When planning an office fit out Leicester
strategy, it is easy to get carried away with creating visually stunning and
inspiring workspaces. However, among the aesthetics and functionality, one
thing that often gets forgotten about is ergonomics.
What is Ergonomics?
Ergonomics is a science of designing workspace to fit
people who use it. The aim is to create environment which supports
comfortability, efficiency and safety thus reducing risks related with injuries
at workplaces or job-related diseases. The ergonomic design tries to optimise
such interactions between human body parts like desks, chairs, computer screens
etc based on how they interact with each other so as enhance productivity and
well-being.
Advantages of Ergonomic Office Design
Better Employee Health and Comfort: An ergonomically
designed office can greatly reduce cases musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such
as back pains; neck strains; carpal tunnel syndrome among others. You can help
your employees keep fit physically while still working by providing them
adjustable furniture including those meant for sitting or standing which
support proper postures as well as alignment throughout their day at work
thereby improving this people’s health comfort levels too leading to reduced number
sick offs plus increased engagement from staff members resulting into higher
productivity rates altogether.
Increased Productivity: When workers are comfortable
enough not being disturbed by any form pain then they will concentrate more on
what they are supposed to do hence completing their tasks within shortest time
possible therefore becoming efficient even without realising it themselves.
Individualising workstation using ergonomic principles like having movable
desks or chairs allows different users customise these spaces according to
personal needs thus promoting better focus since one size may not fit all always.
Also, by eliminating awkward movements caused mainly due poor arrangement items
around an employee’s workstation interrupts can be minimised leading to
increased efficiency while working on given project.
Improved Employee Morale and Job Satisfaction: Investing
into ergonomic office design shows that you care about the well-being of your
workers thereby creating conducive working environment for them. This in turn
makes work more enjoyable hence boosting their spirits towards achieving
company goals together. When people feel like their employer values them as
individuals who deserve comfort at place then there is likelihood, they will
become loyal even when not monitored closely leading such persons being motivated
give best output always.
Reduced Costs Associated with Work-Related Injuries: An
ergonomic office could save money through reducing lost hours; filing
compensation claims and paying medical bills. It does this by mitigating
chances getting hurt while on duty so productivity levels remain high all year
round plus employees stay healthy longer thus needing less hospitalisation
services which could have been avoided if appropriate measures were taken early
enough during setting up workstations with regard ergonomics too.
Incorporating Ergonomics into Your Design
Some elements to consider include adjustable height
desks; chairs which support good posture alignment; computer screens placed at
eye level distance from user reduce strain on eyesight keyboard trays mouse
pads should allow wrists arms rest naturally without bending at awkward angles.
Skylights and rooflights are excellent options for
homeowners and business owners to introduce more natural lighting into the
home. The value of this can’t be understated, as natural light is shown in
various scientific studies to contribute to improve mood and contribute to
better working and living conditions, as well as lead to the synthesis of
vitamin D, which is important to human health. Additionally, skylights and
rooflights can be a great architectural design choice, improving the look and
feel of a building. There are various types of rooflights that differ in terms
of their size and the materials they were made with, and one of the ways that
they differ is if they can be opened or not.
A skylight that can open up doubles up as a source of
ventilation for your home. This can be a great way to help keep the air
temperature low during the summer months, but it can also be used in a kitchen
to help to keep steam or smoke from building up in your home. Some product
options include a polycarbonate skin that will prevent water from infiltrating
the inside through the opening while still allowing the steam or smoke to
escape. With skylight variants, it is usually difficult to find sun tubes that
are able to be opened up, however you can find them quite readily when looking
at flat skylights. You can also get larger roof lanterns that having openable
sections, so both are good options for increasing the ventilation in your
indoor space.
Openable skylights are also beneficial for other purposes
too, namely, as a potential access hatch. It is not uncommon for modern builds
to build in an access hatch to a flat roof section, so that maintenance of the
roof and any other apparatus in the space can be maintained. If you’re going to
have a section of roofing that is designed to work as an access hatch, the
thinking is that you may as well use it as a skylight as well, thereby getting
an additional benefit of an increase in natural lighting. These products will
typically come with various other components, such as a hand rail or a small
ladder that you will have installed alongside it.
