AUTUMN 2018

How Wellness in the Workplace
Misses One Crucial Ingredient:
the Office Chair
There is much fan fare around the topic of wellness in the workplace, as studies have
highlighted the relationship between individuals and their environment can be a crucial
determinant of how they feel, perform and interact with others.
Over the last few years, focus has been on the several ways to improve the working environment through
workspace design, employee perks, the likes of yoga classes in the workplace and flexible working.
But there is one crucial element that is a true constant of the working environment that is often overlooked
when talking about wellness in the workplace: The Office Chair.
With the average office worker spending the equivalent of five years sat at their desk without getting up,
poor furniture choices can contribute to absenteeism and reduced productivity.
According to HSE Gov, 8.9 million working days were lost due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders in
2016-2017. 507,000 workers suffered a work-related musculoskeletal disorder and 83% of those were back
and neck related.
It’s clearly in the best interests of everyone concerned that these work-related conditions are avoided. One
solution is to ensure that office workers have a task chair that can be tailored to their proportions, and that
they’re trained to sit correctly - minimising potential musculoskeletal problems.
Ergonomics is essentially the science of compatibility – you want a chair that fits your unique proportions,
desk and task. You will need an ergonomic chair that features adjustable lumbar support and even having
individual pre-tensioned lumbar sections, giving the user the ability to tailor the chair to their unique
proportions, effectively optimising their support and comfort. Choosing an advanced ergonomic chair gives
you these features, which in turn leads to a reduction in absenteeism due to Musculoskeletal disorders and
contributes to an increase in productivity.
The office chair, something you sit on for most of your working life, should not be an overlooked investment
in the strive to achieve workplace wellness.
Beth Lowe – Comfort Seating
www.ofas.org.uk AUTUMN 2018
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