When it comes to buying office furniture, there are infinite options – however, you aren’t always working with an infinite budget. Refurnishing your office space can become rather costly, depending on who you get your product from, and not only that, there’s no guarantee that what you purchase will be ideal for the various employee body types over a long period of time. Although that chair may look great and seem comfortable when you sit down on it at the store, the truth of the matter is: workers are going to be spending an awful long time at that desk, sitting in that chair… and if they aren’t completely comfortable, they’re going to go home with random aches, pains, and potentially develop long-term health complications.
Ergonomic office furniture is designed to ensure that your body stays comfortable and in a healthier, more optimal position – something that will benefit your work and your health in the long run. However, purchasing ergonomic office furniture is not going to be the fastest approach, although it will provide future benefits! When selecting ergonomic office furniture, you need to match the worker with their ideal furniture that suits the environment they work in, as well as the tasks which they are doing.
Different office tasks require different furniture – that’s the basic concept. Beyond that, ergonomic office furniture needs to take into consideration the work being done, in order to help each worker carry out their tasks more easily and efficiently. For example, a worker who does a lot of typing on a daily basis is going to need more back support than an employee who does more social networking or who spends little time at their desk. Another employee who spends a fair amount of time using a mouse or input devices is going to need better wrist support than someone who spends the majority of the time on a keyboard or using the telephone.
When choosing the furniture, consider these things: how much space is available in the office or work area? How is the current furniture laid out, and can ergonomic pieces be accommodated? Where is the best lighting? Where does the equipment – such as computers, external hard drives, tablets, printers – rest in the office and is it taking up space? Does the furniture prevent or encourage interaction with co-workers?
With these things in mind, and keeping in mind that the needs of workers will vary according to their size, height, gender, and preferred hand (right or left), it is worthwhile to select office furniture that can be adjusted if needed. Many ergonomic chairs have adjustable arm rests and chair heights, accommodating almost any height of the users. There are also ergonomic adjustable desks available, where the height of the desk can be shifted as well as the footrest area. Personal preference will certainly need to be addressed for the smaller office furniture details, such as mouse & mousepad, keyboard, lamps, and so forth.
Ergonomic furniture is designed with employee health in mind, and although it may be a somewhat more complicated process than simply buying regular office furniture, the long-term health benefits of employee comfort are certainly well worth the effort.
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