Is your workstation fit for you?

Six months ago Shaun Tassavurrsquos physiotherapist gave him an ultimatum mdash stay away from the computer or undergo surgery A 25 yearold media professional from Virar Tassavur would spend eight to nine hours glued to his PC not realising that the mild pain in his wrist had developed into Carpal Tunnel Syndrome It is a disease of the hand characterised by numbness tingling pain and weakness Employees of JWT an advertising firm in Lower Parel participate in a yoga session which is conducted thrice a week in the office premises PicAtul Kamble The disease typically affects the thumb index and middle fingers People with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome face a higher pressure in the carpal tunnel located in the central part of the wrist that causes irritation ldquoI took it seriously only when I heard the word surgery My wrist would hurt severely in the mornings and whenever I tried to lift somethingrdquo he recalls Finally he invested Rs 1200 and Rs 1800 to buy an ergonomic mouse and keyboard respectively to save his wrist Both the products have been helpful ldquoI knew I couldnrsquot cut down on my working hours so it was important to make my body comfortablerdquo says Tassauvuru00a0 Like him Indian employees are slowly waking up to the reality of workrelated injuries caused by improper posture and nonergonomic equipment This even though the increase in the number of leaves and decrease in productivity due to office injuries was first noticed in Europe 10 years ago Today city employers too are taking a cue from multinational companies and stepping in to make the workspace ergonomically sound for their employees They are treating them as holistic individuals and not just resources Delayed correction Five years ago 33 yearold Swati Paranjpe began to get severe back and neck aches Her doctor diagnosed it as repetitive stress injury ldquoMy job as a graphic designer has me sitting at the computer for 10 hours at a stretch I could not hold the right posture for too long This went on for almost a year as I assumed it would subside on its own Finally three years ago I bought two ergonomic chairs mdash one for home and one for officerdquo says the Andheri resident who spent Rs 21000 on each chair Similarly Hiral Shah joined a software development company in Malad two months ago Within a month the 26 yearold ended up with a stiff neck and lower back pain ldquoMine is purely a desk job with very little reason to get up and very little space to walk around in office Here as at most workplaces the desks are meant for an average malersquos height So I have to keep my adjustable chair to the highest setting and my feet swell up since they are hanging in the air If I pull the chair lower so that my feet rest comfortably my shoulders are raised and back is hunched I had been alternating postures for the last one month thatrsquos when the shoulder pain beganrdquo says the Juhu resident who has worked at Adobe in the US for four years There she had an inhouse ergonomic expert who personally assessed her posture and finetuned the adjustable tables and chairs to suit her body type Inderjeet Saluja takes a 15minute exercise break to stretch her arms and wrists She folllows guidelines from the presentation that Nerolac uploads on its web portal for the benefit of its employees PicSunil Tiwari With those wonder days behind her Shah decided to make her own adjustments She invested in a small footrest to make life easy ldquoThe footrest helps relieve my feet of pressure since they donrsquot have to be unsupported for long hoursrdquo says Shah who now shells out Rs 450 on physicianmandated physiotherapy sessions Ergonomic products are mainly imported and not manufactured in India which makes them expensive ldquoPeople are reluctant to pay a few extra bucks for prevention of health problems but are ready to shell out any amount for treatmentrdquo says Suraj Choksi CEO Back Rx Spine Care Worli that sells ergonomically designed products While there is no market study for this industry Choksirsquos sales figures have shown an increase of 200 per cent in the sale of ergonomic products in the last three years Employeefriendly offices At Nerolacrsquos five factories spread across the country ergonomic training is provided to employees who have to lift and move cartons of all shapes and sizes ldquoEvery month we call ergonomic specialists to explain to workers how to carry a particular weight and save their bodies from injuries and spasmsrdquo says Shrikant Bikhale vice president HR Nerolac A year ago the company also started an ergonomic awareness programme for its desk staff Powerpoint presentations and exercise routines are uploaded on their internet portal so that employees can perform the exercises at their desks ldquoThe PPTs inform employees about illnesses that are creeping