In an age of internet and developing technology, people are spending more and more time in office environments. Spending up to nine or ten hours per day sat on a chair in front of a computer screen, office workers are often oblivious to the amount of strain this puts their body through. Our bodies are not intended to be manipulated into the shape required by many standard office chairs, and spending hours in front of a computer screen can put huge strain on the eyes.
Employers lose millions of working days each year as a result of the discomfort of their staff. Estimates suggest that around five million working days are lost each year purely as a result of back injuries, many of which are sustained from sitting in awkward positions in the workplace. On top of this, employers are often at the centre of legal cases as a result of their staff getting irreparable spinal damage. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that their staff are provided with the right resources to avoid this, or to offer guidance as to how to correctly sit during the workplace. Many employers see this as a gimmick, but they have an obligation to provide workers with this simple form of training.
How can user specific office furniture help to reduce the number of days off taken by workers as a result of office injuries? With the number of back injuries suffered in the workplace nowadays, employers should consider purchasing user specific furniture, whether that be office chairs which offer good back support or things like 20 stone chairs which can support the weight of a larger worker.
20 stone chairs are a relatively recent introduction to the office. The standard office chair is often not intended to support the larger worker and often risks injuring the worker. 20 stone chairs are built to be wider with larger suits, a bigger back and more width between the arms. This greatly increases the comfort of the worker and will go a long way to improving their productivity and reducing the chances of strain on their backs. Improving comfort can significantly improve productivity as it reduces the amount of time each worker spends getting comfortable and means they can concentrate more easily on the tasks at hand. 20 stone chairs also offer more weight support meaning that heavy workers do not need to adjust the height of the seat to compensate for their weight.
Aside from 20 stone chairs, other chairs such as orthopaedic office chairs are designed specifically by back specialists and are intended to provide the maximum amount of comfort and support to the average worker's back. This reduces the chances of injury whilst also ensuring that they are as comfortable as possible. It is important to strike the right balance between safety and comfort.