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Shared workstations are a reality in many workplaces today. From standard office computer workstations, to the health-care industry, to high-tech manufacturing, computers are an essential tool in nearly every business. In many of these settings, however, workstations can be shared by multiple users, resulting in a poor ergonomic fit for some. Examples of situations requiring workstation sharing are shift work, job sharing, and part-time workers who fill in where they are needed on a given day. In some industrial situations, several workers may need to occasionally access a particular computer to perform a required task. Providing a workstation that can effectively accommodate multiple employees should now be considered essential for efficient daily operations. But which employee do you set the workstation up for? Unless each worker assigned to a particular workstation is identical in stature, then at a minimum some basic adjustment differences are bound to occur. Issues such as poor monitor placement and keyboard location need to be addressed early in order to prevent serious musculoskeletal disorders.
The following guidelines should be considered for workstations shared by multiple users:
Training is an important element in the overall ergonomic picture. Ensuring that affected employees understand about each of the above three adjustments, and then encouraging them to make these adjustments every time they sit down to start their work day, will go a long way toward preventing computer-related injuries, no matter the type of workplace.
Revised: 04/2017