Desk-bound dangers

Firemen and rodeo clowns can usually expect to have a hard day at the office. But just sitting at your desk can also be hazardous.

By: David Moseley

Aeroplanes are safe.Cars aren’t, so the stats tell us. Buying honey from aisle six at Woolworths is risk-free. Swabbing your toast through a humming beehive, on the other hand, may have some repercussions. Prisons offer a cold, hard environment – where danger lurks at every drop of the soap – and are generally regarded as less than desirable places to hang out.

Your office, although very much like a prison, offers a far more congenial and safer setting. Or not.

If you knew what was really good for you, you’d take your chances in jail. At least there you can have a lie-down without management walking in.

Your dimly lit, badly designed office or cubicle is where the real threats linger. And we’re not just talking about the side effects of a poorly executed office romance, although that’s a bitch too.

“Poor office ergonomics, stress, excessive work pressure and long working hours without breaks can all lead to a series of chronic injuries,” according to occupational-health specialist Vivienne Stern. “If you’re not wise about your workstation, you could develop musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limbs, eye strain and stress-related illnesses like headaches and insomnia.”

Unfortunately, most people don’t have a choice. Sitting slouched behind a computer for eight hours or more is a fact of life. Deadlines need to be met, hours get extended, aches become pains, pains become chronic. It’s a circle and it’s vicious.

“Even worse,” observes Stern, “is that people don’t realise what they’re doing to themselves until it’s too late.”

You, the giddy worker bee, will develop a chronic injury if you don’t understand the finer points of office management. If you’ve ever experienced late-afternoon headaches, slump in energy or eye strain, you’re definitely in the market for an office injury. If not, then you’re obviously a CEO who spends too much time on the golf course.

“The majority of injuries go unreported. Of the ones that do, few of the repetitive-strain injuries will be registered as they happen over time and companies won’t take responsibility,” reveals Stern.

STIFF-UPPER EVERYTHING

Musculoskeletal disorders – also known as repetitive-stress injuries – can occur in your arms, hands, fingers, wrists, legs, neck, back and shoulders. Basically everywhere you don’t really need them. To prevent injuries to these mostly vital body parts you need a properly designed workspace.

“Repetitive-stress injuries,” warns Stern, “are no fun in the long run. After a while it’s not that easy to get rid of them.” She offers the example of a stiffening neck.

“People often start to feel their necks getting stiff. They ignore it; take some medication, but the pain keeps coming back. And they keep taking pills. These are the warning signs. If you leave it too late you’ll eventually get to a stage where, barring surgery, nothing can be done. If you don’t read the warning signs your pain will eventually develop into a chronic injury.”

PREVENTION BEATS PILLS

Ensuring that your surrounding work utilities are within touching distance is a good first step. “Try and keep everything that you are going to use throughout the day close by,” recommends Stern. “The mouse, phone, keyboard, pens, notepads, anything, should all be within immediate reach so that you don’t have to constantly stretch.”

Other preventive measures include:
- Adjusting your computer monitor. The top of your screen should be at eye level and an arm’s length away.
- Desk space. Your desk should have enough leg room to ensure you’re not kicking Bob’s cubicle every time you move. Because then Bob will get angry – and possibly hit you.
- Posture. Tilt your head five (or fewer) degrees forward. Don’t do it too often – you’ll look like you’re in constant agreement with yourself.

WRISTY BUSINESS

If you’re feeling a few tingles in your fingertips or numbness and weakness in your hand or fingers, there’s a good chance you could be developing carpal-tunnel syndrome.

The aching is caused by pressure on the median nerve in the wrist and, if left untreated, the pain could have you gasping in agony the next time you reach for a mug of coffee. You’re most likely to be afflicted if you spend long hours typing, doing data entry or playing with your mouse.

“More and more people are taking their work home with them, so the day doesn’t end at 5pm,” says Stern.

“Excessive after-work use and poor typing techniques are contributing factors to the increasing number of carpal-tunnel-syndrome sufferers. People are also typing more because of the convenience of e-mail. It all adds up.”

To avoid blood-curdling screams the next time you forward a chain-letter e-mail (although you probably deserve it for inflicting the annoying epistle on your colleagues), try this:
- Break it up. Not the keyboard – even if this would make you feel better. “Take micro-breaks from typing and move around, otherwise you load your joints and, hey presto! – instant agony,” warns Stern.

- Change your mouse. Try an infrared mouse for ease of movement.

- Learn to touch type. Bashing down on your hapless keyboard, one finger at a time, is not typing. That’s called pressing down a key.

- Lower your keyboard and keep your joints in a neutral position. Adjust your keyboard so that it allows parallel hand-forearm posture. “It helps to use a wrist rest. Keep the wrist rest in line with the home row of the keys (the row covering A to L) and you should feel an improvement,” advises Stern.

