By Hong Xinyi

The office. It is either portrayed as an air-conditioned, cushy workplace or a den for cubicle rats.

Whichever it is, one thing is for sure - the computer has changed office layout and culture, for better or for worse. Here are some potential hazards and how to avoid them.

Posture perfect

Count your blessings if your office furniture has been well designed. Even then, you have to work smart.

Said Dr Lim Yeow Wai, a specialist in orthopaedic surgery at Raffles Hospital: 'If you spend many hours on the keyboard, you will very likely expose your shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand to awkward postures and repetitive work injuries.'

A posture-friendly workstation should have a keyboard placed at a height that allows your elbows to bend at 90 degrees when you are typing.

Your elbows should be about 5cm from your torso when you type, said Dr Lim. 'The further your elbows are placed away from your body, the more stress is placed on the scapular muscles that connect your arm bones to your collar bones.'

When using the computer mouse or when typing, also make sure the back of your wrist is flat most of the time. Excessive bending may narrow the passage of the nerve transversing your wrist. To minimise stress on your finger joints, do not rest your wrist on the mouse when you are not using it and do not bang hard on the keys when typing.

Your chair should allow you to rest your feet flat on the ground, with your thighs parallel to the floor.

The back of the knee should not touch the edge of the chair and your lower back and shoulder should rest against the chair's natural back arch. If you have to, use a rolled towel or cushion to get the necessary support.

Take a micro break away from the keyboard every 15 minutes, said Dr Lim. This allows the muscles you use when typing to rest while you do other things like filing papers or following up on phone calls.

There are also macro breaks, to be taken every hour.

That is when you leave your workstation for a short walk to lighten the stress on your back and other muscles that support your posture when you are seated.

'In the long run, this will increase your productivity by decreasing your aches and pain,' Dr Lim said.

Fashion hags, take note: Office wear should be comfortable and fit well. Bras that are too tight, for instance, can cause skin irritation from the pressure on the skin, said Dr Martin Huang, director and consultant plastic surgeon at The Cosmetic Surgery Clinic.

Office zen

Besides ergonomic efficiency, office design can have subtle psychological effects too.

A 2002 report from American business media website AllBusiness.com suggested that drab colours can influence morale and energy levels. In the same article, MrWilliam Persch, who owns an office design consultancy firm, said square and rectangle desks and tables are 'more formal and confrontational' than round ones.

Mr John Shinners, an office furniture executive, also noted the problems that can arise from drastic differences in staff's office furniture: 'When the head of the company has a palatial office, while those lower down the totem pole spend their days crammed into minuscule workspaces, this office design breeds resentment and bitterness in the cramped employees.'

While no 'iron-clad research' has been done on the psychological effects of office design, psychiatrist Adrian Wang of Gleneagles Medical Centre said that the anecdotal evidence from his patients suggested that the physical environment does play a part in contributing to stress.

'Many people spend more time at work than at home and the cumulative effects of things like lighting and background noise can play a part in how stressed we feel in our office environment.

'I have heard patients say they bump into something with every corner they turn in their offices, which can make someone even more sensitive to any existing depression or anxiety he may already feel.'

Your workstation should be 'a place of solace', he said, although optimal designs may vary with your line of work.

'If I'm a researcher, I may prefer things to be neat, white and clean, but more creative industries may benefit more from warm colours and soft lighting,' he added. Spaces like pantries stocked with simple snacks, where colleagues can take short breathers, can also contribute to a friendlier work environment.

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Numbers to note

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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