Cecil Nurse: Let’s Talk About The Ideal Home Office Set-Up

As we head into another month of lockdown in South Africa, many people are still working from their homes. It is also highly likely that people will continue to work outside the office post pandemic. Ergonomic work furniture is what companies and organisations should start thinking about in terms of assisting their employees set up their home offices in support of the overall wellbeing of their staff and ultimately the productivity of their businesses.

Many people have set up makeshift home offices for the pandemic but that won’t work well for the long term. In addition to having the right equipment to do their jobs, the physical setup – the ergonomics of the workspace – is critical, especially around avoiding repetitive strain injuries that a bad set-up can cause.

A long-term home office should ideally be a separate space in your home that is properly outfitted for work. Employers need to start the process of engaging with their staff in terms of ensuring employee wellness in the workplace, wherever that may be.

Proper work height

You’ll know your work surface is at the correct height if, when you sit up straight, your forearms are parallel to the ground and your wrist is not bent up or down when you type or mouse. The top surface of your wrist should essentially be on the same plane as the top of your forearm, with your fingers dangling slightly down to the keyboard. Bending the wrists for prolonged periods is an easy way to cause injury. In this instance, it is prudent to suggest an adjustable sit-stand desk, such as the Cecil Nurse CLEVER and CONNEXION range in order to achieve the ideal desk height without any effort.

Proper monitor height

Flo black hero

Get a large monitor (maybe two) for your home office — just as you would at the corporate office. Consider a dynamic monitor arm like FLO or OLLIN that lines up your screen so that you if you look straight ahead when sitting properly your eyes are at a height of 25% to 30% below the top of the screen. That way, you keep your shoulders level and don’t hunch your back — two easy ways to cause injury.

Ollin single dynamic arm

A good chair

Ergohuman

There are a lot of bad chairs out there that can injure you with prolonged computer use. Dining chairs and deck chairs, for example, are rarely at the right height, and they don’t always encourage the correct upright posture.

What you need is an adjustable ergonomic office chair, like the Cecil Nurse ERGOMEDIC or ERGOHUMAN, where you can set a precise fit for your body at the correct desk for you’re the office work that you are required to do.

Be sure to get one with adjustable height, that can roll on castors, that provides lumbar support for the lower back, and ideally has adjustable seat pan tilt, arm height, and lateral arm position. An arm rest is preferable, but only if you use it correctly: That means your forearm should rest very lightly on the arm rest; there should be no pressure from your arm onto the arm rest.

Ergomedic

Good lighting

It’s very easy to underestimate the effects of your work environment on your ability to work. Lighting is often an area people don’t think about. Ideally, you’ll need sufficient indirect light to illuminate your workspace, so you can easily read papers and see physical objects.

And, finally you will definitely need good internet service

Most urban and suburban areas have at least one high-speed provider for internet service; 50Mbps is the minimum speed to shoot for, and the more people using the internet at the same time, the more you want to get a higher-speed service.