Ergonomics At Think Furniture
Seeing as September is our month for ergonomics, we thought it'd be appropriate to write a blog on ergonomics and why it is important.
The Human body was never designed to sit for prolonged periods of time. Our spine and surrounding muscles are designed to regularly move and thus become re-nourished by both blood /oxygen. Even sitting in a good posture without movement for 8 hours a day will take its toll on your back as the vertebrae and discs are designed for movement.
Whether it is your chair-desk setup or your chair-desk-screen setup, it needs to be personalized for you. Chiropractors, Osteopaths and Physiotherapists all understand the importance of correct posture. That is why it is imperative that your cock-pit, where you spend most of your day needs to be set correctly.
If you desk is too high, it can lead to carpal tunnel, repetitive stress injury (RSI) and frozen shoulder.
If you desk is too low, it can lead to back pain, upper back tension, repetitive stress injury (RSI), forward head posture, tension headaches and chronic rounded shoulders.
If your computer screen is too high, it can lead to tension headaches, migraines, dizziness, vertigo, neck pain and shoulder pain.
If you computer screen is too low it can lead to neck problems, headaches and tension.
These are just brief examples of how the incorrect ergonomics over time can negatively affect your health.
Here is a quote from Dr Christian Farthing, a spinal specialist based in Canterbury:
"As a chiropractor in Australia and Spinal Specialist in ergonomics in the UK, I have helped literally hundreds of employees learn about correct posture and health. Along my journey I have saved companies literally thousands of pounds annually. Sickness and days off work due to back pain is a thing of the past, but unfortunately for many companies, they are still living in the past. I live in the real world and understand that “you get what you pay for”. With regard to Think, they provide superior products that will last the test of time. I have made the common mistake like most people and shopped around in Canterbury and Thanet to try and save money on a chair. Within months I needed to replace it! I soon learnt that it would have been cheaper to get a proper chair from Think instead of trying to save a few pounds in the first place."
Spending that little extra can save you and your company so much more. I won't babble on about all of our ergonomic desk & chairs, but I will outline a few of the greats.
The RH family of office chairs and seating continues to be one of the most sought after ergonomic seating solutions within the UK and European market.
The two most popular chairs with the RH seating range are the RH Logic 400 which provides options for both high back and neck rest through to the RH 300 which provides a mid back size. More recently these two successful RH Chair models have been joined by RH Activ for use within most open office scenarios and the RH Ambio – a more design led chair that still provides all the ergonomic functionality you would expect from the RH Group.
The reason for the popularity of the RH Logic 400/300 series are that they suit a wide range of chair user shapes and sizes as well as can be adjusted for different work styles and environments. The wide selection of accessories that can be added to the RH Chair allow you to specify to your exact working requirements thus ensuring a more comfortable and correct sitting position. In addition to a wide range of fabric finishes the RH chair family can be specified with large seat pans, coccyx cut outs and also offer an ESD-approved chair version.
Height adjustable desks allow you to position them in the correct position, avoiding any long term injury. You reduce the risk of carpal tunnel, repetitive stress injury (RSI), frozen shoulder, back pain, upper back tension, and forward head posture. Height adjustable desks also allow you to use them seated, or standing up. You therefore reduce the need for arching over every time you want to access your desk quickly. Height adjustable desks are widely used throughout Scandinavian countries, where a vast amount of the workers have commented on the health and posture benefits of being able to adjust their working environment to suit their personal needs.
The Amigo from Cube Design is an electrically powered height adjustable desk, which removes the need for manually raising each side. It therefore also reduces the chances of injury in the workplace. This is one of the desks which are widely used throughout Scandinavian countries.
The HumanScale Float has an unique counterbalance mechanism and lighted indicator, enabling easy, one-hand counterbalance weight adjustment, and near-effortless height adjustment for ergonomic sit-stand usage, which removes the unnecessary, cumbersome crank or the need for electricity. At HumanScale, they work hard to make sure their environmental philosophy is reflected in each product they create. With their Design for Environment protocol, their designers and engineers examine the environmental impacts of every choice made throughout the design process.
The Float very neatly “floats” into position when its release is engaged—for weightless adjustment without force. Safety measures prevent the possibility of injury associated with incorrect counterbalance.
If you are interested in buying any of our ergonomic desks or chairs, we can arrange a visit for you to go to a showroom to test them out first. Just give us a call on 0870 103 7777
Thanks for reading, guys!