Nothing induces a yawn like the word “ergonomics.” You may know it’s important for health and productivity, but the second you hear all the numbers and jargon involved—like 20” focal depth, 15° viewing angle, and neutral wrist—all you can think is “I just…can’t.”

I get it, and I’m here to help with a clear link between preventing pain and ergonomics. (By which I mean, if something hurts, you can likely tweak your workspace to fix it.) First, let’s take a quick look at how ergonomics can help you.

In the 15 years that I’ve been sharing my thoughts and knowledge through our Xybix blog, our most popular blogs are consistently on boosting morale in dispatch. People are thirsty for information on this topic—likely because high morale at a 911 comms center is proven to improve the quality and efficiency of work, job satisfaction, and employee retention while decreasing absenteeism and burnout. (And, I like to think, because making people happy in their jobs is the right thing to do.)

Long shifts and stressful work result in muscle tension that follows you home in form of headaches and body aches. To help, Certified Personal Trainer and Xybix North Central Territory Manager, Jhovana Cervantes, demonstrates a variety of practical stretches that dispatchers can easily do at their desks or on break. 

Let me get right to the point: A desk suitable for dispatch, known as a console, will cost somewhere in the range of $18,000 to $28,000 with shipping and installation. Yes, that is as much as a used car—and the reason for that is the specific needs the consoles meet and the amount of time they last under constant use. Let’s take a deeper look.

Due diligence is required when purchasing office furniture designed for 24/7/365 mission-critical environments. The furniture is a significant long-term investment in your people, your customers, and your equipment. You want to get the purchase right.

At Xybix, one of our core values is to care for those who serve others. That’s why our desks exceed ergonomic standards, why we continue to innovate with new features such as AXYS, and why we developed our new line of healthcare desks. We wanted to expand access to ergonomic sit-to-stand workstations that help prevent musculoskeletal injuries and eyestrain while enhancing productivity and morale.

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.

With the 24/7/365 use, the moving parts, and the bells and whistles, do dispatch consoles last more than 10 years? For high-quality dispatch consoles, they not only last more than a decade but can still look like new and perform at their best. Recently, Xybix checked in on a client, the Onondaga County 911 Center, for feedback on their 10-year-old consoles. Four dispatchers with a combined 43 years of experience serving one of the largest counties in New York State shared their thoughts in video.

Think about how edgy you feel when you leave your phone in the car or plug it in a few feet away at, say, a coffee shop. Imagine if your belongings were always out of your possession like this, while you’re busy taking critical dispatch calls. This is where personal lockers come in—and they offer plenty of other benefits as well.

Computer monitors cause all kinds of headaches. Finance may not like the price, IT may hate the installation process, visitors may trip over all the cords, and, most importantly, monitors may literally give computer users headaches. And that is too bad because dispatchers rely on computer monitors—lots of computer monitors—to help people. Aside from the misery for the person with the headache, consider this statistic: Migraines alone cost $11 billion in medical spending and another $11 billion in lost productivity. That’s per year.