The way openable skylights is as you probably imagine; with
hinges. The complexity of the mechanisms involved are twofold. Firstly, opening
a window and opening a skylight are different processes because opening a
normal window doesn’t require that you actually lift the entire window, whereas
that is the reality with an openable skylight. Secondly, an openable skylight
is great, but because of their placement in the roof they are often unreachable
by hand. As a result of this fact, most of these products are sold as electric
skylights, in that they are mechanically operated through electrical switches
that can be placed in arms reach. An electric skylight is a fundamental
requirement when you want a rooflight that can offer high quality insulation
but will also open up when required.
Many homes don’t have room for a home office, however a viable alternative for many people is to have a home office built elsewhere around the property. This could be in the garden, in the form of a log cabin or annexe, or a garage or outbuilding may be converted to turn it into the office space. When designing and building an office space, it’s important to make sure all style considerations are thought about before, and one of the key ones is going to be cladding.
Offices that are built in outbuildings will have quite a rustic appearance, in which case, more rustic wooden cladding is usually preferred. This could be shiplap cladding, waney edge cladding, or a similar idea where the quality of the wood and the knots in it are brought out through the way that it’s cut. Discuss cladding and external appearance with the building contractor from the start.
A home office can help you work more productively, get more
done and produce a better quality of work as well. It gives you a space you can
dedicate to your work, away from the rest of your home. A log cabin could
produce the perfect environment for you to work in.
Log cabins are similar to normal buildings but they are also
a more rustic construction, blending in with their surroundings and looking very
attractive. This is perfect if you are going to build a log cabin in your
garden and you don’t want it to detract from your green space. It’s also the
type of structure that can be built quite quickly due to its log construction –
the logs are laid on their sides and used to build walls. A good log cabin can
be quiet, temperate and very peaceful, making it a perfect decision for an
office environment.
One of the benefits of a home office is that you will have space to work somewhere that is convenient for you. No long commutes, no noisy household – it’s a place to shut yourself away and get some of your best work done. In order to do this, you need to create the right kind of environment to spur you on.
Design is important in
choosing the look and feel of your home office. It should be a place you look
forward to coming to, one where you love your surroundings and feel inspired.
However, this does need to be underpinned by practicality as well. Consider
your layout, your equipment needed, and then you can move on to thinking about
how these might look aesthetically. The two elements will work together to
ensure you have a highly usable, beautiful space that you can enjoy working in
every day of the week.
Do you live in a south facing home? Maybe you live in a flat that is flooded with sun in the summer? Do you have a conservatory that you just need to keep cool? All of these options mean that you could benefit from vertical blinds, which will keep the sun out and the temperature down when you need to keep your space cool. The idea of having sun in your home all the time sounds wonderful, but in reality, it just isn’t an option. You need to be comfortable, and avoiding the glare of the sun is important. It will be much more enjoyable this way.
Vertical blinds offer a sophisticated option for shading your property, shop front or other type of building. You can draw them down over your window when you want to, so the shading option isn’t permanent. This allows you to choose when you want some shade, and when you want the sun to come flooding back in. It’s a highly versatile way of enjoying your property. Blinds give you the option of picking and choosing depending on your mood, the position of the sun and whether you want some privacy.
So what are vertical blinds, and how do they work?
- Vertical blinds are fitted onto the outside of your property. They can cover the windows and doors on the outside as needed, giving you shade, privacy and a better living environment.
- They are usually electrically operated. It is easy for you to operate your blinds with a remote control as they are electrically operated, making it simple to draw them across the whole of the window, door or balcony.
- They will be made from a strong and robust material. Window blinds are made to last, withstanding harsh weather and very much lasting you into the future. They should be considered a good investment.
- They can be used as, or in conjunction with, an awning. You can get different blind shapes and designs if you want some light to come in at the bottom, creating more of an awning-like shape. If you want to use the blinds with an awning or shelter of some description, you can – you just need to make sure you specify exactly what you need when ordering. This is a popular option for shops and other commercial premises as opposed to homes.
- Blinds can also offer you protection from the weather. If you choose a zip design, this can offer you shelter from wind and rain. You might use this kind of design for a balcony.
Remember that no two blinds are the same; every home or business will require a slightly different, tailored solution. Think about what you need to get from a blind, like privacy, or shade at certain times of the day, and talk this over with a window or door blind specialist. They can ensure you find the perfect blinds for your house, shop, flat, holiday home, conservatory, or anywhere else that could benefit from a professional vertical blind fitting.