Occupational Safety and Health: response to COVID –19, setting up a Temporary home office

Working at home amidst COVID-19 pandemic means having no time and little opportunity to
set up ergonomically sound workstations. Individuals have to adapt home environment to
perform their job duties. However, this pose a threat to their health especially when working
in such environment where the interaction with other things such as family members and the
associated circumstances makes the work less safe. But this cannot stop us from practicing a
safety culture no matter what circumstance.
So, what can office workers do to make their home table workspaces as comfortable as
possible? We turn to Industrial Occupational Safety and Health Agency (IOSHA) for
advice.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces across Rwanda have undergone a massive
change at a scope and speed we have rarely experienced. Practically overnight, office
workers from various workplaces across the country were told to pack up their files and
documents and work from their homes. Many have had to fashion workstations out of dining
tables, TV couches and kitchen chairs all on the fly, and often in cramped or shared spaces
with their families, neighbours and / or communities.

In ordinary circumstances, remote office workers would need the right adjustable equipment
to work in comfort and health. But during this period, we don’t have ordinary days. The
worst advice can be to tell workers to touch on their daily living budgets to buy new fancy
safe workstations, instead teaching them to manage and use available resources in a safe and
healthily way.
So, what can an employee do to make the workstation as ergonomically sound as possible,
with the things an individual might find around the house?
We turned to INDUSTRIAL OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH AGENCY
(IOSHA) Scientists for Advice, Dr NUHU Assuman, who is trained in Physiotherapy and
specialized in Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and in charge of Training, Capacity
Building and Advocacy Program and Research Program at IOSHA, Mr.NDAHIRIWE
Chance Christian, who’s trained in Clinical Biomechanics and Kinesiology, General
Secretary at IOSHA Ltd and Mr.BYIRINGIRO Etienne, a Clinical Orthopaedics
Physiotherapist, Workstation ergonomics and Occupational Safety and Health Management,
Chief Executive Officer at IOSHA. They provide an online and onsite training module on
Office workstation ergonomics.
They recommended and suggested what can be done by workers to be safe and productive
without discomfort.
Aim for a neutral sitting posture
While there is no single correct working posture for computer work, one common and
relatively easy-to-achieve neutral working posture includes the following:

(1) feet flat, on a sturdy surface
(2) knees at 90-degree angle (the seat is at or below knee height)
(3) hips at 90-degree angle
(4) elbows at 90-degree angle
(5) wrists straight, in a neutral posture
(6) Neck straight, eyes looking slightly down into top third of computer/laptop screen.

(7) Work in standing positions with joints held in neutral position

If you can easily change the height of your chair or work surface to achieve neutral hip, knee
and wrist postures, then do so. If not, here are some step-by-step tips on how to achieve that:
(1)  Since you may not be able to change the height of your work surface (e.g. your
kitchen table), let’s start here. Place your open laptop (or computer monitor, if using a
desktop) on your work surface.
(2)Now set up your chair to achieve a neutral (straight) wrist posture while typing at
the laptop. If your chair is too low (which is more likely to be the case than too high),
put a pillow or folded towel on your chair so you are sitting high enough to type
with your wrists straight.
(3) This can also make your chair a lot more comfortable to sit on.
(4)  If your chair seat is too deep to allow you to use the backrest for support while still
keeping your knees a few inches in front of the seat edge, try using a rolled towel to
provide lumbar support. Place the rolled towel between your chair and lower back
(in the “small of your back”). This is especially helpful for reducing slouching and
preventing lower back pain.
(5) Now, sitting on your chair, if you cannot (or barely) reach the floor with your feet flat,
use a footrest to raise them. Use a makeshift one like a big thick book, as long as
what you choose is sturdy. If your chair seat is too low, consider the pillow solution
noted above IF you can maintain the correct elbow angle.
(6)  When setting up the computer monitor, aim for a neutral posture for your neck.
Place the screen about an arm’s length in front of you, at a height that’s just below eye
level. You should be looking slightly downward at the top third of your screen. This
won’t be possible if you’re using a laptop (see more on that below).
(7) If you wear glasses with progressive lenses, you may wish to start with an arm’s
length distance (as noted above), but adjust accordingly to reduce eye strain. If you
view your computer screen through the lower part of your glasses, you should lower
the monitor and/or tilt the screen, so your neck posture is neutral.
 

Using a laptop
If you’re using a laptop, placing your laptop at the distance and height discussed above will
raise your keyboard. This will cause you to reach awkwardly with much less than 90 degrees
at the elbow and put strain on your shoulders. The truth is: laptops cannot offer an
ergonomically sound solution that allows for a neutral posture for both your neck and
wrists. Either the monitor is going to be too low or the keyboard will be too high.

