Ergonomics

My aunt works at a Jackson-Hewitt Tax Service office, preparing taxes for clients. She remains seated in an office chair for long time throughout the day, as company did her co-workers. The seats are inexpensive models that provide little lumbar support and the keyboard is situated on the desk in a way that requires uncomfortable bending of the wrist. All units in the building share one thermostat that is located outside the Jackson-Hewitt office, leaving another office in control of the temperature for the entire building. As a result, the Jackson-Hewitt office is often uncomfortably cold. I believe an ergonomic intervention is called for in this situation, regarding workstation ergonomics, the environment, and any elements that have an effect on the quality of operations within the office.

The general objective of the intervention will be a thorough analysis of the current work environment and the needs of office employees so that a report based on quantifiable data and including the general perception of the office employees can be constructed and appropriate suggestions for improvement made. The investigation method used for this intervention will involve a workstation evaluation survey. The intervention process will begin with an initial walkthrough of the office and completion of a thorough inventory of the current workstation regarding the equipment available for employee use. Employees will then be asked to complete a written workstation evaluation survey, followed by an interview to discuss their responses and suggestions for improvement, and to interpret better their perceptions of the work environment. At that point, the data could be analyzed and appropriate alternatives researched. A new workstation based on results of the study would be created for the employees to test and provide feedback on. If the new workstation proves satisfactory to employees, the changes should be implemented throughout the office and the workstations evaluated after a set duration of time.