The ERGOLAB Humanscale Products and Office Furniture Online Store

In the era of globalization and industrialization, service sector is the one which is growing rapidly in any country. In Industrial Society, role of office is very important as employee spend 70% of their time in office and they sit more than they sleep in their whole life. In a good work place, every piece of furniture is going to play an important part in boosting productivity and potential of an employee. Sure, workers can survive in an uncomfortable chair or in a workstation with limited privacy, but it might not be the best way for them to truly thrive.

 

According to a survey done by “Furniture At Work”, it has been found that 99.6% people accepted uncomfortable chair effect their productivity and therefore it is very important that furniture in office should be designed keeping ergonomics in mind.

Ergonomic is nothing but designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities to mitigate health risks such as lower back pain, headaches, tension, fatigue and much more. Ergonomic chairs and desks moves with you from sitting to standing and keyboard trays that tilt and swivel which makes you comfortable.

Ergonomic Office Furniture are so simple to use that the functionality often invisible to the user.

• Lumbar support for lower back
• Knee angle- 90 degree
• Angle between thigh and back- 90 degree
• Adjustable seat height
• Footrests to maximize the comfort
• Elbow angled at 90 degree and wrists should be straight while working on the computer
• Viewing distance from the computer should be of 19”-24” and viewing angle should be of 35 degree

People are facing various issues like repetitive strain injury and musculature disorders in office due to uncomfortable chairs and desks.

We must appreciate and show some gratitude to Humanscale products which designed ergonomic positioned chairs to LED Light to create more comfortable place to work. For eg.

1)       Humanscale designs all of its chairs with the arms attached to the back, so when the sitter moves, the arms are in a healthy, ergonomic position every time. It can weigh as much as 15 pounds and be made of up to 40 parts, use the laws of physics and the sitter’s own body weight. As a result, the chair automatically reads the weight of the user, allowing for the mechanism to provide perfect recline with the correct tension for every individual.

2)      Humanscale has designed innovative sit/stand solutions that encourage users to move more.

3)      Keyboard systems designed to be stylish and lightweight while still offering the user exceptional functionality and ease of use

4)      Monitor arms are exceptionally durable and simple to use, with innovative mechanical springs replacing the traditional failure-prone gas cylinders

5)      Task lights help to reduce eye strain, improve computer-based reading comfort and reduce energy use and costs due to advanced LED technology.

6)      CPU holders provide a safe and secure storage solution for every company’s technology investment.

7)      Footrests and Foot machines help to reduce swelling and discomfort in the lower legs during prolonged periods of sitting.

8)      Laptop holders position monitors at an ergonomic height and require the use of an external keyboard for long-term user comfort.

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WSJ article misses the mark; it’s not just about the chair!

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4 Common Misconceptions about Office Ergonomics

Our ERGOLAB team spends a lot of time working in office environments; the day man met PC was a glorious one for workplace accountability – nothing like a digital trail to keep things on the up and up….not so great for the human body.  Why?  As work tasks became more and more automated, our work days became more sedentary. 

Our body was not designed to sit for 8 hours a day; we’re all familiar with the Ergonomics axiom, “the best body posture (position) is the NEXT body posture (position).  Our bodies were designed to hunting, gathering, foraging for food, and sometimes running away VERY quickly when WE became the potential ‘food’ (…and NO, battling the crowds at your local farmer’s market does not qualify as ‘foraging’).   We need movement, we need a variety of position and posture to maintain good body health and flexibility. 

In the past, corporate Health & Safety leadership often overlooked the needs and risks within their office environments; cubicle dwellers don’t use pneumatic equipment, drive a forktruck or work with hazardous materials. Accidents and injuries occurred in other places in the enterprise, except the occasional slip, trip or fall, the office harbored few (or so they thought) risks.  Now, with 20+ years of data  and learning behind us, we understand the very real and very expensive risks associated with unmanaged office ergonomics.  With the average cost of ONE musculoskeletal disorder averaging $25,000 in direct costs and 5 to 8 times that number in indirect costs…a passive approach to office ergonomics is NOT good business. 

Still…old myths and misconceptions in Office Ergonomics die hard. 