HEAD HUNTED

Do you feel your head aching beyond belief late in the afternoon? Does your brain feel like it’s trying to squeeze out through your eyeballs? Do the first few lines of this paragraph sound like an infomercial?

If you answered yes, you’re not alone. The onset of late-afternoon headaches is a common occurrence in the modern working world. (And infomercials get too much TV airtime.)

“Job dissatisfaction, hunched-up shoulders, tension and work pressure all contribute to headaches,” reveals Stern. “If you’re not happy at work, raise your issues. Often it just takes a small release to ease the mental strain.”

A noisy working environment can also contribute to a throbbin’ noggin. If you don’t have the luxury of an office, politely ask your fellow cubicle dwellers to keep it down.

Everyone’s in the same boat, so chances are they’ll be obliging. If you don’t mind the noise, follow these steps to an ache-free head
- 1. Get some air. Sitting hunched at your desk doesn’t allow your lungs to fully inflate, plus you’re taking in recycled air. Get out more.

- 2. Lighten up. Make sure that your monitor is the brightest part of the room. Remove anything that glows or reflects from your line of vision.

- 3. Dimmer down. If you can, turn your office lighting down and use a desk lamp.

- 4. Get the right glasses. Most lenses are designed for reading print and may not be good for computer work. Get your eyes checked.

- 5. Have a look. If you have a room with a view, use it. Every 20 minutes or so, break away from your work and focus on something in the distance. This will help your eyes refresh their focus.

HOW’S YOUR BACK, JACK?

Sitting on your backside all day is a nine-to-five occupational hazard – that’s if you’re lucky enough to work from nine to five. If you are deskbound all day, you already have to fend off paper cuts, errant staples and misplaced drawing pins. But you also need to worry about compressing the lower vertebrae in your spine through poor posture.

“The least amount of compression you can expose your spine to is when you’re lying in bed,” says Stern.

“The most is when you’re sitting in a chair all day.”

The solution isn’t rocket science. People who lead a sedentary lifestyle outside the office are also more at risk of developing back strains than those who exercise regularly.

“You would be surprised at the number of people who injure themselves at work by simply stretching for something or lifting an object that’s slightly too heavy,” reveals Stern.

Do this to avoid embarrassing back pains at inopportune moments:
- Shake a leg. And an arm. You may get some funny looks from the rest of your team, but at least your spine will still be able to lift and support your grandchild as you edge into your twilight years.

- Take mini-breaks from your desk, as opposed to lengthy lunch-hour recesses. A one-minute break every 20 minutes will help to relieve tension and loosen stiff muscles. “Stretch your arms, shoulders and back during these breaks,” Stern advises.

- When the music stops, change your chair. If you’re still sitting on a chair that looks like it belonged to a bank teller, circa 1984, bin it immediately. “Your chair should have a five-point-star base with wheels for stability and mobility, an adjustable backrest that provides lumbar support and an adjustable seat, while the armrests should be padded and adjustable,” Stern explains. Now you know. Remember: posture makes perfect. Keep your spine straight, your shoulders relaxed and chin tucked in slightly. If your chair doesn’t allow this, place a cushion firmly between your lower back curve and the back of the chair.

- Feet first. If you’re one of those people who’ve never touched the bathroom floor while sitting on the loo (yes, that’s you, shortie), use a footrest. Your feet should never dangle.

EYE SORE?

That little electronic box of treats that greets you every morning is a godsend. It e-mails, faxes and downloads great little video clips that have no business being downloaded in the first place. But it’s also the cause of some very tired eyes.

According to Stern: “Common symptoms of eyestrain include itching or burning eyes, dry eyes, watery eyes, a sore neck, blurred vision, headaches and an increased sensitivity to light.”

Luckily, there are no proven long-term consequences of eyestrain, but that doesn’t mean you should take your eye off the ball.

Just remember to take them off the computer screen every now and again.

SCREEN SAVERS

- Lighting and glare. Any screen character should be brighter than the background.

- Keep bright lights away from the peripheral field of your screen. Position your screen to avoid glare. And don’t set it up so that it faces a window or any other direct source of light.

- Take an eye break. Look into the distance and focus on something other than your screen. But don’t stare vacantly for too long or you might alarm your colleagues and be hauled off for a psychiatric evaluation.

- Vary your tasks. Alternate your work activities so you’re not always plugged into your PC. Do some filing, make some calls, wander aimlessly around the office. (If you do this, make sure you always have a pen and notepad. That way it looks like you’re permanently heading to a meeting.)

- Blink. Blink. Blink. Yes, that’s right. Blink. It helps produce tears that moisten the eyes. Amazingly, people sometimes forget to do this while using a computer.

The ever-present office injury targets no specific age group, but the older you get, the more likely you are to develop a pain or an injury. Arthritis sufferers and people who are obese stand a greater risk.

“It all depends on the person,” according to Stern. “But the key to avoiding workplace injuries is exercise.”