Comfort is the very most important thing to consider when buying new office furniture. As already mentioned earlier, it is not easy to concentrate on work if you are uncomfortable in any way. For that reason it is crucial to make sure that the new office furniture provides a high level of comfort no matter if you are buying it for yourself or for your employees.
Style is another thing that should be payed attention to in the selection of office furniture. All of us spend most of the time working and visual appeal of the working environment matters. A lot. If you are working in a comfortable and stylish office, you are looking forward to come to the office and feel more motivated for work. In addition, clients who visit your office feel more comfortable making business with someone who is serious because that is exactly the message you send them with visually appealing office furniture. After all, just think with whom would you do business first – someone who gives an impression that he remained in the 1990s or someone who appears to be in step with the time? The answer is quite obvious, is not it?
Functionality is just as important as comfort and style when it comes to office furniture. No matter how beautiful office furniture you choose, all positive effects on your work productivity or/and your employees will quickly fade if the chosen office furniture is not practical, does not provide enough storage space or/and does not enable you or your employees to keep all the necessary tools at hand and easily available. Finding a comfortable, stylish and functional office furniture may seem a daunting task, however, the office furniture industry progressed tremendously in the recent years. Thus it is no longer impossible to find visually pleasing and comfortable pieces of furniture which at the same time provide enough storage space and an effective organizing system to keep the office stuff organized without a hassle.
The price, unfortunately, is not something that could be ignored especially in today’s difficult times. It is possible to find furniture that offers everything including a high level of comfort, style and functionality without getting into serious debts, however, beware of too-good-to-be -true prices because quality always has its price, even on sale.
]]>Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with designing according to human needs, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. The field is also called human engineering, and human factors. When it comes to the office chair, the following ergonomic facts exist:
• Back injuries, such as lower back pain or a slipped disc are the principal cause of absenteeism from the work place.
• Approximately 18% of all absenteeism due to illness relates to back problems (the no.1 cause in Western Europe).
• The total cost of this is estimated to add up to several billion pounds.
To avoid back problems in the office and to reduce absenteeism, office furniture manufacturers have designed the ergonomic chair. An ergonomic chair is a chair that will respond to the basic rules of ergonomics.
In order to take care of your back, the following ergonomic rules should be followed:
1. You should be able to move on your chair in order to have a dynamic sitting posture.
2. Regularly tilt backwards to minimise the pressure on the intervertebral discs.
3. Maintain a good posture and use a chair that will provide good support to the body
4. Use a chair with ergonomic movement that is easy to adjust.
Movement on your chair allows contraction and relaxation of the muscles and stimulation of blood circulation which distributes nutrition and oxygen. Chairs that allow tilting backwards are best because they offer the following benefits:
• Decreases the pressure on the intervertebral discs. These discs provide the flexibility in your vertebral column and act like a shock absorber
• Opens the angle between the back and seat to avoid compression of the breathing and digestive functions and to stimulate blood circulation
• Enables the back to relax
The health of the intervertebral discs depends on the supply of rachidian liquid that contains nutritive elements necessary to the regeneration of the cellswithin the disc. The supply of these discs is related to the pressure placed on them. High pressure is bad and gives no supply. Lower is good as there is higher supply. The pressure is dependant on the posture of the person.
It is recommended to always purchase office chairs that are manufactured to ISO quality specifications that comply with European standards EN 1335-1,2,3 for size and component materials. In addition to this, look for chairs that carry the GS label, which provides further recognition of safety and high quality of a chair.
]]>2. Also think about ergonomics; a desk should be around 29 to 30 inches high and 3 1/2 feet from the desk to the chair.
3. Choose the correct office chair. A chair needs to be adjustable to allow for the height of the person, provide adequate support for the lower back and comfortable seat padding. The armrests should be adjustable and arms and shoulders should be relaxed at the correct position.
4. Ensure you have adequate lighting. Too much bright light in your field of vision can cause visual discomfort, and reflections on your computer screen can make it difficult to see what is displayed. If possible position your desk at right angles to the window for the best use of light and to minimise reflections. Use a free standing desk lamp for extra lighting on paperwork.
5. Finally consider the temperature and humidity in the room. A comfortable temperature for sedentary work is between 20 and 24 degrees C. If the room is too warm or cold and draughty then this will cause discomfort. Place a water loving pot plant in your office to help keep the humidity to a comfortable level.