The equipment you have in your office plays a major role in productivity, efficiency, and worker satisfaction. In fact, while it isn't immediately obvious, the chairs you use in your office are very important in occupational health management.
Generally, occupational health management should be a top priority for all organisations. It's crucial that your workers feel comfortable and safe from occupational hazards when on the job. And one of the ways you can ensure you can improve your worker's safety and overall health is by using ergonomic office chairs in your workplace.
In this article, we'll look at the role of ergonomic chairs in occupational health management to show you why you might need to make this investment for your workspace.
Posture Support
The biggest benefit of an ergonomic chair is that it will provide much better posture support. If you use old and outdated chairs in your office (like many workplaces currently do), you'll find that your workers don't have the postural support they need. This causes them to adopt poor posture when working long hours, which can do a lot of damage to their bodies in the long run.
The beauty of ergonomic chairs is that they are designed to improve the alignment of the human body while sitting down. The best office chairs feature adjustable heights, backrests, and armrests.
That way, the workers can tweak the position of their office chair to the unique needs of their body. This allows them to have as much support as they need and stay in the ideal position throughout the entire workday.
Musculoskeletal Disorder Prevention
One of the biggest downsides to using old and non-ergonomic office chairs is that they can lead to Musculoskeletal Disorder or MSD. There are many studies that show prolonged sitting in certain positions can cause significant damage to a person’s musculoskeletal system. This is a major concern for occupational health management as it should be the manager’s job to ensure that workers aren’t exposed to these unnecessary health risks while on the job.
Again ergonomic chairs are carefully engineered, and all the components are placed in a way to improve alignment and reduce the risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder. When managing occupational health risks in an office, it’s best to figure out ways to reduce the risk of an MSD, which is why ergonomic office chairs are a great investment.
Enhanced Comfort and Productivity
Another benefit of using ergonomic office chairs is that they improve productivity. This is because experts spent a lot of time designing these chairs to ensure that people feel as comfortable as possible sitting in them. There are various studies that show workers are much more productive when they feel comfortable, which is why we highly suggest investing in office chairs for your workplace.
Not only does reducing physical discomfort improve productivity, but it also allows workers to feel more comfortable, which boosts worker satisfaction. So, while it might seem like a small and simple change on the surface level, new office chairs can do wonders for your workplace.
Increased Circulation and Reduced Fatigue
Lastly, every ergonomic office chair is designed to improve circulation. It's common for old office chairs to cut off circulation to certain areas. While this won't be an obvious problem right away, it causes many issues over time, which is why there are many workers complaining about back pain and other major problems that stem from sitting down in uncomfortable chairs. On top of that, this also causes workers to feel fatigued really quickly, which reduces their output.
However, when you have an ergonomic office chair, there is much less fatigue and improved circulation. This is great for occupational health managers and can save you a lot of trouble down the line!
Do I Need Ergonomic Chairs for My Office?
You aren't legally required to provide your workers with ergonomic office chairs. However, using these chairs in your workplace can bring about many benefits, from improved worker satisfaction and productivity all the way to creating a safer, more enjoyable, and comfortable working environment for your staff.
So, if you're looking for ways to improve your office, a simple change of office chairs can do a whole lot for you. Here at FlexiSpot, we have a wide range of ergonomic and top-tier office chairs for you to choose from.
Conclusion
It's important for managers to take charge and look for ways to boost and improve their workers' health at all times. There are many risks that come with using old and poorly designed office chairs. In fact, it can result in many problems down the line that can cost your organisation.
However, investing in high-quality ergonomic chairs reduces a lot of risks that workers face when sitting down for long periods of time. So, if you want to protect your workers while also boosting productivity and efficiency, it might be time for you to update your old equipment and get new chairs!
