Happy employees are the backbone of any successful business. Protecting the health and safety of workers is something every workplace should focus on to make sure productivity and efficiency rates stay high.

But if the nature of your business is sitting at a desk all day, then you may find that staff are complaining of backache, headaches or other health-related symptoms. The good news is that, by following these health and safety tips, you can make your work environment a much safer and more comfortable place to be.

Upgrade your furniture

Sitting for long periods of time on uncomfortable chairs and leaning on outdated desks can cause aches and pains. To prevent chronic health issues and enhance your employees’ wellbeing, it’s important to help them maintain a good posture at work through providing ergonomic furniture. One way this can be done is by upgrading your office furniture.

Choosing the right chairs isn’t a decision that can be made hastily as there are many factors to consider including:

• Are they stable?
• Are they height adjustable?
• Are they big enough to let users work comfortably and change position?
• Do they have arm, leg and back support built in?

Encourage movement breaks

Taking a break from sitting every half an hour or so is recommended by health professionals.

Encourage workers to set a reminder to get up and take a walk every so often. This could just be around your business space, or even a quick trip outdoors for some fresh air. 

Create an ergonomic workstation

When the desk is the perfect fit, everything else will just slot into place. There are many desks available on the market to choose from, but not all of them allow for a comfortable workspace. An ergonomic workstation should include:

• Having all items within arms reach
• Allowing plenty of legroom
• Eliminating a hunched-over seating position
• Promoting a full range of motion
• Ensuring arms and wrists are at a neutral position to the keyboard

Creating this ergonomic workstation reduces strain on the entire body and makes sitting for long periods of time at a desk as comfortable as possible. Even so, it’s still advised to take regular breaks. 

Don’t forget about mental health 

Mental health is an area that used to be extremely overlooked in the past, but this topic is now slowly getting the attention it deserves.  Mental health and wellbeing is just as important as physical health and safety, which is why the correct steps should be taken to improve it as much as possible. 

Office-based jobs can be repetitive, so educating employees about mental wellness and extending flexible work hours whenever possible can be considered critical steps to helping your workforce maintain productivity and a proper work-life balance.

Author Bio: First Mats started life as safety matting specialists, but have since expanded to become a complete industrial and commercial supplies company. The focus of First Mats is to provide safety-focused products that improve the wellbeing of staff through quality approved products, backed up by extensive knowledge. www.firstmats.co.uk