Laptop Ergonomics at Work

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If you are using a laptop as a desktop alternative, you are committing a serious ergonomic faux pas. Because of some of the features that allow the laptop to remain portable, many ergonomic elements are compromised. The following laptop components present the biggest ergonomic concern when using a laptop at your desk.

Keyboard Spacing – Sometimes on laptops, keyboard spacing is condensed so as to make the device more compact. Some of the injuries that can occur from the oddly-spaced keys on a laptop are stress injuries and wrist injuries.

Screen Size and Positioning – Of course, being that laptop screens are smaller than desktop screens, injuries like eye strain can present themselves. The proper ergonomic setup tells us to have the monitor and keyboard at different levels and spaced far apart. Having both of these features at eye level can cause bad posture and may result in various forms of back pain/problems.

Mouse – Styluses on portable computer devices, used over a long period of time, can also cause wrist-related injuries, and-GASP-discomfort! If someone has come up with a way to remain comfortable seated in a chair for 8 hours a day—please, please enlighten me.

About.com suggests using a laptop docking station as the best ergonomic solution. This would allow you to plug your laptop into a station that has a monitor, keyboard, and a mouse connected. If that isn’t possible, you can also try just using an externally attached mouse and keyboard.
So in summary, it seems as though investing in a desktop may be the best solution ergonomically and perhaps even economically, as it wouldn’t be necessary to buy all of the extra external hardware.

For more information on how to set up your desk in an ergonomically-sound manner, please visit www.ergonomics.com.

TAB Office Systems is your source for quality office furniture, document storage , design planning and much more. Call us today at 1-800-287-2855 or contact us online.

Setting up a Practical Filing System for Your Office

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Okay, people. This is seriously exciting stuff, but it really is beneficial for your company to have a strategically designed filing system in the office. You’ve all been there—even at our own desks it can be impossible to sort through the piles and piles of papers that we’ve let build up for months and months, thinking it will magically go away—now try finding a document within an entire office stash that has been building up for YEARS, not months. Exactly; It can really be a nightmare, which is why you need an efficient file storage system!

Here are some tips to start tackling those filing cabinets.

1. Create a separate file storage cabinet for each of your company’s divisions if applicable. Make sure that all of these storage cabinets are organized using the same filing methods.
2. Which brings me to number tip number two; choosing a filing method that works for you and your employees. “I didn’t know there was such thing as a filing method,” you say? Yeah, me neither. Most simply—these methods consist of alphabetical sorting and numerical sorting. Do you sort by date, or by name, color, all of the above? You choose.
3. Do you want your filing system to be held in folder or binders? It sort of depends on how much space you have. Folders of course take up less space, but binders allow more files to be stored.
4. Make sure all of your labels are in plain sight so that they do not get lost amongst the hundreds of other files.
5. Categorizing is the final thing to be considered when maximizing the usage of your filing cabinets. Suggestions may be labeling each drawer by either a-g h-n (if you’re using alphabetical method), or 2000-2005 2006-2011 (if you’re using the numerical sorting method).

So there you have it, folks. Sorting your filing cabinets in 300 words or less.

TAB Office Systems is your source for quality office furniture, document storage , design planning and much more. Call us today at 1-800-287-2855 or contact us online.

Go Green in the Office

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Although it seems like “going green” has become just a trendy movement, or a way to start conversation, it actually is a lot more than an eco-friendly way to “keep up with the Joneses.” As probably everyone knows, going green has many benefits besides bragging rights within your social circle. Just as going green is important in the home, being ecologically-aware is equally important in the office. treehugger.com cited the following 10 suggestions to green-itize your office:

1. Redesign Your Workspace

Furniture can be made from recycled materials, and incandescent light bulbs can replace regular bulbs because they use minimal amounts of energy. Install windows as they provide great natural lighting, and have been shown to improve worker productivity.

2. More Work, Less Energy

A good way to save energy is to turn your computer off when you leave for the day, and to use power saving settings throughout the day when they’re not in use. Also, using a power strip with an on/off button is a good alternative, because at the end of the day, the entire workstation can be shut down.

3. Digitize

Whenever you can use a digitized copy of a document, it is suggested to do so. Treehugger.com said it best: “the greenest paper is no paper at all.”

