http://www.prisonguardtoday.com Do you want to become a corrections officer? Here's a discussion about it. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:35:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/08/eggs-bacon-and-ergonomic-office-chairs/ http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/08/eggs-bacon-and-ergonomic-office-chairs/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:42:03 +0000 admin http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/08/eggs-bacon-and-ergonomic-office-chairs/ When i was young it used to be Breakfast, the most important meal of the day, start with a hearty fry up and you will be set. Although 3 stable meals is still the norm we are now encouraged towards the 5 a day principle.

Fruit and vegetables help set you up for a healthier lifestyle. Best of all, there is so much variety to choose from, all year long. There’s enough to keep even the fussiest eaters happy. To get the best health benefits, your 5 A DAY portions should include a combination of a variety of fruit and vegetables. That’s 5 portions altogether, not 5 portions of fruit and 5 portions of veg. So the big fired breakfast i have enjoyed for so many years is not as good as it seems (still tastes great on the odd occasion)

We all seem to have the information needed to have a healthy life style on the food front, but there is a lot more to it than what you eat. With more than 80% of the population suffering from some sort of back pain and with recent reports showing that 44% of all reported strains and sprains, which required more than three days off work, were of the back of spine and most commonly it is related to discs in the back being compressed from maintaining a position in sitting (especially for a prolonged period). Combined with leaning forward increases the compression of the discs and the risk of back pain. Bad seating has been shown to speed up disk degeneration. As more people became chair bound (75% of the working population) and less active, abdominal and trunk mussels slacken, further increasing the instability of the spine and the risk of back pain.

So why are most of us still sitting on a out of date unsupportive office chair causing lasting, sometime irreversible damage to our backs? The benefits by purchasing a good ergonomic office chair seem obvious, not just for the person sitting in it for hour on hour per day, looking after there back, but equally for an employer.

Like it or not we are all employed to earn someone money, be it your self employed from your home office, or one of thousands of employee’s for a multi national company. If your office chairs not an ergonomic office chair your costing someone money, and increasing the chances of having a reduced mobility later in life (not always that much later).

I just don’t understand it, with days lost as a result of incorrect seating from bad office chairs, which evidently causes bad posture. With the financial losses on employer’s (or yourself), not to mention the possible damage caused to the user. Why do we not insist on a correct office furniture? If your not happy were you sitting at the moment either get your self a correct ergonomic office chair or insist you boss gets one for you, it’s a win-win situation.

And don’t forget to enjoy your breakfast.





By: Andrew Ferrar ]]> http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/08/eggs-bacon-and-ergonomic-office-chairs/feed/ 0 http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/07/11-office-ergonomic-tips-for-easing-the-workplace-stress-caused-due-to-working-long-hours/ http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/07/11-office-ergonomic-tips-for-easing-the-workplace-stress-caused-due-to-working-long-hours/#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:32:32 +0000 admin http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/07/11-office-ergonomic-tips-for-easing-the-workplace-stress-caused-due-to-working-long-hours/ “No day in your working life will be so bad if you follow the right ergonomic techniques.”

Usually, an employee working at the desk has a habit of working for longer hours without following proper ergonomic techniques. In order to avoid stress throughout the day and work with maximum alertness, you need to follow some ergonomic techniques.

Ergonomic techniques are very important to ease the stress and work with maximum alertness. When you spend maximum amount of time in front of your desk, you should be aware of how the arrangement and design of your equipment can impact your health, comfort and overall productivity.

These tips are highly effective for modern workers.

1. Create a great computer work space!

In designing your office work space, it is essential to think creatively and innovatively. Employees with longer limbs experience a greater risk with congested work space, so ensure that the space is large enough.

Provide proper place for the equipment and the things that are essential to make your dream workstation.

2. Right way to organize the desk or workstation!

Standard desk sizes are not suitable for everyone’s needs, so choose the desk that is right for you. If the desk is for a group of people, then prefer adjustable furniture.

• Organize the desktop to access the things easily without any strain.

• Place frequently used objects at a closer distance to avoid excessive extensions.

• Accommodate the place below the desk suitable to your legs at correct height and the place should be free for stretching.

• Use a foot rest if your feet don’t rest flat on the floor after adjusting your chair height.

• Use matte finish on the work surface to minimize the glare or reflections.

• Use a document holder, if you need to refer documents during keying.

3. Make suitable chair adjustments!

Begin your work with correct chair height. To arrange the chair in an ergonomic position, just stand in front of the chair and adjust the chair height to your knee length.

Adjust the chair’s backrest in order to support your lower back. Then tighten the chair’s backrest, so that it does not give away with your body weight.

Throughout the working day, re-adjust the chair to your various body postures. Don’t stay in a single static position for long hours. Alternate your posture between sitting and standing positions when you are performing daily tasks. Take small breaks and walk for few minutes.

4. Maintain accurate ergonomic monitor distance!

You need to sit in an awkward position if the monitor is too close or too far to your eyes. Finally this can lead to an improper ergonomic posture thus causing eye strain. Forward leaning can fatigue the eyes and put stress on the torso because there is no support for your back.

Follow the below tips to reduce the eye strain:

• Clean monitor surface.

• Attain optimum comfort by adjusting the contrast and brightness.

• Maintain right distance from the monitor to the user i.e. 18-30 inches.

• Place the monitor at an angle of 90 degrees to the windows.

5. Seek right ergonomic keyboard!

Do you spend most of your work time in typing? Using the keyboard and placing it can greatly affect the risk of getting RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Follow these techniques in order to reduce the risk of these injuries:

• First make suitable chair adjustments, then place your hands comfortably at your sides. Your forearm should be at an angle of 90 degrees with your upper arm.

• Place the keyboard in such a manner so that your arms should be parallel to your thighs.