Misconception #1

The right chair will solve ALL your problems.  WRONG!   A personal pet peeve and a myth that must DIE (and remember, we SELL ergonomic chairs and tools at www.ergonomicedge.com ).  The office chair, while very important, is one element within an INTEGRATED Ergonomic solution.  Office system manufacturers spend millions to reinforce the belief that a chair (more importantly, their chair) is the answer.  There is no magic chair. Or for that matter keyboard tray, mouse, docking station or document holder.  Products are tools our ERGOLAB Ergonomists use, case by case, client by client, to build an Ergonomic solution, properly designed, personally adjusted, with adequate employee education and product training (you’d be amazed how many companies have NO IDEA how their existing chairs adjust…).  At ERGOLAB, we lead with Ergonomic guidance first…products are a very very distant second.  

Misconception #2

Repetitive Motion is the #1 cause of ergonomic injury.   WRONG!    Yes, repetitive ‘Out-of-Neutral’ motions can and do cause injuries. An example would be anyone who works on spreadsheets for long periods of their day; these folks do A LOT of cutting and pasting within the spreadsheets.  Over the long term, overuse can lead to pain, discomfort and injury.   What surprises most corporate Health & Safety Managers, is that STATIC  “Out-of-Neutral” body postures cause far more injuries….we are a generation of leaners and reachers.   Sitting in a chair for hours at a stretch invites poor postures; next time you are in a lengthy meeting, check out the body positions of everyone around you…..leaning, slouching, etc.  All positions that put extreme stress and pressure on our bodies.   

This underscores the value of careful, thoughtful office design; the cubicle footprint is often driven by ECONOMIC imperatives, rather than ERGONOMIC imperatives.  Think  adjustability of worksurfaces, up/down, in/out.  Make sure all employee tools fall within the REACH ENVELOPE…don’t ask an employee to reach and lean to talk on the phone or lean forward to view a monitor.    

Misconception #3

Office Ergonomics is a ‘hard sell’ in these tough economic times.   WRONG!   Now is precisely the time to integrate Office Ergonomics into your Health & Safety plans for your next fiscal year.  Let’s face it, everyone is working with reduced headcount. This means your current work staff needs to do more…..MUCH MORE….with less.  You need these employees to stay healthy and productive.  Beyond this, Worker’s Compensation costs are soaring…a proactive Ergonomics approach is about preempting injury. Fewer injuries, fewer claims, lower PREMIUMS.   In tough economic times, you can’t afford NOT to invest in Office Ergonomics. 

Misconception #4

Every employee needs the same Ergonomic tools.  WRONG!      Ergonomic solutions are personal; an employees height and body size, health conditions, work functions and personal habits all contribute to and inform an Ergonomic solution.   A good starting place for 90% of the employee population is an adjustable Ergonomic chair and quality adjustable keyboard – but REMEMBER – the workstation MUST be designed with the employee’s idiosyncratic needs in mind. As before, an Ergonomic solution. There is no one size fits all.

 Need some guidance in creating and implementing an Ergonomics program for your business?   Give us a call – 401-527-7047, or email me at cdavis@ergonomicedge.com.

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EHS Manager! Have you incorporated Ergonomics into your 2010 plan?

With budgets tightening, dramatic reductions in headcount AND increasing workers compensation costs, companies everywhere are looking for an EDGE.   Something as simple as employee education on the use of ergonomic products can make an impact. Take a look at a recent article from Medical News Today on the findings of a study published in the October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).    Proactive Approach To Ergonomics Reduces Pain In Office Workers.

Employee training is a great start.  Make sure your employees understand HOW an ergonomic product, a chair or keyboard tray, should be used.  Ergonomic products and related training only scratch the surface of what ergonomics can deliver. 

What every EHS Manager should be thinking about, where are the clusters of MSD’s (Musculoskeletal Disorders) within my enterprise? What categories of workers – office, warehouse, laboratory, production – are manifesting similar injuries or complaints?   An Ergonomic task assessment can identify and quantify INJURY DRIVERS and through the redesign process, eliminate these drivers.   Avoid injury BEFORE it happens. 

 

How to sell an investment in proactive Ergonomics to your executive leadership?  The average direct cost of an MSD is $25,000 and the indirect costs estimated at six times that figure, or $150,000; the math is easy.    For example, in an office environment an end-to-end ergonomic solution; assessment, tools, accessories and education  for an employee would cost approximately $1,000.    The impacts within a warehouse or laboratory environment are even more compelling.   

 

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