4. Don’t be a Paper Pusher

We understand that sometimes paper copies are necessary, so when you do need to buy paper, look for the recycled kind. Try printing double-sided copies so less paper is used, and if your office ships packages, reuse the boxes and use shredded waste paper to pad your packages.

5. Greening the Commute

23 billion gallons of gas are wasted each year as American laborers sit in rush hour traffic after work. Try to eliminate some of this waste; carpool, bike, use public transportation, or if possible, walk. You may also consider investing in a hybrid, motorcycle, scooter or using a Zipcar.

6. Green Sleeves

Try looking for clothes at a thrift store, or look for clothing that has been made with organic or recycled fibers.

7. Work from home

Telecommuting saves the gas that it would take to get to work, and all other travel expenses.

8. Use Green Materials

Examples of green materials include; recycled paper and envelopes, pens and pencils that have been made using recycled materials, refillable ink pens and markers, biodegradable soaps, and recycled paper towels.

9. Lunch Time

Bring your lunch in reusable containers. If you get take out, try ordering with a bunch of employees to minimize the amount of packaging waste.

10. Get others in the Act!

So there you have it. Get inspired to make your office green, and inspire others to do it too! Not only will you be supporting the environment, but you’ll also look trendy doing it!

TAB Office Systems is your source for quality office furniture, document storage , design planning and much more. Call us today at 1-800-287-2855 or contact us online.

Ergonomically Correct Chair

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In making your office more “ergonomically correct,” one must take many factors including employee’s varying needs, body sizes or special needs into consideration. As a general rule, NC State said that the following issues should be avoided when shopping for healthy office equipment.

-Static or awkward posture
-Repetitive motion
-Poor access which would make for excessive reaching
-Displays which are difficult to read and understand
-Controls that may require too much force or strength

Okay, so now that we’ve got that percolating, how do we know what furniture to buy so that these issues are evaded? Regarding the purchase of the most important office supply (a sweet office chair), according to an Oklahoma State University study of Office Ergonomics, you’re going to want a chair that is lightly padded or upholstered. Next, depending on your height, be sure to adjust your chair so that the backs of your knees do not touch your chair, and so that your feet are flat on the floor. Make sure the small of your back is pressed against the back of your chair (or a pillow, if necessary). Finally, AKA my favorite part, a chair that swivels isn’t just more fun—it’s also a suggested function of a sufficient office chair. To see a model of an ergonomically correct workstation, please click this link

Here at TAB we have all of your ergonomic needs, one of which includes the Stinger Chair shown below.Contact us for more information on this innovative chair!

TAB Office Systems is your source for quality office furniture, document storage , design planning and much more. Call us today at 1-800-287-2855 or contact us online.

Ergonomics: Who cares?

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Everyone should. According to The Washington State Department of Labor Industries (WISHA), Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD’s) make up the largest group of injury claims in the office. Some examples of these injuries can affect muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels. These injuries most often are the result of poor posture and remaining in a neutral position for too long. A person suffering from a WMSD may experience discomfort, pain, fatigue, swelling, stiffness, numbness or tingling in any of the above areas.

As a result of these injuries, many workers must take time off; their quality and quantity of work may decrease, and the employer must pay higher amounts of worker’s compensation. According to WISHA, such injuries have resulted in medical and time loss costs of more than $12 million per year, and account for greater than 70,000 missed work days each year. Unlike a fall or a slip, these injuries tend to get worse over time, especially with continued use of the affected area. This means that worker’s compensation fees will continue as well. WMSD’s are responsible for 60% of all claim costs.

Work tasks that have contributed to the build-up of WMSD’s include: repetitive movements such as typing, clicking of a mouse, or looking back and forth between a computer screen and a written document on one’s desk, static loading or sustained exertions including looking down at a document too long, and sitting upright with no back support, awkward postures like typing with bent wrists or slouching or leaning forward in your chair, and finally mechanical contact stress which may include resting one’s wrists on the edge of your desk while typing or using the mouse.
Among other health risks to consider when looking at office ergonomics is eye strain. Most often eye strain is a result of staring at a computer screen for long periods of time, and can show itself through symptoms like dry/itchy eyes, sore/tired eyes, headaches, or blurred/double vision.