• If needed, place a keyboard tray to achieve right ergonomic posture.

• Follow right typing techniques.

• Set the keyboard at a closer distance from you to avoid unnecessary trouble in reaching the keyboard.

• Gently press the keys and don’t hold them down for extended periods.

6. Exercise at your desk!

Desk exercises offer relief to computer users from pain, stiffness and posture problems. Computer work at office involves maintaining same posture for long periods resulting in muscle stiffness and tension.

Practice simple stretching exercises which can be performed at the desk. Stretching exercises improves flexibility and decreases the risk of injury, physical stress and improves performance.

7. Light your working area!

Improper lighting can cause visual discomforts like burning eyes, eye strain, itching, and blurred vision. So, adjust the lights to reduce the glare and also position your monitor at an angle to reduce the reflection.

Reduce the eye fatigue by following the below tips:

• Avoid intense lighting in your working area.

• Monitor should be at an angle of 90 degrees to the windows.

• Use desk lamps, instead of overhead lights.

• Use monitor shield to reduce the glare due to overhead lights.

8. Know the right usage of input device!

Whatever might be the input device you use, make sure that it must be within your reach and don’t hold it too tightly so that there is less stress on the muscles. If you are not feeling good with your mouse, try an alternate one like trackball or touch pad.

Placing the input device too close or too far can cause discomfort in your forearm, shoulder, elbow and wrist.

Follow these tips to overcome from these discomforts:

• Place the mouse at your comfortable reach for natural relaxation and comfortable eye-hand coordination.

• Avoid bending wrist upward and ensure that you are sitting lower than your elbow height so that holding the mouse can be easier for you.

• Make sure the mouse surface is stable.

9. Give priority to the work habits!

Working at the desk can cause discomfort on your upper extremities and on your eyes. So, to avoid these discomforts, you need to learn some work habits.

• Take frequent breaks for every 20-40 minutes, get up and walk around for 2-3 minutes.

• Don’t stay in one static position for longer hours, change the posture periodically.

• Provide your eyes with vision breaks for every hour.

• Stretch your neck, back, and hands for every hour.

• Substitute the mouse usage by using alternative keystrokes.

Follow these work habits, so that you won’t experience any stress on any part of your body.

10. Identify Proper usage of laptop computers!

Work on a laptop computer only when it is on the table but not on your lap. If you need to use it very frequently, it is better to use separate mouse and keyboard to reduce the stress on your hands and wrists.

Techniques you need to follow while using laptop computer:

• While typing, place your hands straight so that your wrists should not bend and should not be resting on your lap, table, or on a palm rest. Use palm or wrist rests to give support in the break.

• If the table you are using is too high for keying, then use a laptop holder by tilting the laptop towards you.

11. Know how to use the phone at your desk!

Avoid placing the phone receiver between your shoulder and neck as it can cause strain on your neck muscles. Use a headset or put the call on speakerphone to reduce the stress on neck muscles.

You can notice an amazing improvement in your work related discomforts and also in the quality of your work after following these techniques. Visit Office Ergonomics





By: Neelima Reddy ]]> http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/07/11-office-ergonomic-tips-for-easing-the-workplace-stress-caused-due-to-working-long-hours/feed/ 0 http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/06/how-to-choose-the-best-office-chairs/ http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/06/how-to-choose-the-best-office-chairs/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:20:42 +0000 admin http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/06/how-to-choose-the-best-office-chairs/ Office chairs come in different styles and shapes. When it comes to buying ergonomic office chairs, you will be overwhelmed with lots of choices. You will be really confused with the plethora of options available with the modern office chairs. Your choice of the office chair should be sensible because this decision will play a major role in your health and the work efficiency. Though there are lots of confusing choices for buying office chairs, you can make it really simple to buy office chairs by considering some simple factors. Just keep reading on the article to know the 3 important factors to be considered for choosing the best office chair.

1. Choose the office chairs based on the type of work

You will be well aware of the fact that not all kinds of office chairs will be suitable for every office. For example, office chairs for people working with multiple workstations/ Computers will have to be moved a lot. For such kinds of offices, light weight office chairs with a swiveling option will be the best choice. One the other hand, if you don’t require lot of moving around, you can go for the leather ergonomic office chairs. Such office chairs will be very much comfortable even if you sit in the same place for many hours.

2. Know the physical needs

Physical comfort is very much essential than great looks. Back pain is a major problem faced by people working in workstations for long hours. Some of the office chairs tend to sacrifice the comfort inorder to achieve unique looks. You should always avoid buying such kinds of office chairs. Unlike selecting chairs for your dining room or living room, the choice of office chairs has to be made based on comfort rather than unique design. You should always buy office chairs with an option to adjust the height according to your wish. When it comes to the modern office chairs, you can combine great looks and excellent comfort. For example, the Dayton Office Chair by “Relax The Back” has great looks. In addition to the great looks, the Dayton Office Chair offers adjustable tilt tension, angle adjustment, height adjustment, and an adjustable backrest.

3. Check the availability of space

The space factor is the very important aspect to be considered while selecting the office chairs. As already said, office chairs come in all shapes and sizes. Hence you should calculate the available space in your office before heading out to purchase the office chairs. Buying the office chairs based on the availability of space will avoid the need of office re-modeling.

With the advancements in technology, many extra features are available in modern office chairs. An example for the medically designed office chairs is the one from “Relax The Back”. The office chair named ContourSit Wedge Cushion is medically designed to correct your pelvic angle, correct your sitting posture, and preserve the natural curve of your back. To the added advantage, the velour cover of this office chair is removable and washable.

From massage office chairs to medically designed office chairs, the choice of office chairs has no limits.





By: Ben Weinbaum ]]> http://www.prisonguardtoday.com/2009/06/how-to-choose-the-best-office-chairs/feed/ 0