It’s the little things that count, right?

Over the past few years, much-publicized research has emerged alerting office workers across the world of the dangers of hunching over, staying seated for long hours and hammering away at keyboards without the right support.

Another interesting trend: customization. Some of the most popular movements within office design – namely, standing desks – have focused on individualizing workstations to fit the person working there and not vice versa.

A little-known part of our website is actually one of the most important when it comes to making sure your employees have the right screen, desk and keyboard heights: ergonomic accessories.

This quick guide will help you understand the reasons why it makes sense to invest in accessories that improve your employees’ productivity and well-being.

Standing and Adjustable-Heigh Desks Add Years to Your Life

This past year and a half of workplace research was sobering. One study revealed that workers who didn’t take a standing break every 30 minutes had a shorter life expectancy than those who were intentional about getting up every half hour and moving around.

For workers who like sitting in their seats to hammer away at to-do lists, considering a move to a standing desk – even if it was healthier – would be a hard sell.

Our Safco Sit Stand provides a compromise for the stand-wary. With just a few minutes of installation, it provides your team the option of doing their work standing or sitting.  With the right amount of encouragement and a decent explanation about the health benefits, there’s a good chance your team will appreciate your willingness to make changes based on their well-being.

Not convinced? Read through a first-hand account of a Fast Company employee who made the switch to a standing desk with a specialty chair designed for such desks.

Here’s a quick excerpt:

“One thing I’ve decided for sure after a year of standing–I’ll never go back to sitting. I would bet you on that.”

Stop by our Safco specialty chair page to see the types of chairs we offer for standing desks.

Monitors Never Seem to be the Right Height

An office desk is like a basketball team where one player always seems to be out of sync with the others. Sometimes it’s the chair that’s in its own world but your computer monitor is often the one piece of equipment that lacks the adjustments necessary for a comfortable viewing height.

What results is a legion of office workers who spend most of their days hunched over to get at eye-level to do their work. Sore shoulders, aching necks; it’s common fare in most workplaces.

This is where our monitor arms provide a simple solution. Monitors are mounted onto a fully-adjustable arm your workers can adjust left, right up and down to fit their body type and workspace. And it’s not just a one-monitor solution. We can create an adjustable-arm workstation that fits up to six screens.

Keyboards Constantly Pull Wrists in the Wrong Direction

Whether you work in a newsroom or an accounting department, you’ve probably become accustomed to the sound of keyboards tapping away from morning to night.

Unfortunately, there’s a good chance that many of your colleagues’ wrists are under a lot of stress from not being in the right position. Over time, improper positioning leads to decreased sensitive in the median nerve, which is responsible for your hand’s strength and dexterity.

There are a variety of different wrist pads you can pick up from the local office supply store, but these are temporary solutions that aren’t tailored to individuals.

For this reason, the adjustable keyboard platform/arm combos we provide aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Just like the adjustable monitor arms we mentioned earlier, these keyboard arms allow your employees to adjust their keyboard to the exact height needed to keep their wrists in a good position and promote good circulation with the least amount of pressure on the median nerve.

Here’s how website Healthy Computing describes the importance of adjustable keyboard arms and platforms:

“If you don’t currently use an adjustable keyboard/mouse tray, consider attaching one to your surface. This allows a much wider range of adjustment and helps you maintain a proper ergonomic setup. Choose a system that is height adjustable, lets you tilt the keyboard away from you slightly for better posture (negative tilt), and allows you to use the mouse with your upper arms relaxed and as close to the body as possible.”
Contact Us with Any Questions

We’re more than happy to help you select a series of ergonomic accessories. Stop by our Contact Us page to send us an email or give us a call at 760-938-5572.