There are many reasons to choose a height-adjustable desk. Some are dictated by your office environment and others merely on the fact you want a healthier way to work. That said, there are several options available today for adding height adjustability to your workstation. How can one choose? We’re here to help! Here is a brief breakdown on some of the most common models of height-adjustable desks I have seen on the market today.
Electric
Topics: Ergonomics
I’m always shocked by the number of dispatchers I talk to who have never heard of bias lighting. Typically, when I demo this feature on a workstation, I tend to get quite a few “oohhs” and “aahhs” (a similar reaction to watching a fireworks display). But, not everyone has the opportunity to see this feature live during a product demo, and so for those individuals, this blog is for you.
Bias lighting is, in the simplest terms, backlighting. Backlighting emits a soft white glow behind your computer monitor(s). You might have seen similar techniques deployed on furniture displays at your local IKEA. Yes, it seems as though backlighting is catching on in many industries — and for good reason. So why am I bias about bias lighting and why should some such as a 911 dispatcher care? Two very important answers come to mind:
Topics: Employee Health, Features
Today, too many of us are strapped to our desks and glued to our computer monitors and keyboards, especially, for the long hours required by most of our jobs in the fields of public safety, security facilities and operations control rooms which can operate 24/7.
We might ask ourselves, “Isn’t there another option?” With the recent advancements in technical furniture and ergonomic workstations, the answer is "yes!" Why should managers, directors and supervisors care? Because improper ergonomic positioning can result in work-related injuries and decrease performance and productivity.
Topics: Employee Health, Ergonomics, Features, Dispatch, Utilities, Transportation, & Casinos
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Recently, at 2014 NENA in Nashville, TN, I was asked by Ricardo Martinez from the Within the Trenches to participate in a podcast about Xybix, our 911 ergonomic workstations and the recently introduced treadmills and bikes. Naturally, I accepted his invitation and answer quite a few of the questions we've been receiving about the treadmill workstations. Here is what Ricardo came up with.
Episode topics –
Topics: Employee Health, Dispatch
Topics: Pricing, Pre-Planning
Recently, Xybix has been lucky to hear many remarkable stories of weight loss, diet and exercise from 911 dispatchers who have stopped by our booth at recent tradeshows. We’re truly happy for your successes and thrilled to hear that so many 911 dispatchers in the industry are focusing on their health!
At one recent tradeshow, I was speaking with a dispatcher about food, and the struggles of eating right in the dispatch center, with a high-stress environment and shifts that often last 12 hours or more. If you are like most dispatchers, many — if not all — of you end up eating meals at your desk, which makes complete sense when you’re working such long hours!
Topics: Employee Health
Frequently Asked Treadmill Desk Questions
Xybix has received countless questions from inquiring minds about the LifeSpan treadmills and bikes. To help answer these questions, Xybix President Barry Carson made this informative video.
Topics: Employee Health
Exercising at work has numerous benefits including reducing stress and improving your health. Suggested exercises while at work often involve getting up from you desk. For example, it is suggested that employees walk to another employee to engage in conversation instead of staying at their desk and sending an email. Another common suggestion is to get up every hour and walk around the office area taking stairs if they are available.
While these are great ideas they may not be as helpful to people in fields where they can not just get up from their desks whenever they desire. Employees, such as 911 dispatchers and public safety professionals, need tips that allow them to exercise without leaving their workstation. Not only is it important for these employees to have the opportunity to improve their health but their high stress jobs make identifying options for stress relief while at work imperative.
Topics: Employee Health, Brief Overview
For those that sit in front of a computer screen all day, using a treadmill desk while at work can be an easy way to add movement to your day. Being able to stand and walk can also relieve some of the stress that’s associated with being a 911 dispatcher, as well as, relieving some of the pain points that result from too much sitting. One of the biggest questions people have when they are considering adding a treadmill to their workstation is “how noisy is a treadmill desk?” If you are also wondering this, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn the answer.
Topics: Employee Health
With so many cleaning products available for cleaning your dispatch workstation and consoles, a question we are commonly asked is "what cleaning product(s) will kill the most germs and help to prevent sickness in our 911 Comm Center?"
This can be a rather loaded question and can answer it in a few different ways. Assuming that most, if not all of you, want to clean your shared workstation to prevent against the common cold, flu, and various other bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. I’ll be discussing cleaners that are disinfectants/sanitizers. I find it best to mention the United States Environmental Protection Agency or EPA’s website as a good reference. Here you can find many products that have been evaluated for efficacy to make sure the public health label claims are accurate. (As with all cleaning products, be sure to read the label for proper usage and safety instructions.) I in no way promote these products and the purpose of this blog post was to explore what options are available for use in cleaning a your workstation and the pro’s and con’s of each.
Topics: Employee Health, Cleaning & Sanitation, Dispatch
