Ergonomic Suggestions and Restraints For Office Furniture
Whilst each environment and office space will be different, there are certain guidelines from The European Directive on Working with Computers and Safety Legislation which calls for an office working environment to be ergonomically modified to best serve each individual’s specific needs.
Office furniture in the UK is tested and certified to either British or European standards which satisfies the requirement for the furniture to be safe and stable and not expose the user to possible risk of injury.
Workspace
The workspace needs to be the best available space when taking into account the following requirements: The workspace needs to accommodate all equipment and paperwork required for the user to do their specific job properly. The workspace also needs to fit the anatomy of the user and the tasks they need to perform. The workspace needs to do both of these things as well as take into account the other users’ workspaces that may be adjacent or around it in the whole office space. Workspaces can be all shapes and sizes depending on the above factors.
Clearance underneath
With most office desks being around 720mm from the floor to the top of the desk and having a usual desktop thickness of 25mm – this leaves 695mm from the floor to the under side of the desktop. 650mm is usually considered the minimum height to the underside of the desk and can only be achieved using a height adjustable desk at its lowest setting.
Clearance along length
600mm is considered to be the absolute minimum width of legroom beneath a desk. 1000mm would be the ideal minimum to allow some movement space for the users legs.
Work height
Most office desks with have a standard height of around 720mm from the floor to the desktop, this is judged to accommodate around 90% of the population. A height adjustable desk will usually have a range from around 650mm up to 1200mm – this type of desk can be used for wheel chair users or tall users. A height adjustable desk is also beneficial for users with bad backs and users that have a job that benefits a change in working position from sitting to standing on a regular basis. Users that are shorter will benefit from a footrest under a normal height desk to achieve a standard working position.
Working depth
The main criteria for the depth of an office desk, is to ensure that the user is not too close to the computer monitor. Most computer monitors are now the thin TFT or LCD style which can be situated on or mounted to the desk in varying ways. (See the Monitor Height Section Below!) As these types of monitors are in their nature thinner than the old style CRT monitors it gives greater scope for designers to produce desk depths from 600mm which is classed as narrow to 800mm or 900mm in depth.
The basic rule of thumb should be that from the user side of the desk there should be approximately 100mm of clear desk before the keyboard for the user’s wrists to rest on whilst using the keyboard. A keyboard is usually about 150mm in depth leaving 350mm depth to the back of a 600mm deep desk or 550mm on a more standard 800mm deep office desk for the monitor.
Monitor height
Each user will have different requirements for the height of their computer monitor, although it is generally recognized that the top of the monitor should be aligned horizontally with the users vision unless altered for a specific task or adjusted to avoid glare from light.
In order to get the correct adjustability as described above, it is usually necessary for the monitor to be mounted on an articulated monitor arm.
The monitor arm can be mounted to the edge of the office desk or through a cable port via a clamp or bolted directly through the desktop. (Not really recommended as this will damage the desk!) Another style of monitor arm can be mounted to a free-standing or desk mounted screen, although the screens will need to have two toolbars in order for the bracket to attach.
Laptop height
In some countries, legislation limits laptop use to as little as two hours, although there is no such legislation in the UK. It is always a good idea to adjust posture and not stay in the same working position for any length of time” especially when using a laptop. Taking on board the same theories for making a normal TFT monitor work in an ergonomic fashion, if a laptop is placed on a stand and used in conjunction with a separate keyboard and mouse, it enables the laptop user to achieve a better viewing distance and working posture thereby avoiding fatigue in the arms, hands, neck and eyes.
The Impact of Your Office Furniture on Your Clients
Think of the impact stylish office furniture has on a client visiting your office; and you will immediately realize the importance of choosing the right office furniture. Since office furniture is part of the overall décor of your office, it plays an important role in creating a good first impression on your visiting clients.
In planning a successful office, start by making a careful list of requirements. This will not only include workstation space, equipment and power needs, but also social aspects, such as privacy, with your employees and clients.
Form and function are equally important when choosing office furniture. Given that you will most likely spend at least eight hours a day in the office, it is especially important that your office furniture should be visibly appealing as well as comfortable to use.
Choosing the right office furniture could turn out to be a very complex task. You have to make best use of the space you have and within that you have to take into consideration the number of employees as well as the kind of business you are in and the various kinds of equipments you will need to fit in. Using appropriate office furniture and arranging it judiciously can make the office appear more spacious yet complete and professional.
Uncomfortable office furniture cause several of health problems like headache, body ache, mental stress and etc. Thus, it is important for the management of an office that they select comfortable furniture for the workplace, which are worth assuring workers a space to be at complete ease while working. Moreover, good office furniture provides comforts to your employees and helps them concentrate on their work (thus increasing their productivity levels). A comfortable employee is a productive employee. Employees spend long hours sitting at their desks and they need to be comfortable to stay focused and concentrate on what they are doing. Besides being comfortable, office furniture should also give staff sufficient space to organize their work neatly. Confined spaces and workstations that are crammed can make employees feel totally hemmed in and lead to low motivation levels and decreased efficiency. Taking the time and trouble to look for appropriate office furniture that will provide your staff with the necessary space and comfort that is vital to productivity, could be well worth it.
Ergonomic office chairs could very well be the best investment you would ever make. They provide the lower back with adequate support and help prevent compounding or developing a number of back-related and poor-posture related problems. You will find there are a wide range of ergonomic office chairs, workstations, desks, height adjustable desks and tilt top desks. Office furniture is available in many diverse styles and contemporary designs that suit any office space and also fit all budget ranges. You can also find custom made office furniture that will be made to fit into your specific office.
Some of the other categories of furniture for the office include heavy duty office chairs, storage cabinets, filing cabinets, computer tables, receptions, conference room furniture
When choosing the different items of furniture for your office it is important to take these few factors into consideration:
Buying coordinated furniture for the entire office makes it look elegant and professional.
Look for furniture that is comfortable yet will enhance the professional atmosphere of your office and not detract from it.
Buy the best quality furniture that your budget will allow.
Look for overall quality, durability, comfort and style in your office furniture
