Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of how people interact with the tools, environments and systems they work with, and the practice of designing those things to suit people rather than the other way round. The International Ergonomics Association defines it as the discipline concerned with understanding these interactions, and the profession that applies theory, data and methods to design “in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance”. The word comes from the Greek ergon, work, and nomos, laws, and ergonomics and human factors are used interchangeably (IEA).

What does ergonomics cover?

The IEA describes three domains (IEA):

• Physical ergonomics: working postures, repetitive movements, workplace layout and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This is the desk, chair, screen, keyboard and mouse.
• Cognitive ergonomics: mental workload, decision-making, human-computer interaction and work stress.
• Organisational ergonomics: how work is designed and organised, including working times, teamwork and telework.

For people who sit all day, the physical side gets the attention, but the other two matter as well. When you take breaks, how long you stay on one task and how stressful the work is are all ergonomics questions. The practical guides on monitor setup, office chair setup, laptop posture and microbreaks cover both kinds.

Office ergonomics and the law in Great Britain

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations apply to workers who use screens daily for continuous periods of an hour or more. Employers must do a workstation assessment, reduce risks (including making sure people take breaks or switch to other tasks), provide an eye test on request, and give training and information. The rules cover fixed desks, mobile workers, home workers and hot-desking. The HSE notes that poor screen use or badly designed workstations can lead to pain in the neck, shoulders, back, arms, wrists and hands, as well as fatigue and eye strain (HSE).

An assessment is needed when a workstation is set up, when a new user starts, when something changes, and when a user reports pain or discomfort. Software can help, but it is not an assessment on its own; a trained assessor should review the results (HSE). See workstation assessment, or run through the workstation checklist yourself.

What does the evidence say about office ergonomics?

It is less clear-cut than product claims suggest:

• Equipment. A Cochrane review of 15 trials with 2,165 office workers found inconsistent evidence for arm supports and alternative mice. Moderate-quality evidence from two studies showed that an arm support combined with an alternative mouse reduced new neck or shoulder disorders. Single trials of workstation adjustment and of sit-stand desks found no effect on upper limb pain (Hoe et al., 2018).
• Breaks. The same review found very low-quality evidence that extra breaks reduce discomfort in data entry workers.
• Training. Evidence for ergonomics training alone was low to very low quality. In one trial, a highly adjustable chair combined with training reduced the build-up of symptoms over the working day at 12 months, while training alone did not (Amick et al., 2003).

There is also no single correct posture. When 25 healthy people typed for 15 minutes in four different sitting postures, upright or slumped, with or without forearm support, every one of them raised pain ratings by a clinically relevant amount (Christensen et al., 2023). Changing position and getting up matter alongside the setup itself. For standing desks, see Are standing desks worth it?

When the setup isn’t enough

A good workstation reduces strain, but it doesn’t replace medical advice. See a GP if neck pain hasn’t gone after a few weeks or comes with pins and needles or a cold arm (NHS), or if back pain isn’t improving after a few weeks of looking after it at home (NHS). Employers looking at the wider picture can read about Bavelu for teams.