Ergonomics
Throughout the development of the church organ, architects have created fantastic and artistic decorated organ fronts.Unfortunately a place for the organist was often ”forgotten” or added in the very last moment......
Many an organist has through the years been hidden behind an organ front, where he could hardly sense the organ sound of the church room, or where the 8 largest pedal pipes roared at him.
If then the organist is 190 cm tall and with pretty long legs, he must be an acrobat to work the swell pedal and will often damage his back.
The nice little lady, who will work as a substitute now and then, can on the other hand not reach the pedals and the second keyboard at the same time, because the physical dimensions of the console were not adjusted to ergonomics.
Such working conditions used to be the normal working conditions for organists, but today the parochial church council has the same responsibility as any other employer to the people working in the church, no matter if it is cantor, the priest or the organist. The must follow the laws about working conditions and health, which also talks about an ergonomic and functional working (sitting) position.
Fortunately more and more church councils have recognized this responsibility, making the road free for better working conditions for the people working in the church.
Skandinavisk Orgelcentrum has in many years of cooperation with physiotherapists and chiropractors developed rules for the construction of the working place of the organist, allowing our consoles to be operated by humans with their individual measurements.