IMPORTANT NOTICE

As organizations begin their re-opening or hybrid design workspaces, Dempster Wellness wants to ensure the health/safety of your organization and employees.

HYBRID or HOT DESKING are currently popular work designs by most organizations as employees transition back to the office space or work between a home office and an office space. These designs can work BUT may negatively impact employee health if not structured safely and with the assistance of a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CCPE).

In order to ensure your hybrid or hot desking designs don’t impact employee health, ensure the following:

Provide training and education, by a CCPE, to ALL employees on how to properly adjust workspaces, chairs, furniture to ensure neutral joint positioning and a sound ergonomic workspace in both the office (hot desking) and home office spaces.
Ensure that any employee that has gone through or is going through an Ergonomic Assessment Process not be part of the Hot Desking Structure/Design in Office Spaces and are provided with designated work spaces. These employees require specific equipment and adjustments in order to address their health, injury or medical needs. If they are required to move between different workspaces each day, they are forced to move, relocate, or transport vital ergonomic equipment, required for their health. These employees will need to install ergonomic equipment each time they do this, which will impact valuable work time and will impact body positioning/work loads on their bodies, negatively impacting their health. Working with a CCPE to assist in setting up workspaces for these employees will ensure their health and wellness is maintained.

The Health, Wellness and Safety of your employees is more critical now than ever and is our priority!

Employee Health / Wellness and Occupational Injury Prevention

Our goal is to ensure healthy and well employees, to prevent workplace injuries and related costs, to provide ongoing support for your organization's Corporate Health & Wellness programming, education and training needs, and to achieve improved health and performance towards a Total Worker Wellness work culture. We offer organizations On-site service suites throughout Atlantic Canada and Virtual service suites Regionally/Nationally/Internationally in:

Ergonomics
Fitness Classes/Programs, including our Specialized Medical Fitness ( Cancer and Diabetes/Pre-Diabetes) Programs
Nutrition & Healthy Eating
Wellness Coaching
Employee Mental Health and Support Services
Massage Therapy
Yoga and Meditation
Back Care & Injury Prevention
Health and Wellness Workshops/Seminars
Wellness Health Checks and Audits
Wellness Retreats
Health/Wellness Fairs
Corporate Wellness Consulting
Corporate Design Services
Program/Policy Development and Training.
Preventative Ergonomic Education for School Based Groups

Procurement Services/Program DevelopmenT

Our signature POSITIVE PROCUREMENT PROGRAM works with individuals, existing oganizational procurement processes or assists organizations in developing effective procurement services for sourcing appropriate and safe ergonomic product/office furniture being recommended in an Ergonomic Assessment Report or for simply setting up a safe/healthy office/home office workspace. It is also a critical step prior to any bulk product/office furniture purchases organziations are considering. Working closely with our Certified Professional Ergonomist, this program ensures fiscal resources are used wisely and that appropriate health/ergonomic equipment is purchased to address you or teams health/medical needs.

Not all “Ergonomic” equipment will ensure your health and safety is met- always check with a Certified Professional Ergonomist prior to purchase.

ERGONOMIC SERVICES

HELPING ORGANIZATIONS UNDERSTAND HOW ERGONOMICS WILL IMPACT YOUR HEALTH/BUSINESS

Chronic pain and injury are often the byproduct of years of physical, environmental and cognitive stressors. Understanding the link between the stressor and how they are inter-related are key to reducing workplace injury and improving your health/wellness.

We also assist organizations in Policy and Procedure development of any Ergonomic Program/Services.

Our team of Certified Professional Ergonomists ( CCPE) are here to help.

On-site Office and Home Office Workstation Assessments
Virtual Office and Home Office Workstation Assessments
Preventative Ergonomic Education for School Based Groups
Office Ergonomic Courses
Chair Fittings
Safe Lifting Training
Office Ergonomic Audit
Office Furniture Selection
New Employee Preventative Ergonomic Set Up
Follow-up Services
Product Education Services

IS YOUR ORGANIZATION AWARE OF THE NEW CSA STANDARD Z412-17 FOR OFFICE ERGONOMICS? TAKE A LOOK BELOW TO REVIEW SOME OF THE CHANGES.

The CSA Standard for Office Ergonomics has changed. It is no longer a guideline.

If you are in a position of Health, Safety, Ergonomics, Procurement, Design/Build and Operations/Facilities of office work spaces we encourage you to review this document.

Released in December 2017 and with the inclusion of the mandatory “shall” requirements makes it possible for provincial health and safety agencies to adopt Z412-17 as a standard for compliance.

