In every office, people sit for hours. How their bodies bend and strain often go unnoticed. Over time, that quiet discomfort grows into pain. Productivity falls. Focus fades.
Consequently, ergonomics is the balance between the human body and the workspace. It ensures that tools, chairs, and screens fit the person, not the other way around.
An ergonomic assessment studies that fit — how people move, sit, and work — to find what causes fatigue or strain.
Step-by-Step Process to Conduct an Ergonomic Assessment in Your Office
A small correction today can stop a long ache tomorrow. Comfort, after all, is not a perk. It’s a condition for good work. Consider these steps for a better ergonomic office assessment.
Step 1: Observe Before You Adjust
Start with what you can see. Observation reveals more than any checklist. Before adjusting office chairs or screens, spend time watching how people actually work.
Look for posture first. Are backs straight or curved? Do shoulders lift toward the ears? Are wrists bent when typing? These small signs point to tension and poor alignment.
Watch movement and stillness. How often do employees shift position? Do they stretch, stand, or walk? Long periods without movement are early signs of strain.
Check reach and repetition. See how far they extend to grab a mouse, phone, or document. Repeated awkward reach often leads to shoulder or wrist fatigue.
Note lighting and glare. Harsh light or shadows make people lean forward or squint, adding strain to the neck and eyes.
Record what you find — posture, habits, environment. Real data makes the next step easier. Before you adjust a workspace, you must understand how it works in real time. Observation gives you that truth.
Step 2: Evaluate the Workstation Setup
After observing how people work, study the setup that shapes their posture. The chair, standing desk, and monitor decide how the body endures the day. Each must align with how a person moves, not the other way around.
Chair
- The chair should support the spine.
- Keep the knees at a right angle.
- The backrest must follow the lower curve of the back.
- Armrests keep elbows close and shoulders low.
Desk
- The desk should let arms rest easily
- Elbows bent at ninety degrees.
- Wrists stay straight.
- Shoulders stay relaxed.
- Leave space for legs to move.
- Add a footrest if needed.
Monitor
- The top of the screen should be at below eye level
- The neck should stay straight.
- Adjust lighting to remove glare.
Step 3: Examine Tools and Accessories
Small tools decide big comfort. A misplaced mouse can twist the wrist. Keep every item close, aligned, and easy to reach.
Keyboard: Should be placed straight ahead, close to the body. .
Mouse: Keep it beside the keyboard, same height, same reach.
Phone: Use a headset or speaker if calls are frequent.
Lighting and Clutter: Avoid glare and harsh contrast. Clear the surface.
Step 4: Study Movement and Break Patterns
Watch how often people change position. Count how long they stay still. Stiff backs, crossed legs, and raised shoulders all mark fatigue. Even good posture fails if held too long.
Build an office where movement is common. A short walk to loosen the spine.
Standing for a minute resets balance. Simple habits work best — stretch between tasks, look away from the screen, breathe deeper.
Step 5: Identify Problem Areas
List what you’ve found. Keep it clear:
- Posture: A screen too high pulls the neck.
- Reach: A desk too low bends the wrists.
- Lighting: Poor light forces the body forward.
- Equipment: Loose cables trip movement.
Step 6: Make Adjustments
Bring the small changes like:
- Raise or lower the chair until feet rest flat.
- Adjust the screen so eyes meet its top edge.
- Add a footrest if legs hang.
- Bring the keyboard close.
After each change, watch. See how the body responds. Ask if tension eases or focus improves. Let the user test and adapt.
Step 7: Record, Review, and Repeat
Write down what you change and what you observe. Every adjustment should have a note — what was done, when, and why. These records show patterns over time and prevent old mistakes from returning.
Ergonomics is a cycle. Review setups quarterly or twice a year. Walk the floor, observe again, and compare notes.
Bring employees back into the process. Ask if discomfort has eased or moved elsewhere. Their feedback completes the loop.
The best workspaces evolve. Each review keeps comfort alive and the system honest.
Conclusion
Ergonomics begins with awareness. Bring the balance — a workspace that moves with its people and adjusts when they do.
A good ergonomic office should feel different and better. It should make the work streamlined and fade fatigue. That’s the quiet success of an ergonomic space — steady, simple, and built to last.