The importance of ergonomics for security personnel

What is Ergonomics? The study of people’s efficiency in their working environment.

Running a CCTV control room comes with a plethora of responsibilities, one of which is ensuring the comfort and health of your staff is taken care of. Comfort, health and productivity go hand-in-hand for the position of security control room operator, as they will often spend hours at a time seated in front of a screen.

Having a comfortable seat and a monitor that is optimally placed will encourage their work ethic and increase alertness. Outlined below are some of the other reasons why you should consider ergonomic equipment as part of your security control room equipment list.

Increased productivity in the workplace

Because security control room personnel are often stationed at a specific console or desk for long hours at a time, physical problems and productivity issues can be the result. Ergonomically designed furniture can remedy this and has been shown to increase productivity and alleviate physical stress.

You can look for tailor-made furniture for your workforce or offer to allow them to choose their chairs themselves in order to provide optimal comfort and support. Safety, adaptability, comfort and functionality are the key aspects to look for in order to ensure that your staff are able to perform at their highest levels throughout the day. Look for desks and monitors that complement the seating you have decided on for a full-spectrum ergonomic workstation.

There are significant health benefits

A sedentary office is an unhealthy one, so to eliminate this you should look into sit-to-stand desks for your control room employees. A change in posture or position is an effective manner to combat these issues.

If your employees need hospital plan quotes when applying for cover, listing that they sit at an ergonomic desk can help to lower their premiums. You can also help to eliminate musculoskeletal disorders that are caused by poor posture, and your employees will find their blood flow improved, which provides sharper mental focus and observation skills.

Emergencies are easier to facilitate

You may have noticed that in an emergency in an office, almost everyone will stand up to take note of what is happening. Using sit-to-stand desks in a security control room will allow this natural reaction to become easier, and make emergency exits easier and more efficient.

Spotting something suspicious or dangerous on a screen is part of the responsibility of a control room operator, so to facilitate any emergency that comes from something they spot, you should use larger, wall-mounted screens. This will enable all personnel to evaluate what could be a possible emergency situation and take the correct action.

Communication improves

Ergonomic design takes into account the acoustics of the room, particularly when considering how your staff communicates. Often, verbal communication is key in CCTV control rooms, which is why having a properly designed layout is key for improved communication.

The necessary lines of sight and communication should not be hindered in your control room, meaning that the floor layout needs to be seamless. Difficulty in communication can cause problems for employees and can make their jobs difficult. If you have any alarms in the control room, good acoustics will help every member of your staff hear it when it goes off, ensuring that they are aware of what is going on around them.

Employee morale is boosted

Happy employees are productive employees, which is why ergonomics is an important part of any control room. Having a workstation set up for ultimate comfort and support will make your staff happy to come into work every day, as they know they will be comfortable throughout the day.

Employee morale can go a long way towards improving productivity, mental clarity and alertness, all of which are needed in order to run a successful CCTV control room. You will also garner loyalty from your staff, as they will realise you are taking their health and safety into account when designing the control room. By actively trying to prevent musculoskeletal injuries in your staff, you are also creating a positive work environment.

There are financial benefits

You already know that ergonomics helps with improved productivity, which goes hand-in-hand with making more profits. There are other ways in which an ergonomically focused control room can be financially beneficial, however, including saving on worker compensation due to musculoskeletal disorders.

Compensation costs can become expensive, especially if more than one employee is complaining about this sort of pain. You will also find that because you have shown initiative and care towards your current staff, they are less likely to leave the business. This eliminates your need to spend money on training new employees.

Conclusion

An ergonomically designed control room can work wonders for your employees and overall operation. Productivity will be improved thanks to the furniture used, and employee morale will increase too. Having alert, awake and observant employees is vital to the operation of a CCTV control room, and designing an ergonomic office can effectively achieve this. Be sure to include your staff in this process, as their input can help you to design a more effective control room.

 

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— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) April 19, 2018