Over the last few months, various news stories have caught my eye because of their relevance to dispatch centers. My first takeaway from these stories is the importance of attention to detail in everything from mats to lighting to ergonomics. And my second takeaway is that sitting for long hours is no good for any of us! Read on for details.
The 5 Best Anti-Fatigue Mats, Based on 6 Months of Testing - I spotted this article in Food & Wine and was intrigued because nobody stands more than chefs—and nobody needs a sturdier mat than a chef. Their advice on anti-fatigue mats is sure to help dispatchers who generally stand only part of the time. A small investment from $31 to $80 in a well-made mat can prevent foot, leg, and back pain.
Benefits of Natural Light in the Workplace - Xybix understands the importance of light to both accuracy and mood, so we’ve long provided bias and task lighting options. Today, we also offer colored LED lights to impact your circadian rhythms. In this story, I learned more about how natural light improves employee sleep, health, engagement, productivity, and more. Allowing for natural light—while controlling for glare on screens—is certainly something to think about when remodeling or building a dispatch center from scratch.
The BEST Desk Setup to Reduce Eye Strain - In this video, I love the presenter’s clear explanations about viewing angle and distance, blue light impact on sleep, color consistency, and more. Many of his tips may be more suited to your home computer use, but it’s a good reminder about ergonomics at work as well.
Is Standing at Your Desk Actually Better Than Sitting? Here’s What the Evidence Says - Although plenty of studies prove the benefits of ergonomic standing desks, I always want to know more. What captured my attention was the health statistics: “Modelling studies show that swapping one hour of sitting each day for one hour of standing leads to improvements in waist circumference, fat and cholesterol levels.” The story, however, wraps with the caveat that “just standing is not enough to reduce the harms of prolonged sitting. We need to sit less and move more.” In a dispatch environment with sit-to-stand desks, it’s easy to quickly adjust the desk height and alternate between sitting and standing. Just think about ways to add short walks throughout the day, even just parking farther away from the coffee shop.
Sitting All Day Can Be Deadly. 5-Minute Walks Can Offset Harms - In studies at Columbia University Medical Center, researcher Keith Diaz says, “We found that a five minute walk every half-hour was able to offset a lot of the harms of sitting.” After participants walked on a treadmill at a moderate, he adds, “We were really struck by just how powerful the effects were.” For example, results showed “blood sugar spikes after a meal reduced by almost 60%.” I realize that busy dispatchers cannot get up every 30 minutes and walk around but you might be able to pace a little while standing. But when you’re home, you could try to get up every 30 minutes for a quick walk. I know I can at least try to get off the sofa for five minutes every half-hour, and not just to walk to the kitchen for a snack.
Sitting All Day Increases Dementia Risk — Even If You Exercise - From the lead, this story is a must read: “In news that we shouldn’t take sitting down, a study just published in JAMA finds that people who stay seated for long hours at work and home are at much higher risk of developing dementia than people who sit less.” Unfortunately, the study was unable to determine whether alternating between sitting and standing prevents risk—because activity trackers often are unable to differentiate between sitting and standing. Fortunately, though, the story wraps with some simple advice: “If your job requires a lot of desk and computer time, look for opportunities during the day to be in motion.” (One option for encouraging more motion throughout the day is adding a Xybix workstation bike or treadmill to your dispatch center. For inspiration and practical application, read about a fellow dispatcher’s journey to fitness.)
One more takeaway from these stories—they are all focused on the health and well-being of employees. Whatever you can do to prevent fatigue, eye strain, pain, and the health risks of sitting will pay off in improved health, morale, and productivity.
If you need help with any of these issues, reach out to Xybix today. We’re happy to share our 25 years’ experience in dispatch center furniture and design.
