Health and Safety Matters: Transform your workspace through ergonomics

Jason Dallavalle, manager of Environmental Health & Safety, helps UFV employees prevent injuries in the workplace.

Whether lifting boxes or answering emails, everyone deserves to stay safe at work — and Jason Dallavalle, manager of Environmental Health and Safety , knows a thing or two about a healthy workspace. After 20 years in the field, he can spot an injury waiting to happen, even somewhere unsuspecting like a desk. Ergonomics (the design of safe, efficient working environments) are an important part of workplace wellness; don’t let a faulty office setup put your health at risk.

“You sit at your desk for eight hours a day, but you don’t really think about it that often because it is low impact for the most part, low risk. It’s actually not great for your body to be sitting for that long of a time, right?” notes Jason.

“Everyone is shaped differently. They work differently, so you really have to fit that workstation to the worker, not a worker to the workstation.”

Good office ergonomics prevent fatigue, musculoskeletal injuries, and contact stress. These often begin as tightness in the neck, shoulders, upper back, and even the legs and feet. Even something as simple as adjusting monitor distance and brightness can prevent eye injuries, sore muscles, and fatigue.

An uncomfortable environment impacts both wellbeing and productivity — so why not make your workspace work for you?

The Environmental Health and Safety department has lots of tips for improving ergonomics , such as taking frequent micro-breaks for movement and implementing the 20/20/20 rule: for every 20 minutes of screen time, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

“It’s like a reset button for the body. You take that focus off your screen, take that deep breath in, and then you’re right back at it without losing steam on what you’re doing,” Jason suggests.

One of the most common mistakes he comes across is incorrect chair and computer monitor placement. Jason recommends keeping monitors about an arm’s length away from you at eye level. Try adjusting the height of your chair until your knees are bent at 90 degrees, and adjust the lever on the back to increase the lower back support. Adjust the height of your keyboard so elbows are bent at 90 degrees and wrists are relaxed, not flexed upward.

Got a standing desk?

“If you’re standing incorrectly, or your desk is set up incorrectly for standing, it can be worse for you than sitting. You need to have a solid core, solid base, and an efficient set up to be able to stand properly at your desk. There’s more to it than a lot of people really know or are aware of,” Jason cautions. “The standing desk is very effective. I’m pro-standing desks, but they need to be set up and used correctly.”

Not sure where to start? UFV’s Environmental Health and Safety department provides free, personalized ergonomic assessments. Good work happens when your office works its best, so click here to request a visit from an expert who can adjust your space to fit your needs.