they are able to move freely, and never prolonged sit. It is often prolonged sitting which causes niggles to materialise.

Once I have established what hurts and what makes it hurt, I review the employee at their workstation, and ask them to turn on their computer and start working on a task or document. Usually observing the employee provides a huge amount of information to why the employee is in pain. Sometimes it is because their upper limb is outstretched, and they are working outside their frame. Other times their screens are too far at the back of the desk, and they adapt their working space to accommodate. On occasions their chair is not fit for purpose, or it is not the correct size for the employee. There appears to be this myth, that a new chair will fix everything.  As soon as the employee is issued with a chair, they will be able to prolong sit, all pain resolved. However unfortunately this is not always the case.

A vital part of good DSE assessment is to provide opinion on the employee’s posture. With out good postural advice, the DSE assessment is limited. The purchase of ergonomic equipment to be only part of the solution. For the employee to benefit, and ultimately decrease their pain, they need to address why they are in pain. Employees often sit at desks for 80% of their working day. If they are working 35 hours a week, that can amount to 28 hours per week sat in an incorrect posture. Over time, postural changes will occur, as our posture is just a reflection of how our muscles will are working. Fast forward, 2,5, or 10 years and this incorrect movement pattern will have detrimental effects on the employee, leading to compensation injuries and potential accelerated wear and tear on the joints and soft tissue.

Advice to all concerned in DSE assessments, users and trainers, is see the purchase of ergonomic equipment as part of the solution. Perhaps there is not a 100% solution, but with education, increased self-awareness regarding posture and movement patterns the employee is likely to be pain and niggle free, and ultimately happier. And we all know that a happy worker is a productive worker.

For assistance with DSE assessments, please contact us for further information.