Having gained particular prominence with the Covid-19 pandemic, teleworking is now the reality for many professionals, and it is essential to ensure that, even at a distance, away from the company’s premises, the conditions that safeguard the safety and physical and psychological health of workers continue to be guaranteed, in accordance with good practices and regulatory standards.
One of the key points is ergonomics, which advocates adapting the workstation/workspace to the needs of each worker, promoting individual comfort and profitability, and preventing work-related musculoskeletal injuries.
1. Main risks associated with teleworking
Ergonomic risks: main causes
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Prolonged sedentary lifestyle, with the same postures in a sitting position.
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Workstations with poor ergonomic characteristics.
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Poor posture when working.
Psychosocial risks: main causes
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Technological Stress (ortechnostress), with an individual’s inability to switch off (techno-addiction) or keep up with new technological demands (techno-anxiety).
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Slow or irregular internet and technology solutions that cause frustration and irritability.
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Prolonged isolation, with the consequent risk of burnout and feelings of exclusion.
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Conflict in reconciling professional and personal life, including the inability to disconnect from work and recover.
Example: the case of those with caring responsibilities, such as fathers and mothers with school-age children at home.
2. How to adopt the right posture when teleworking?
It is essential to adjust the furniture and work equipment to promote the well-being and comfort of the worker.
Spine: In a sitting position, keep your spine straight and flat against the back of the chair;
Feet: The feet should be perfectly flat on the floor (or if this is not possible, on a footrest) and the knees should be bent at a 90º angle;
Chair: The chair is very important and must be suitable for the job, i.e. adjustable in height to adapt to the worker’s characteristics, have lumbar support (backrest) with a protrusion similar to the curvature of the spine and have an armrest;
Monitor: The computer monitor should be placed at eye level or slightly below and be at arm’s length, between 50 and 70 cm.
To keep the monitor at eye level, you can use a stand, books or even reams of paper, just make sure that the work surface is stable;
Laptop: When using a laptop, it is recommended to use an external keyboard and mouse, and to use an adjustable base to raise the height of the laptop screen.
3. Correcting the general environment
The working space should be clean and tidy and, where possible, have little noise, a comfortable temperature and a window to allow natural light and ventilation.
The visual demands of working in front of a monitor deserve special attention, so you should check whether there is a need to increase or reduce the available light and use localized lighting. Lighting should be well distributed in relation to the work plane, not cause glare, be sufficient, not flicker and not produce a stroboscopic effect.