A Few Highlights of Z412-17 include:

5.3.1 Stages in the Design of Work Systems

The organization shall apply ergonomics at ALL stages in the design of work systems including planning and anticipation; detailed design process; installation and training . Persons competent in ergonomics (such as Certified Ergonomists or CCPE designation in Canada) shall be involved in ALL stages of Design.

5.4 Procurement

The organization shall establish a process to evaluate furniture, accessories, equipment, other products, supplies, raw materials, and services to be procured in order to identify and eliminate potential hazards; to control risk before the items to be procured are brought into the workplace.

A.3.2.5.3 Chair Armrests (pad/cap)

The length, width, and positioning of the armrests shall allow users to support their forearms properly while sitting close enough to the work surface to perform their tasks and shall not be a source of contact stress.

A 3.3.3 Minimum Height for adjustable Sit/Stand Desks/Tables

Support surface height, if adjustable, must go as low as 22.6”H. What this means is if your smaller employee is sitting at a desk set at 29”H and you are considering procuring a desk top style “sit/stand” product ,that is all the rage currently, although offering a standing option, this style of product will continue to leave the seated working heights for typing/mouse tasks too high. Placing a sit/stand unit on top of a typical desk does not meet the standard. Ergonomic risks remain.

A.2.5 Education and Training

The organization shall provide education about the important role that workstation selection and layout play in contributing to health, well-being, and productivity. The education and training program shall include the following: awareness of appropriate working heights and reach zones for placement of equipment and materials importance of movement through multiple postures throughout the work day; awareness of all adjustments/controls and how to use them; and potential health risks related to technology use and/or improper adjustment.

If you or your organization would like more information on how the CSA Z412-17 Standard applies to your workplace or to review our Health and Wellness services that address the above CONTACT US

We work closely with organizations to assist them in developing and designing on-site employee health and wellness spaces to further enhance their employee wellness services and programs.

Ergonomic Program Development

This program assists organizations in identifying the need for an in-house Ergonomics Program and assists the organization in the policy development and implementation of the program.

Integrative Employee Health Protection and Health Promotion Wellness Program

This program assists organizations in developing a powerhouse Employee Health Protection and Promotion Wellness program to further reduce occupational injuries and illnesses and enhance employee well-being. We assist in the development of both Policy and Program Development.

Corporate Move/Re-Design Ergonomic Prevention Service

This program provides preventative ergonomic wellness service for organizations during times of corporate relocation and/or re-designing of corporate spaces. This service proactively ensures ergonomically sound and healthy work spaces for employees prior to working in new spaces, thus reducing ergonomic risk factors up front. Consulting services of a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CCPE) and Fitwel Ambassador would be utilized by the organization along with and during the services of architects, interior/corporate designers, procurement officers, furniture selection process.

NEW BUILD/RE-LOCATION/RE-DESIGN PROJECTS

AUGUST 2021-PRESENT

FRONT RECEPTION RE-DESIGN -Working in collaboration with Team Work Coopreative, a local office furniture company, Dempster Wellness assists with the space design, ergonomic principles and new furniture selection.

NOVEMBER 2019

Dartmouth Housing New Office Furniture/Seating Project

Working in collaboration with Dartmouth Housing, a local office furniture company, Dempster Wellness assists with the space design, ergonomic principles, furniture and ergonomic seating selection, procurement and installation of all new equipment within the Darthouth Housing front reception and office spaces,

SEPTEMBER 2019 - Present

Municipality of the District of Lunenburg (MODL) New Build Project

Phase I - Employee Anthropometric Data Collection

Phase II - On-site Chair Inventory

Phase III - Provide Ergonomic expert knowledge feedback/input, with the Project Management and Interior Design Team, on Seating/Furniture and Ergonomic Space Design for all product PRIOR to procuring

Phase IV- meet with Project Team to review/discuss furniture space planning/placement.

Phase V- procurement of all furniture and seating

Phase VI Winter 2020/Fall 2021 - Move to new building- Ergonomic Principles and Wellness Education Sessions to be conducted for all staff; training on all new office ergonomic equipment ( chairs, electric workstations, etc) and ergonomic adjustments completed on all staff; ongoing Ergonomic support, as needed, by a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CCPE).

Phase VII 2022 to present - Ongoing Ergonomic Program incudes yearly employee attendance of Ergonomic Education Session, ongoing Anthropometric Data Collection for all new employees; chair and ergonomic equipment recommendations for all new employees.