Thursday, June 23, 2011

Bad office chairs cost Australian businesses time off work

An office chair is often overlooked as just another piece of furniture, and a simple one at that. However, office chairs are very important components of the workplace for white collar workers who are forced to sit at a desk all day. A poor quality chair can lead to bad posture, back problems, and neck aches. These problems may require medical treatment and may cause undue suffering and discomfort on and off the clock.

An employee should not have to make frequent trips to a chiropractor in order to relieve pain from working. Taking breaks to walk around and stretch help reduce stress on the neck and back, but it is ideal to prevent the pain in the first place. A good desk chair should have a high back with an ergonomic shape and cushion to support the spine and encourage proper alignment. A good chair has arm rests that are at an ideal distance from the shoulder so that minimal strain is placed on the neck muscles.

Workers should sit with the feet flat on the floor and look straight ahead rather than up or down at a computer screen. A great companion to an office chair is a computer stand to ensure that the computer is at the ideal height and distance from the employee. Many people naturally sit hunched over and proper computer positioning along with a good quality ergonomic office furniture and chairs can help correct this.

Correct posture prevents pain and injury and can improve an individual\'s disposition. Employees should demand these types of office chairs in the workplace. Employers should consider the big picture and realize that happy employees lead to less turnover, and healthy employees lead to lower health insurance premiums. A good ergonomic office chair may cost more than a simple desk chair, but the benefits to health and comfort greatly outweigh the costs.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/furniture-articles/bad-office-chairs-cost-uk-businesses-time-off-work-3547978.html

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