Look around your office - how many of your employees are sat in their chairs with a good posture, comfortably working? Compare that to how many are fidgeting, trying to find that optimal position, stretching their backs out or sitting in a position which just cannot be healthy. If this outweighs the people working comfortably, the chairs you have provided could be causing your business to lose productivity and thus money.
The Health and Safety Executive estimates that 4.5 million sick days are taken on average each year due to work related back problems and poor posture is considered a major cause of this. Poorly designed office chairs do not provide the right level of support for your employees making it difficult for them to sit the way they should in the office, which places stress upon their lumbar region and wrists contributing to both back problems and repetitive-strain injuries.
Purchasing properly designed office chairs which provide the necessary level of support will go a long way towards keeping your employees healthy and productive. If they can sit in a comfortable position with the right levels of support in the right places it is less likely that they will develop long-term back problems from working at their desks.
Well designed, ergonomically friendly office chairs make it easier for the user to sit in their optimal position, which is a series of 90 degree angles. The body is at its best when much of it is straight, with the spine following its three natural
curves, and a properly designed chair will provide the support to allow this.
It is most important that the chair supports the user's lower back but also should be designed to encourage the user to sit up straight rather than slouching forwards which can cause bad habits with posture and can lead to both spinal problems and muscle damage. It should also feature armrests which encourage the user to reach for their keyboard at 90 degrees from their elbows rather than reaching up or down to use it which can unduly stress the wrists. Their screen should also be placed so that it is directly in front of their eyes to eliminate the need for looking up or down which can cause neck problems.
Adjustability is paramount with office chairs and many ranges of well-designed, ergonomically friendly seats will cater for this. Not everyone is the same size or shape and a chair which is good for one user may be terrible for another. Choosing a highly adjustable range from a good supplier will ensure that the chairs you select will be able to provide the correct support for your entire workforce.
Purchasing well designed office chairs can go a long way towards eliminating poor posture and can protect your business against lost productivity from both sick days and staff trying to get into the most comfortable position they can. People are the most important resource a business has, and keeping them as healthy as possible will help keep your business healthy.
Author Resource:-
Thomas Pretty is an ergonomics expert with many years of experience in preventing work-related back problems. Find out more about office chairs at http://www.planscapeuk.com/
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