Well, I hope I haven’t scared you all too much, but perhaps enough so that you start to reevaluate your own working conditions, and maybe make some changes to improve your quality of life.

For more information please click here.

TAB Office Systems is your source for quality office furniture, document storage , design planning and much more. Call us today at 1-800-287-2855 or contact us online.

Creating Your Efficient Office Layout Part 2: Creating Your Space

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So we’re ready to create this office space. Are you overcome with anticipation? I am. Okay, so the following factors were suggested by enotes.com to consider.

Work flow – The best work flow is one in which all movement is straight, forward, and has as little backtracking or path crossing as possible. Think: keeping all printer supplies in one room so that backtracking to get paper, staples, pens etc. is not necessary.

Organization Chart – Which unit should be physically located near another? Printer should be next to copier, not on the opposite side of the building.

Projection of Number of Employees Needed in the Future – Make sure to consider the future—are you planning on expanding your business? Adding another component? Make sure you save space for future endeavors!

Communication Network – Depending on which extensions are dialing the most, probably indicates that they would benefit from having their desks and workspaces placed closed together.

Departmental Organization – Business, marketing, IT; all people belonging to one department should probably be placed close together.

Ratio of Private to General Offices – General offices tend to create more space, so more and more companies are opting out of private offices, and they also accommodate change better.

…gosh there’s a lot….

Space requirements – How much space does each employee need? And how much empty space should be left empty if you were to grow as much as realistically possible?

Specialized areas – Be sure to leave space open for specialized areas like a reception area, board or conference rooms, mailroom, stairs, and exits.

Safety Considerations – Make sure to leave space for aisles/corridors, sufficient width, door openings, emergency exit etc… in compliance with safety standards.

Barrier-free Construction- Accommodation for the disabled such as big enough areas that a wheelchair could sufficiently maneuver.

…just keep swimming…just keep swimming …

Expansion – Plan a yearly development meeting so you know how much space you may need to acquire or get rid of. This allows you to stay proactive in the space-utilization process.

Equipment and furniture Needs – Furniture should of course comply with proper ergonomic standards, and you should also think about the space that this furniture will take up. It is a necessary space-sucker, so make sure that you have considered furniture before none of it fits!

WHEW. Good luck with that, everyone! Perhaps you should just let TAB do all this messy, thinky stuff.

Just a thought.

TAB Office Systems is your source for quality office furniture, document storage , design planning and much more. Call us today at 1-800-287-2855 or contact us online.

Creating Your Efficient Office Layout Part 1

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Hello everyone! We are so excited to have our brand new site launched, and to begin engaging with our clients through various social platforms such as Twitter (Taboffice), Facebook (Tab Office Systems), and this blog! We encourage you all to converse through these mediums, and also to leave feedback in the comment section of our blog. Thanks for visiting.

Creating Your Efficient Office Layout Part 1: Why do this?

Who knew so much thought would be required to effectively use an office space? Well we did, but many don’t see the real value in it. Learning how to efficiently use your distinct office area is actually pretty useful though in deciding the kind of dynamic that you want to create for your office and its employees.

I found an article that explained how best to use a space in order to fit the needs of your unique office, which I’ve documented below. Think of your office, and think of how yo u feel in the space that you’ve created for yourself—or that your boss has created for you. Does it make you dread the next time you’ll be going to work? Or have you created a calming space that allows you to work in the most productive manner possible?

So why spend extra time to think about your office environment? Enotes.com listed the following benefits to you and your company if a proper office layout is considered:

  1. Office layout affects how much satisfaction the employees receive from their jobs.
  2. It has an effect on how your company is viewed by guests and clients.
  3. It provides effective allocation and use of the building’s floor space.
  4. It can provide employees areas that are task-specific, so as to increase productivity.
  5. It facilitates the expansion or rearrangement of work areas if needed.
  6. Can facilitate employee supervision (has your boss strategically placed their desk so you can see their eyes at all times? OFFICE LAYOUT BABY!”

Now that we’ve come up with some valid reasons to begin this task, how do we go about maximizing our office’s space, in order to produce an environment that gets our team’s creative juices flowing? Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter.

TAB Office Systems is your source for quality office furniture, document storage , design planning and much more. Call us today at 1-800-287-2855 or contact us online!