With awareness of the various stresses and strains caused by sitting at a desk for long periods of time on the rise, there has been an increase in the sale of ergonomic office chairs. These chairs are designed to avoid as much of the discomfort that causes these stresses and strains as possible, but how do you choose one that is right for your needs?
The ability to move around in your chair adds to its usefulness. You should be easily able to rotate your chair so that you can reach different spots in your work area for maximum efficiency. Casters give you easy mobility, but make sure to get the right ones for your floor. Choose a chair with casters designed for your floor, whether it is a carpet, hard surface or a combination. If you have one that isn’t designed for your floor, it may be a good idea to invest in a chair mat.
Make sure all adjustment controls on your office chair can be reached from a seated position, and you do not have to strain to get to them. You should be able to tilt, go higher or lower, or swivel from a seated position. It is easier to get the height and tilt just right if you are already sitting. You will become so used to adjusting your chair that you will not have to make a conscious effort to do so.
If the average business person or desk bound person were to determine how much time they spend in their office chair, they would be surprised. At 40 hours per week, they’d rack up approximately 1900 hours over the course of a year. Multiply that by the average number of years a person works, and it’s easy to see that a large portion of one’s life is spent in an office chair.
In spite of this calculation, more money is often spent purchasing a desk than is spent on a good ergonomic office chair. The same can be said for home office setups. Some people are spending more time in front of a computer than they spend sleeping. It only makes sense to have an ergonomic office chair for both the office and the home that is comfortable and supportive.
There have been many ergonomics studies done and it has been shown that a supportive ergonomic office chair increases productivity and maximises the efficiency of the person sitting in it. A bad office chair, on the other hand, can lead to back strain, leg problems, and carpal tunnel, all of which cause lost time at work and send turn send productivity spiralling.
So, instead of losing money due to employee absences, it is important to spend money on good ergonomic office chairs that promote back health and keep employee from missing work due to injuries. The cost of the chair is more than made up by fewer absences.