Friday, September 11, 2009

Ergonomic Office Furniture Design - One Sign For A Company Who Cares

By Maristela Barker

Office furniture is an essential part of the office interior and it must perfectly fit into the office design scheme. At the same time it must be ergonomic such that when put in use for extended durations, it does not result in any harm to the employee's health.

Over one third of an ordinary employee's day is spent in the office, and if the office furniture causes him discomfort and body pain, then it may create serious danger to his health. Hence it is necessary that office furniture, particularly the office chairs used by employees, must be ergonomically built.

Any purchase of office chairs must be made only after making sure of a few things. You must make sure that the chosen office chairs are steady, portable and fairly adjustable. The arm rests should provide a convenient hand placement when required and the vertical height must be adjustable according to the comfort of the occupant. The chair should enable easy mobility of limbs so that there are no hurdles for the worker while he or she is engaged in work. The back is the most essential part of office chairs. It must offer sufficient comfort to the occupant and create no strain to his or her spine, and it needs to be properly padded and curved for this purpose.

Office desks come second in order of priority in office furniture. Their height should be just correct and they should have ample space to enable the person to do both computer as well as writing tasks. Small office desks are quite uncomfortable and force the worker to take awkward sitting postures that may cause painful cramps and backaches.

Office ergonomics is incomplete without cautious planning of the placement of office furniture. For example, there must be ample alley area between workstations to allow for easy man and material mobility, such that it does not lead to any disturbance to a worker seated at a workstation.

If the office furniture is designed while keeping ergonomics in mind, the employees stay more effective and productive during office hours and also lead happier lives. An employee can handle and organize his work properly and can perform his jobs in a comfortable and spirited way if the ergonomics in his office are amicable to his health and fitness.

Office design should always target at complete absence of any physical inconvenience inside the office, or at least lessening it to a bare minimum. The office interior must aim at creating perfect working conditions for employees, decreasing health risks and increasing their productivity, thereby furthering the growth of the business.

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