Be mindful of office-related illness

What you need to know:

  • Dangerous. Office workers are among the adult population that have high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. Prolonged sitting, repetitive works and bad postures, are among the causes for musculoskeletal disorders.

The average employee spends on average 35 hours a week at work, 60 per cent of which they spend sitting in one position. This problem is compounded by sitting on the wrong chairs and using equipment the wrong way.  This  has led to the increase of musculoskeletal disorders.  

Musculoskeletal disorders(MSD) are injuries or disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs caused by bone fractures, joint dislocation, direct blows to muscles, bones, or joints, overuse injuries, poor posture, and sprains. 

The ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development, says these disorders are caused by prolonged and strenuous use of office tools while at work resulting in work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD).

Mr Francis Ondong Gimoro, the assistant commissioner at the ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development refers to them as emerging occupational safety and health risks which most people do not pay attention to because they are invisible. 

“WMSD are everywhere.  People leave employment when they cannot stand upright, literally with broken backs, or cannot stretch their hands because of the wrong way of using the keyboard which seems harmless. If these simple office tools are not aligned with how you work, you are certainly going to get musculoskeletal injuries,” he says. 

Common health hazards
Occupational safety and health hazards usually take time to show but once they happen, sometimes, they are irreversible.
For instance, scientists caution against the prolonged use of earphones especially on high volume because of the irreversible damage it does to ears.

Poor body support on an office chair impedes blood circulation, muscle fatigue, cramping, stiffness, numbness, aches, and pain of the neck, back, hip pain, and lack of focus at work. 

They recommend office chairs that have an arm, neck, and backrest. 
A good office chair position is adjusting the chair height so your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are in line (or slightly lower) with your hips. 

Sit up straight and keep your hips far back in the chair. The back of the chair should be reclined at a 100- to 110-degree angle.
Poor positioning of the computer also causes neck and back pain, in addition to affecting your eyesight.

Positioning of the keyboard also matters. The ideal typing posture is placing the keyboard just below elbow level. The elbows should be at an open angle (90 – 110 degrees). The keyboard should be flat on the desk or sloping gently away from you (negative tilt). A keyboard tray or ergonomic keyboard can be used to achieve a negative tilt in your keyboard.

Recent studies have shown that the best position for a computer monitor is for the centre of the screen to be at around 17.5 degrees below eye level. Try to align your eyes with the top of the viewing area of the screen, and this should put the centre about right geometrically.

“Some people put their screens to face the source of light, the window or door. This is not recommended because you end up getting an excessive amount of light in your eyes which affects the eyesight in the long run,” Mr Gimoro says. 

Even mundane seeming actions can be dangerous to one’s health. “There is a common practice of shaking the toner of a printer when it is running out. This is a risk because as you shake, you are initiating some reaction that is hazardous for you,” Mr Gimoro says.

He adds: “All this is to protect individuals that work in relatively safer places but more specific measures are needed for those that work in factories with hazardous chemicals and machines.”
Other non-conventional emerging risks out the office setting are urban pollution both in air and water, radiation in x-rays, among others. 

Obligation 
Under the occupational safety and health laws, employers should provide a safe work environment for employees. Mr Gimoro urges workers to educate themselves about their rights and demand for them. 

“Workers are not aware of their rights such as asking for a proper office chair. The employers have the obligation to always purchase hazardous-free office tools such as chairs to facilitate a safe work environment,” he says. 

Key facts 
According to World Health Organisation, approximately 1.71 billion people have musculoskeletal conditions worldwide. Among musculoskeletal disorders, low back pain causes the highest-burden with a prevalence of 568 million people.

Musculoskeletal conditions are the leading contributor to disability worldwide, with low back pain being the single leading cause of disability in 160 countries.
Musculoskeletal conditions significantly limit mobility and dexterity, leading to early retirement from work, lower levels of well-being, and reduced ability to participate in society. 

Because of population increases and aging, the number of people with musculoskeletal conditions is rapidly increasing.
The disability associated with musculoskeletal conditions has been increasing and is projected to continue to increase in the next decades.