Posted By willhiem hi, i know this has come up before in numerous threads but i've recently been asked a question as a person has complained where the desk is located. the reception desk is in a clinic (built to A & E standards), and it wouldnt be a very busy clinic! its 700mm high and eye level is 1100mm (the desk cost about 100k and is in a new building so anthropometical data i'm sure has been used in its design - it'd want to be at that price!!). One of the ladies who works there is quite small, so i'm told and while she has an adjustable chair she still uses a cushion - obviously this has to be addressed and a foot rest etc utilised. she isnt actually the problem. another lady has complained that she is experiencing neck problems due to the fact she is constantly looking from here monitor which is in front of her up at those at the desk. i'm at a loss, i've seen all the older posts and i'm leening towards the whole notion of stress and such factors being related to the injury, i think some sort of stress management coupled with ergonomic training could sort it, but right now i cant think of any evidence of a breach of health and safety law (maybe slightly dse regs but that'd be all), both in the desk design and also accomodation of the workers! ( not withstanding the footrest etc which is under control) its a PM giving greif saying the desk is in breach of health and safety, i dont know where he got this from and he wont say but... all help greatly appreciated! PS apologies about the whole formatting / spelling of the post, i'm trying to do 3 1/2 things at once, this being the 1/2

Posted By AlisonSM Does she have a height adjustable monitor / flatscreen? That way she could raise / lower the screen slightly as the screen might be too low. Also check if she's had her eyes tested in the last 2 years (if she is leaning forward slightly to view the words on the screen she could experience neck discomfort). Is the discomfort constant or does it get worse as the day progresses (or with the amount of screen work she does?). If so, does she take enough short breaks from the screen? Has she had any sort of injury in the past (or recently) such as whiplash or has she changed her car or bed which could be related to the discomfort she has been experiencing. While stress may be involved, I'd ask a few more questions (via a DSE assessment) to see if there are any other issues at play.

Posted By Mitch Willheim, Anyone sitting at a desk is bound to have to look up to people standing, why don't you provide chairs for visitors so that they are on the same level? Still push the PM to clarify his statement though as something could be missed! Mitch

Posted By Mitch Be cheaper to buy a couple of chairs as long as you don't use the company that supplied the desk in the first place!!

Posted By Dave Wilson See my last response to DSE questions AARGHH!!!

Posted By Kieran J Duignan Willhiem When you write 'another lady has complained that she is experiencing neck problems due to the fact she is constantly looking from her(e) monitor which is in front of her up at those at the desk', you're combining two kinds of statements. The reported fact that she is experiencing neck problems; in fact, the root cause of her reported pains in her neck may or may not be due to the cause to which she attributes them, namely 'constantly' looking up from her monitor; one wonders whether she sometimes also look down too? On the infrequent occasions that such difficulties do occur, the employee and employer could be on the threshold of a lengthy winding path to specialists in orthopaedics or rheumatoology and beyond that to solicitors and other court officials leading to an out-of-court settlement with which nobody is fully satisfied. In practice, at this stage, may I suggest that you videorecord her at work for about 60 minutes four or five times, spaced over two or three weeks. For the same period, ask her to keep a diary, logging entries every 30 minutes throughout her waking hours, so that you also gather data about her out-of-work activities, which you don't mention. That will give you reliable data from where you can start factual analysis rather than rely on the employee's beliefs about the root cause. Options that may then emerge include providing her with a chair where she can vary her posture from sitting to standing as well as educating her in posture management and training her to improve her level of physical fitness with an appropriate instructor. Behavioural change is usually a vital (but omitted) part of a viable solution to a problem for which ergonomics is also relevant.

Posted By GeoffB4 In the beginning ..... sit on a chair that puts you at the same height as the standing patients/clients/customers - then design the desk around that.