into workplaces such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome back and neck problems and solutions to keeping them at bayrdquo says Bikhale The company also conducts a monthly programme called Samvas which means dialogue In each session a specialist is invited to speak to employees on health topics which range from diabetes and stress management to the importance of exercise The training has worked wonders for Indrajeet Saluja a 24 yearold IT executive working in the company ldquoI heard the term ergonomics for the first time at the presentation Not all body types are the same but tiny adjustments help fit your body to your workstationrdquo he says Today during an eighthour workday he makes time to perform small exercises to keep aches and pains at bay ldquoAfter lunch I follow the wrist exercises mentioned in the training module which helps keep my hand light and flexiblerdquo she explains For employees of JWT an advertising firm in Lower Parel it is time to switch off on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 pm Yoga Acharya Utkarsh Sanjanwala conducts a yoga session for 15 employees and helps them stretch out their tired sedentary muscles and relax the body The sessions have helped Ishita Mehar an account manager at JWT sleep soundly ldquoBeing an ad agency our schedules are erratic mdash we have an intime but we never know what time we will go homerdquo smiles Mehar who was suffering from backache headaches eye strain and disturbed sleep ldquoNow I end up working two hours even after the sessionrdquo she smiles ldquoThe problems of a desk job are many mdash sitting for long hours constant body conditioning due to air conditioners stressful travelling to work My class focuses on destressing them ensuring they have a good time and leave the room feeling refreshedrdquo says Sanjanwala who focuses mostly on Yog Nidra Pawan Muktasan and Prananyam as these asanas relax the entire body ldquoParticipants practice at their own pace as the aim is to rejuvenate and heal not to exhaust themrdquo says Sanjanwala who has devised unique 710 minute packages of asanas mudras pranayam and bandhas for employees with specific problems to perform during the day Product List gtgt Office Chair Keeps the back properly alignedu00a0with a special mesh to support the back and naturally conform to the shape of your body Cost Rs 7000 Back Rx Spine Care Keyboard It helps reduce Carpal Tunnel Syndrome due tou00a0its natural wrist and arm alignment Cost Approx Rs 3800u00a0Available at all electronic stores Mouse It assumes the natural position of your wrists and does not require you to twist your forearm Cost Rs 1800 Available at all electronic stores Lumbar support Supports the neck and minimises the pressure on the upper back Cost Rs 3263 Back Rx Spine Care Back Rx Spine Care Call 24932457 or visit wwwbackrxspinecarecom Innofitt Systems Call 26876868 or visit innfittcom Evavo Wellness Call 66606636 or visit wwwevavocom 5u00a0questions foru00a0Girish Nu00a0Asst professor Dept of Physiotherapy Manipal University What is the importance of office ergonomic facilities The importance of ergonomics is prevention and rehabilitation It is the science that helps in the prevention of workrelated injuries disorders which arise due to various risk factors at work such as faulty postures repetitive motions contact stress and the use of inappropriate furniture These disorders are progressive in nature and are diagnosed after many years at work Application of the principles of ergonomics helps in the prevention of workrelated injuries How does an ergonomic facility help up the productivity of employees Directly it improves the biomechanical efficiency of working and indirectly it reduces absenteeism hospital expenses and results in improved selfesteem and better psychological morale What are the points that employers can keep in mind for the benefit of their employees Employees must be educated regarding good working positions and postures the risk factors present in the job and how to avoid reduce those The office furniture should be occupation savvy Companies should provide appropriate engineering or administrative level modifications if risk factors for injuries are identified Physical fitness programmes should be conducted regularly What are the negative aspects of poor ergonomic facilities at workplaces A bad working posture will increase the risk of injuries as the incorrect posture is maintained day after day How can one overcome them on a personal individual level People must identify the risk factors at the earliest and make simple but crucial arrangements to their workstations Simple things such as feet touching the ground and being perpendicular to the body keeping the screen at eye level a wellsupported back etc can go a long way And everyone who has a desk job must get some exercise in the day u00a0