Ergonomic Assessments

To my utter joy and disbelief, my employer has an "Ergonomics Department," which is responsible for attending to all employees to make sure their workspaces are constructed around a strict code of ergonomic ethics.

Anna, our resident Ergonomics Implentation Specialist, found her way to my desk not too long ago after I had specifically requested an "Ergonomics Assessment" for myself.

She proceeded to hold a tape measure at a variety of different angles to my face, arms, and seat and thereby determined that I was at high risk for carpal tunnel syndrome and needed to be attended to immediately.

She cited "mousing" as one of the most dangerous activities in the workplace, and also mentioned that our eyes are conditioned to be able to look down or straight ahead easily, but are terribly strained when they have to look up. This was a traumatic realization for me to come to because I've positioned my desk so that I slump back in my chair with my keyboard and stare almost directly up at my monitor and every other bit of information that I have posted on the walls around me. Apparently, I'm forcing my eyes to work overtime, without paying them time and a half.

So, the end result of the whole thing was that yesterday I had a veritable assload of new gadgets delivered to me and they will be installed, shortly, around my desk and will magically transform my existence into one that is ergonomically perfect and will strain not a single nerve on my entire body.

At first, I thought this whole thing might seem a little bit absurd. But, after having a wonderfully sweet and exuberant young Anna in my life and align me perfectly, I have been proven quite incorrect.

If any of your workplaces make Ergonomic Assessments available to you, I would highly recommend them. They will change your ergonomic existence and will, subsequently, allow you to use the world "Ergonomic" in a variety of different ways and make it sound, not only plausible, but impressive and matter-of-fact in casual conversation.