Even though they don't do any heavy work, a surprisingly high number of office employees claim to suffer from pain and distress in the lower back every so often. Managers are always quick to point out bad habits employees tend to indulge in over the weekend as the cause of this pain – but don't underestimate the importance of good quality office furniture!
According to the statistics Makrosafe has generated over the past twelve months, problems with the lower back were a significant contributor to absenteeism in almost every industry. Seeing the Iron and Steel industry somewhere near the top of the list shouldn't come as a surprise, but the presence of the Trade and Commerce industry is astonishing, particularly as it is the Personal Services industry that really outdoes all others combined. The majority of employees in these professions are required to remain stationary for prolonged periods.
Lower back problems are often attributed to carrying heavy materials or over-exercising when doing sport. But doing out work while simply sitting in the wrong position or in an awkward position can be just as dangerous as carrying heavy bags, for example.
The South African workforce is unique: it is the only workforce in the world that works in a developing country, that is multicultural, but poorly educated, and that is equipped with first world technology. The consequence of this is that our labour intensive workforce, equipped with first world technology, is expected to meet the output demands of the fully mechanised First World.
Employees seated uncomfortably for the whole day will, eventually, develop problems in the lower back. This can be avoided easily if employees have seats and desks that can be adjusted in height or if they have a proper foot-rest. Employees who are desk-bound for most of the day should sit comfortably, with both their elbows resting comfortably on the desk. And regular breaks, or even doing some exercise, could reduce the possibility of getting injured.
Some companies have decided to actively enforce exercise breaks, while other companies simply hand-out leaflets detailing simple exercises that employees can do while seated at their desks. More forward thinking companies, like Google and IBM (listed as top-employers globally), combine the best of both solutions: they have introduced standing meeting rooms and treadmill desks, where employees (have to) exercise while performing tasks.
Preventing lower-back problems and other injuries related to ergonomics, is becoming increasingly important, not just to safe-guard the labour force, but also to adhere to legislation. Ergonomics has now been included in the new Construction Regulations and the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) offers credits when ergonomically friendly companies apply for a green building certification. They have even launched a Green Interiors Toolkit, which also looks at ergonomics.
If you wonder what 'green' has to do with lower-back problems or ergonomics within your company, please consider this: listed companies have to comply with King III and a Code of Governance Principles. The principles have been so well-received that even non-listed companies have decided to adopt these. 'Green' and 'Ergonomics' are two very important chapters in the code. If companies fail to adhere to these, they could be penalised by many other institutions besides the Department of Labour. Not complying with the law is one thing; losing business because your company is no longer accepted as being a partner of the required standard, is something else ' and
certainly more worrisome.
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