What are the main hazards of these bad postures at work?
They can all lead to musculoskeletal problems, i.e. problems affecting the ligaments, muscles, tendons, nerves, blood vessels or invertebral disks. All these movements taken separately do not necessarily have disastrous consequences on the body. But bad postures over an extended period of time and/or repetitive postures eventually lead to musculoskeletal injuries. How are Canadian companies faring in this regard? Ergonomics at work is a topic that interests people and there is a lot of information out there. Companies, however, seem to be less well informed about the risks of bad posture when telecommuting or commuting. Often, they feel that a telecommuters work environment is not their responsibility, while in fact it is their role to plan the tools required to work in the right conditions. Facility design is also subject to standards, the Canadian Guidelines on Office Ergonomics (CSA Z412) standard in particular. The office furniture industry has also created its own BIFMA standard.
