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• Guidelines for workstation equipment

  Guidelines for workstation equipment

  
  

  • Is your monitor workstation at the proper working height?
  • Is your work surface large enough?
  • Are the surfaces free of distracting reflections?
  • Do the tables provide adequate leg room?

  These are among the requirements listed in a new EC guideline for monitor workstations.
  This guideline became effective for newly created and existing workstations on January 1st, 1997.
  An information sheet entitled “The health law for working with monitors” summarises the most important items within this EC guideline. Further interesting questions and answers pertaining to this issue can also be found in it.
  We will gladly send you a complimentary copy of this information sheet.
  
  
  Modern office equipment guarantees health protection
  
  
  It is in everyone's own interest to protect their health, it is also a company concern of the highest priority. Sickness and the resulting downtime lead to increased business costs. A statement by the German association of company health insurers (German BKK association) reported that sick days per member in 1999 amounted to 16 work days on average1).
  More than a quarter (27.2 %) of all the downtime results from muscle and skeletal illnesses, such as those typical in the office.
  
  
  These figures demonstrate that health protection is absolutely necessary in the office because office work is connected with high mental stress. Ergonomic and workforce oriented workstation and room planning come into effect here to reduce the strain on people. An initiative that is supported by the applicable rules and regulations for workstation design in the office.
  Here are just a few important examples:
  Sitting in static body postures strains musculature and the spine. Ergonomic, well formed work chairs support “dynamic sitting behaviour” and reduce the serious consequences on health and work quality.
  
  
  Incorrect working heights lead to tensed postures. Variable height workstations enable everyone to find an optimum sitting posture.
  
  
  Lack of movement impairs physical and mental dynamics, it reduces muscle activity and blood circulation and endangers the elasticity of the spinal discs. Workstations that encourage movement prevent sickness costs and consequential costs. A part of this is also sufficient area for movement both at the workstation and in the room.
  
  
  Direct and reflected glare when working in front of computer screen endangers people's sight. A glare-free screen arrangement is therefore mandatory.
  
  
  Insufficient or incorrect room lighting has similar consequences. This needs to be adapted to the type of work and the workstation arrangement.
  
  
  Visual and acoustic disturbances impair concentration and are “pre-programmed” sources of error. Acoustically effective wall systems “defuse” even large rooms.
  
  
  High-performance office systems provide many opportunities to maintain and encourage human output. They ensure preventative protection of health, encourage employees' motivation and commitment and reduce sickness and consequential costs.
  
  
  The German VDU workplace ordinance (BildschirmarbV) and other relevant rules and regulations define the way workstations should look. Ergonomic and technical office findings support and substantiate these rules and regulations in their most important details2).
  
  
  
  
  Important rules for arranging the workstation
  
  
  Support - don't impede
  
  
  Binding rules for work surface area - 1.28 m²:
  Single surface workstations = 1600 mm wide x 800 mm deep (at every point)
  Combinations 1.28 m² in total, 800 mm deep (at every point)
  
  Exception: workstations with low work space requirements are allowed to be reduced to 1200 mm wide.
  
  
  Working height is not the same as table height
  
  
  The individual working height is specific to each person
  The maximum working height should not exceed 750 mm
  Height adjustable workstations must have an adjustment range of at least 680 to 760 mm
  The working heights for manual and monitor activities must be the same. The height difference needs to be compensated for by lowering the work surface
  
  
  Movement yes, risk no!
  
  
  Free movement area at the “personally assigned workstation” is at least 1.5 m², at no place can this be less than 1 m, wide and 1 m deep.
  No interference or superimposition by other surfaces with the exception of
  The access to the personally assigned workstation
  The functional surfaces of furniture in the workstation provided these do not produce places where shearing, squashing or bumping may occur
  
  
  Leg room - freedom of movement
  
  
  Free, unimpaired leg room at the workstation must be at least 600 mm wide and 650 mm (690 mm is better) high.
  Workstations and room arranged for continuous change of posture - for sitting, standing and moving.
  
  
  
  
  Arrangement of monitor workstations
  
  
  Select the type of workstation according to the activity
  For pure monitor work - single-surface workstations
  For combined work - single or multi-surface workstations
  
  
  Adjust the angle of the workstation according to the activity:
  Computer-oriented activity - 90° or optimally 45°, the machine work surface is lower than the manual work surface
  Paper-oriented activity - 30° and 60° are OK, 45° is optimal, both work surfaces are at the same height
  
  
  Always up to the mark
  
  
  The first line on the monitor no higher than eye level.
  
  
  No chance of glare
  
  
  Avoid direct and/or reflected glare: no windows and no bright or illuminated surfaces behind the monitor or behind the user. Always use the correct brightness/contrast ratio.
  The user's direction of view should be parallel to the window pane.
  
  
  Recognising instead of guessing
  
  
  Regulate the ambient brightness: adjustable light shade systems are mandatory
  If possible, set up the monitor away from the walls towards the middle of the room.
  
  
  Reference sources for the most important national and international standards for office furnishing: Beuth-Verlag GmbH, 10772 Berlin.
  The applicable legal regulations for safety and protection of health are defined bythe German labour protection laws (ArbSchG) from August 7th, 1996 and the German VDU workplace ordinance (BildschirmarbV) from December 4th, 1996.
  
  
  1) BKK (company health insurance fund) press release from 13/12/2000 regarding “Sickness type statistics 1999/2000”.
  2) German VDU workplace ordinance (BildscharbV)
  German labour protection laws (ArbschG)
  DIN and EN standards for office furniture and office workstations.
  
  
  Work safety also applies to the office
  
  
  Your new office could look like this:
  
  
  Simply take advantage of our free planning service.
  Send us an office diagram with measurements and tell us your furniture preference.
  Using our CAD system, we will promptly create a furnishing proposal for your office space.
  Do you need assistance?
  Take advantage of our planning expertise.
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