The Ergonomic Seating Guide - Millers Inc

1 The ErgonomicSeating GuideHANDBOOKS tatistics and studies reveal that Ergonomic Seating is something all employers should consider for their office staff. That being said,the goal of this handbook is to show you why Ergonomic Seating is so vital for workers and how Haworth provides the solution they You Need This Handbook ..In 2004, approximately million workers received a total of $ billion in workers compensation costs for injuries that occurred on the job (the latest year for which data were available). Additionally, in 2005, the total number of days lost to workers because of injuries occurring on the job totaled 80 million.

2 Off-the-job injuries can potentially affect a company s productivity even more with days lost totaling about 195 With figures like these, the importance of providing a well-designed work environment with appropriate training which could help lessen costs as well as days lost to injuries is obvious. The possibility of sitting in a chair for a full eight-hour work day can be intimidating, so it is essential that work chairs be Ergonomic and healthy. concurs, stating, Experts agree that your chair is perhaps the single most important component of a healthy working environment.

3 2 The right Ergonomic chair with the proper Ergonomic training can help reduce injuries. Studies also show that work-related injuries can be reduced and productivity increased using an Ergonomic chair and proper Ergonomic training: A highly adjustable chair coupled with office ergonomics training reduced musculoskeletal symptom growth over the workday. 3 In 1990, research found a productivity increase in subjects working in an ergonomically optimal setting compared to one which was ergonomically In 2003, research found a productivity increase in participants that received a highly adjustable chair and office ergonomics together, these statistics and studies reveal that Ergonomic Seating is something all employers should consider for their office staff.

4 That being said, the goal of this handbook is to discuss chair features that help improve comfort, support, and productivity in the of ContentsI. Ergonomic Seating StandardsII. Lumbar SupportIII. Adjustability Features of Ergonomic ArmrestsIV. Seat Depth AdjustmentV. Design of Chair ControlsVI. Forward TiltVII. Seat ReclineVIII. Critical Chair FeaturesIX. Critical Chair MatrixX. Compliance MatrixXI. References2 Ergonomic Seating Standards The challenge of designing for the human body is that it comes in so many different sizes and shapes. As a result, a design that may be comfortable for one person can be inappropriate for others.

5 Obviously clothes and shoes come in different sizes to accommodate these differences. Proper fit becomes much more important when it relates to a product that a person will be physically interacting with for hours at a time, for example, an office chair. To improve chair designers abilities to meet the needs of users several organizations have compiled standards. Those in use in North America include the following:American National Standards Institute and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society: ANSI/HFES 100-2007 Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer s Association: BIFMA G1-2002 Canadian General Standards Board: Canadian Standards Association: CSA-Z412-2000 International Standards Institute: ISO 9241- Part 5 The standards are compiled by experts in the fields of human factors and ergonomics in partnership with the leading manufacturers of chairs and office systems.

6 These standards represent the combined cumulative knowledge of these experts for the purpose of improving the accommodation of people, and reducing the risks of injury in the office chair standards are intended as a reference and a starting point for design. They are updated periodically to reflect accepted research and best practices. The standards provide design guidance to meet minimum requirements in addition to adjustability ranges to increase the percentage of the population accommodated. The standards propose dimensional specifications based on body dimensions of the 5th percentile (small) female to the 95th percentile (large) male (refer to graph on page 4).

7 This range covers only 95% of the population and is intended to meet the MINIMUM requirements of users. Haworth s Ergonomic Seating products are based on state-of-the art research and are designed to exceed standards, meeting the needs of a broad range of users. 3 Seating ComfortWe continue to learn more about the ergonomics of Seating through research. The true objective of an Ergonomic chair is to provide not only the proper function but to ensure the more subtle yet all important aspects of user comfort. People who are more comfortable in their chairs are more likely to be able to sit and be productive for longer durations.

8 Chairs that do not provide effective support and adjustability can significantly increase the spinal stresses resulting in discomfort and increased injury risk. 4550955th Percentile ", lbs5th Percentile ", lbs50th Percentile ", lbs50th Percentile ", lbs95th Percentile ", lbs95th Percentile ", lbs550 955th Percentile ", lbs5th Percentile ", lbs50th Percentile ", lbs50th Percentile ", lbs95th Percentile ", lbs95th Percentile ", lbs6 Harrison, ; Robinetter, (2002). CAESAR: Summary statistics for the Adult Population (Ages 18-65) of the United States of America.

9 Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohion: Air Force Research Laboratory. (NTIS No. AFRL-HE-WP-TR-2002-0170).MinimumGoodBett erBestAsymmetric Lumbar SupportRecent independent university research has indicated that over 74% of individuals tend to prefer more support on one side of their lower back than the Support It's been said that the shape of our spinal columns are as unique as our fingerprints. These include variations in the curvature and length. Our individual spinal length even varies by as much as 2 cm (approx. ") over the course of a The seat back plays a critical role in supporting the spine and must adjust to accommodate these differences among people.

10 A very important consideration in Seating comfort and injury prevention is the proper design of the lumbar support. Lumbar support is provided with different levels of performance as follows:Performance of Lumbar SupportFixed Support Based on Seating standards, a curvature is designed into the lower seat back to support the lumbar spine. Unfortunately, one size does not fit all. Single-Axis Adjustable Support The lower back seat curvature is adjustable in at least one direction. Typically the curve may be raised or lowered. Dual-Axis Adjustable Support The lower back seat curvature is adjustable in two directions.