Here are a few options to consider when using a laptop:
(1) Ensure a neutral position for your wrists first, then tilt the screen up to allow a
comfortable gaze angle. This is generally considered the best way to go, given the
non-adjustable limitations of laptops.
(2) You can also change the laptop height depending on the work you are doing. If
you are reading, place your laptop on something sturdy and tall enough that the top of
the laptop is just below eye level. (Make sure that the surface you use to raise your
laptop is stable and cannot be easily knocked over.) Remember to move your laptop
back to allow for a neutral wrist position for typing and navigation (i.e. using your
track pad or mouse).
(3) If you have a standalone keyboard (USB or wireless) to use with your laptop, then
you can place your laptop screen at the height appropriate for your neck (remember to
place it on something sturdy), while using the keyboard at the appropriate height for
your wrists. In this set-up, you should also use a wireless mouse or track pad for
navigation (at the same height as the keyboard).

And here is the most important advice: Make sure to take breaks or change your working
posture often. You should take breaks for about three to five minutes, ideally once every 30-
45 minutes or every 60 minutes at a minimum.

This is especially important if you cannot set up a workstation that allows you to achieve a
neutral posture. In that case, you should vary your posture at least every 30 minutes. To
remind yourself to take these breaks, set a timer using your cell phone.
Or Respect the 20-20-20 Rule of safety

One way to change your posture is to work while standing for a while. Note, though, that it
is even more challenging to ensure neutral positions for the neck, the wrists and elbows when
setting up a standing desk. You might want to use your standing time for reading or attending
meetings. You should minimize the time typing, writing or navigating while in a standing
posture if you do not have a separate keyboard and mouse. Stand for no more than 45 minutes
at a time.
For more in-depth information on setting up an ergonomically sound workstation, don’t
forget about IOSHA workstation Ergonomics training program which can be provided online.
And remember, while the advice offered in this article may be helpful temporarily as we try
to halt the spread of the coronavirus, if you work from home on a more permanent basis, you
will need adjustable office equipment.
 

Additional tips from IOSHA Team
In addition to above article, the Industrial Occupation Safety and Health Agency team
provide more tips on safe and healthy work-from-home practices. Below are a few of their
tips:
(1) Don’t be tempted by the portability of laptops into working anywhere in the house.
Set up one or two dedicated workspaces to get a consistent arrangement.

Use bar stools with plenty of caution. Even though you might like the height of your
kitchen counters for working, on a prolonged basis, bar stools offer very little back
and foot support.
(2) Neck, shoulder and back strains may be caused by sitting off-centre before a screen
and by having poor keyboard placement. Your monitor should be centred with your
body. If you have a portable keyboard, the “h” key on your keyboard should line up
with the middle of your body and the middle of your monitor.
(3) Use hands-free options as much as you can to give your neck and arms a break. Use
the speaker, ear buds or a Bluetooth headset during phone calls and teleconferences.
(4) Stand for teleconferences or phone calls and walk during parts of them if possible.
When standing to work, don’t stand for more than 30-45 minutes at a time.
They also have tips on what to do when you feel aches or pains:
(5) When your wrist, neck or shoulder begins to ache, try using the mouse with your
other hand. Do wrist circles and wrist stretches to get the blood flowing.
(6) For a tight or achy neck or shoulder, do chin tucks, shoulder rolls and side neck
bends.
(7) If you have lower back sore, stand at least every half hour.
(8) Extend your lower back to reduce disc bulging. To extend the spine, place hands on
lower back, slowly arching backward as far as you can without discomfort. Hold for
about five seconds, and return to starting position. Be sure to keep your head in line
with your shoulders. (Do not tip head back.)
(9) When coming out of a flexed (seated) posture, do the same back extensions, and stand
or walk to loosen the hips and lower back.
(10) Take advantage of the opportunity to move and stretch throughout the day. While it
may not be appropriate to perform the downward dog in the middle of your busy work
environment, you have the freedom to do just that—and stretches of all kinds—at
your home workspace.
(11) Do short bouts of moderate- or high-intensity exercise (exercises that you have
difficulty talking through) throughout the day? Examples are jumping jacks, seal
jacks, push ups, burped, split squats, full squats and walking lunges (10 to 15
repetitions each , 3 sets each [4 combined non-stop exercises with 1 minute rest
interval] . Even short bouts can have the benefit of improving mental health and
reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases when done frequently and consistently.

More details https://youtu.be/tsMTiXWwNXs