The Ergonomic Home Office – Chairs

Remote technologies and flexible working has enabled workers to work from home. Whilst this provides the advantage of flexible working for the employee, as an Employer we still have obligations under the Health and Safety Employment Act to provide a good and safe work environment. This also applies if you are self employed and run your business from a home office. We have put together a short series of, looking at the important things to consider when setting up your office at home to provide you with a more ergonomic and productive space.

Chair

Remember you do not have to spend more money to get a better chair. There are plenty of expensive chairs in the market that provide very little adjustment and support for task seating. Also don’t be fooled by the overused term “Ergonomic” it has been used as a marketing buzz word for many years and often refers to a sales pitch versus the right product for the right reasons. Be especially dubious if the chair is rated for the amount of hours you can sit in it – there is no such thing as an 8 or 12 hour chair! This is marketing hype.

When considering whether a chair is good or not consider the following points.

• The chair should provide 3 lever multifunction adjustment. This means independent height Adjustment, independent seat tilt and independent back or lumbar adjustment
• High density foam is recommended for support and durability (high density foam is firm and not soft like a cushion)
• Make sure the chair has good back/lumbar support and is adjustable
• We do not normally recommend arms on a task chair as this can often provide interfere with the desk/workstation leading to poor posture
• Mesh back chairs often look great, however, there are very few that provide the support and adjustment required
• The warranty should be no less than 10 years
• If you are taller you can consider certain chairs that offer sliding seat to provide extra support
• There are a number of good task chairs priced between $300 – $500 – you do not have to spend thousands

Remember your home office is an investment. Empower yourself with the knowledge to make informed decisions.