ARE your hands aching from hours of typing, eyes dried out due to endless emails or lower back hurting after sitting down all day? An ergonomics technology firm in Denbighshire claims it has the solution to your ‘nine to five’ woes.

Canary Designs says it has invented a ground-breaking ‘employee health check’ using technology that could make the working lives of people across the county healthier and more efficient.

The St Asaph firm’s approach includes high tech solutions such as eye-trackers, a human simulator and a 3D scanner that can identify whether your chair is good for your posture.

“It’s not a case of looking at the bottom line or the balance sheet, but ultimately improving the lives and conditions of staff who are working longer hours and experiencing high levels of stress, to have a positive overall effect on their output in the future,” Canary Designs managing director John Lovegrove said.

Mr Lovegrove, 41, a former Prestatyn High School pupil, launched the firm eight years ago and has used ergonomics to improve work settings at power stations, factories, marine labs, retailers, emergency services and companies from different sectors.

The firm’s approach identifies what unnecessary physical and mental challenges employees face in the office and how much time they have to waste on processes that could be improved.

Canary Designs helps private and public sector employers, including Airbus, Magnox and the RNLI. Mr Lovegrove has even given presentations at the Red Bull F1 racing team factory for Bentley, JCB and Ford to discuss how they can make a more efficient working environment for their employees

“Advances in machinery and equipment mean we can now go into any organisation, look at where they are and how they operate, and immediately start to assess how they can do things differently,” Mr Lovegrove said.

“This is also an opportunity for the employee themselves to raise issues, and can have a positive impact on morale, and subsequently mental health.”

Among the technological approaches used by Canary Designs is anthropometric measuring, which assesses employees’ height, weight, muscles, skeleton and even connective tissues to find out whether certain actions are causing them harm. The firm also uses Solidworks computer-aided design which can design items that would be more beneficial.

Mr Lovegrove was keen to point out that more efficient employees also benefits employers, because it can cut down on absenteeism and be applied to customer experience.

Mr Lovegrove added: “The client and customer relationship is vital in any industry and has a knock-on effect.

“Taking a step back and looking at how your company or organisation works, what issues the staff are facing and creating a leaner, happier environment is what we do. The results are beneficial, to operations and profits but, most importantly, the people.”

For more information about Canary Designs visit the website at www.canary-designs.co.uk or email info@canarydesigns.co.uk