Safety pays – the benefits of ergonomic office furniture

There’s been a buzz around ergonomic furniture for a while now, and rightly so. Employers who invest in the right ergonomic furniture for their employees are reaping the rewards in terms of employee health, efficiency, productivity and morale, which of course is reflected right back on their bottom line.

The interest and increasing popularity of ergonomic office furniture comes hand in hand with the increased awareness around employee health and well being. We could happily sing the praises of ergonomic furniture until the cows come home, but in the interests of time, we’ll try and keep it brief. Let’s take a look at what ergonomic furniture is, and its many virtues and benefits. 

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What is ergonomic furniture?

The term ergonomics comes from the Greek words ergon, meaning work, and nomoi, meaning natural laws. It’s a term applied to the study of designing objects to be better adapted to the shape of the human body or to correct its posture. 

The design of office furniture has evolved over the years, with more focused attention given to it when we started to spend more prolonged periods of time in front of computers. Ergonomics has been applied to all sorts of office furniture and accessories with particular focus on office chairs, for obvious reasons. 

Here’s a quick look at where ergonomics is applied to an office chair in order to prevent users from sitting in positions that might otherwise cause them harm or injury. Ergonomic office chair design reflects that everyone's physical attributes are not the same. It gives a user the freedom to adjust various aspects of the chair according to their comfort and requirements. This includes:

Seat height 

A chair’s optimal seat height should allow you to place your feet flat on the ground with your thighs resting horizontally. With most desks remaining at a fixed height (unless you have a height adjustable desk) it is important that the seat height can be adjusted incrementally. The width of the seat cushion should also allow you to sit with your back resting against the backrest with around four to eight centimetres of space between the backs of your knees and the seat.

Seat width

For maximum comfort and stability, a seat’s depth should leave between two and four inches between the edge of the seat and the back of your knees. If it’s too far forward, it may put undue pressure on the back of your knees.

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Lumbar Support 

Lumbar support refers to the support a chair gives to your lower back. A good ergonomic chair will have an adjustable back that supports the natural ‘S’ shape of the spine, preventing you from slumping and slouching after prolonged periods of sitting down. It will also reduce stress on the spine and the pelvis. 

Seat tilt

Many ergonomic chairs will allow the seat to tilt and therefore keep your pelvis in a neutral position when sitting. This prevents the problem of anterior pelvic tilt, which is a posture problem affecting people who sit for prolonged periods. 

Swivel

An ergonomic chair will allow you to turn easily to reach different areas of their desk without having to strain excessively.

Armrests

The armrests of an ergonomic chair will help to reduce tension in the upper body by allowing the shoulders to relax. Adjustable armrests should be positioned so that your elbows sit comfortably on them. However, your elbows should not be able to sit on the armrest whilst you are typing as this reduces overall arm movement and can strain the forearm muscles.

Seat material 

The comfort of the user is key and therefore materials that are soft and cushioned are used in ergonomic chairs, as opposed to hard textured surfaces that might cause the user’s back to sweat and cause discomfort after prolonged periods.  

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