Small changes can make a massive difference for your team. If you’re designing workstations for your 911 operators, here are considerations to keep in mind. Understand how design affects employee mental health. With the right furniture and design, you can increase connection, engagement, and motivation for your team. Here are ideas you can try.
Encourage Movement
Being an emergency dispatcher ranks 13th on the list of the most stressful jobs in America. People who talk to emergency dispatchers are often having the worst day of their lives, with someone they know at risk or facing an emergency. That work environment puts 911 dispatchers at risk of developing mental health disorders related to stress. One way to help reduce stress levels for your staff is to encourage more movement. You must design your workstations to allow your team to stretch their legs or take breaks. Furniture with sit-stand capabilities is ideal for this. You must also give employees adequate space to move around. If workstations are too small and crowded together, that can stress your staff even more.
Ensure Alignment
Choose ergonomic 911 console furniture for your 911 dispatch team. Check if employee desks and chairs help ensure proper spine alignment. They already spend hours in one place every day. With people spending an average of ten hours at their work desks, that leads to muscle strain and soreness. Ergonomic furniture can ease the strain and pressure, reducing your team’s discomfort.
Provide Enough Space
Ample space for the workstations is good. But do you have enough space in the room for the flow of foot traffic? Or do you have more space than people? You may want to consider compact desks and console pieces. That can provide a way to design workstations for your 911 dispatch team while making the most out of every inch of space. With compact furniture, you can fit more of your team in the same room. You won’t have to worry about spending money on having a new facility built to house your employees.
Choose Durable Options
Look for durable options. Workstations need to be sturdy. You can’t afford to provide poorly made workstations that could collapse at the most unfortunate moment. 911 dispatchers save lives. A glitch caused by furniture breakdown could lead to disastrous outcomes for your clients. That’s why your team must have furniture they can count on. Ensure those desks and consoles last longer, so you won’t have to worry about them breaking down and damaging your equipment.
Designed for Their Needs
Don’t forget to ask your team. Some workstation providers offer custom options. Think about that. You can make the most out of custom designs by incorporating comments and feedback from your staff. That’s one way to design a console that works for your team. Get their input and use that to put together your control room.
Offer Privacy
Some employees need privacy to handle sensitive or confidential information. You need to design workstations that provide them with that privacy. That will help them focus on the job and how to handle their calls.
