Green Ergonomics: Creating a Sustainable And Healthy Environment For Office Workers

The long hours, disconnection from the natural world, and the sedentary nature of office jobs makes them a threat to the health and wellbeing of millions of employees around the world. Among the most common health disorders that office workers have to deal with include chronic low back pain, which affects 619 million people worldwide.

LBP is a health condition associated with too much sitting, which is why it’s so prevalent among office employees. Another health problem shared by many workers is stress, and 44 percent of people experience significant workplace stress on a daily basis. 

Making a few changes to an office’s interiors can improve health and worker productivity, but sustainability should always be kept in mind when doing workplace renovation or redecoration. By incorporating green ergonomics into office design, industry leaders can create a healthy environment for employees without harming the planet. Here’s how adding eco-friendly elements into the workplace can improve workers’ wellbeing. 

Furniture That’s Good for the Earth and Your Back

Adding ergonomic chairs and tables to your workplace is one of the simplest ways to safeguard your employees’ health and wellbeing. Ergonomic chairs can help to keep the spine aligned, and they support the body to enhance posture and comfort. Using this type of chair can also be beneficial in preventing low back pain since they help office workers to maintain good posture while sitting for long periods of time.

Meanwhile, a standing desk may reduce the effects of prolonged sitting since it enables you to keep working on your computer or laptop from a standing position. It can also help people to offset a desk job since it allows them to move more or do simple stretching exercises while working.

When choosing ergonomic furniture, pick ones that are made from sustainable materials such as recycled wood, metals, plastic, and fabrics. Some green office furniture companies even include unconventional materials, such as recycled fishing nets, when manufacturing their ergonomic chairs.

Apart from being made of sustainable materials, these eco-friendly chairs and tables are finished with non-toxic glues and paints, and they’re also free of harmful chemicals and VOCs. As a bonus, they’re also beautifully crafted, so not only are they better for the planet and human health, but they’re also more aesthetically appealing compared to conventional office furniture.

Better Lighting Options

Few people are aware that illumination or lighting is an essential part of ergonomic guidelines. Studies have shown that lighting can affect a person’s work quality and productivity.

Poor lighting can lead to headaches, eye strain, safety hazards, low productivity, and higher employee error rates. It can also cause depression and anxiety, which is why it’s important to improve your workplace’s lighting in different ways.

One way to enhance illumination is by increasing the amount of natural light in the office. Not only is it a sustainable way to light your workplace, but it can also make your employees feel better about their work environment.

Decades of studies show that natural light has a positive effect on mental health and wellbeing. To light up your workplace, consider an open floor design, which allows natural light to flow freely in your office. You may also want to rethink your workspace’s color scheme since dark colors can absorb light and give your office a gloomy feel.

Repaint the walls in pale colors like cream or a soft butter yellow, which can add cheer to any office space. Add task lighting by placing adjustable desk lamps on work tables, and add decorative lighting such as wall sconces to soften harsh overhead lighting. 

Add Green Walls and Plants

Ergonomics isn’t just about the furniture that we use in the office– it refers to our entire environment and how we relate and benefit from it. Anything that’s in our work environment can have a direct or indirect effect on our health and wellbeing, so it’s important to be mindful of the things that we surround ourselves with in a place where we spend most of our waking hours.

So, instead of having more knick knacks or decorative items, consider adding greenery to your workplace for productivity and enhanced wellbeing. 

Indoor plants can improve the visual appeal of an office, and they also help to boost mood and relieve stress. Think about adding potted plants like fiddle leaf fig, ficus, bamboo palm, and dracaena throughout your workplace.

They grow well in low light conditions, and they also clean the air of harmful toxins. Alternatively, you can enhance your office space by adding a green wall. This type of indoor gardening involves using plants that grow vertically to cover a structure, and there are companies that offer green wall services so you don’t have to worry about starting or designing your office’s living wall. 

Creating an eco-friendly environment that heals and energizes your employees can improve productivity and work performance. Consider these green ergonomics ideas to have a sustainable and healthy workplace for all.