Page 18 - Designing Ways 257
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IID




              Why is having an

             ergonomic office

              chair important?
                                              (four to eight hours) sitting in a task chair,   fact. If possible, opt for a soft/adjustable
                                              it will be in your best interest to get the   seat pan. Shorter people tend to require
                  obody likes to be uncomfortable.   best chair you can afford,” Dale explains.  less length.
                  Studies show that 74% of     Not only does the right chair help to
           Nworkers experience pain at their   provide better support to your spine, it   What are the benefits of purchasing an
           desk a few times a week. Whether at the   conforms to your body’s specific shape   ergonomic office chair?
           office or working from home, if your job   and assists in keeping your muscles and   Certified ergonomic office  chairs  are
           requires you to remain seated for long   tissue  in  a  more  natural  and  neutral   designed to provide  maximum  comfort,
           periods of time, having the right chair is   position. And because you can adjust the   and reduce back, leg, hip pain and strain.
           a must.                            seat height and armrests,  an ergonomic   Ergonomic chairs are adjustable,
             According to Dale Kennedy, Certified   chair can easily be customised to fit your   allowing you to customise seat height,
           Professional Ergonomist at Ergomax,   individual needs while also ensuring   arm rest height, lumbar support height,
           when  it  comes  to investing  in  an   adequate seat width and depth for your   headrest height and seat depth depending
           ergonomic office chair, you should always   body.                    on the design.
           buy the best you can with the money you                              •   Reduce back and body strain
           have. “If you spend most of the workday   Key considerations when choosing the   •   Reduce fatigue
                                              perfect office chair              •   Improve productivity
                                               According to Dale, height adjustability is   •   Reduce stress
                                              one of the most important considerations
                                              when purchasing a new office chair. You’ll   What is ergonomic certification for
                                              know your chair is at the correct height   office chairs?
                                              when  your  elbows  are  in  line  with  the   Ergonomic  certification is  given to
                                              desk surface you are using.       chairs once they have been independently
                                               Ideally, your knees should be lower   inspected by Certified Professional
                                              than your hips, so that your lower back   Ergonomist (CPE) who confirms that a
                                              is in the optimal position to withstand   chair’s design meets required standards
                                              compression force, and your feet should   for ergonomic compliance, set out by ISO,
                                              be fully supported. If necessary, use a   BIFMA and ANSI standards.
                                              footrest to assist with this.
                                                                                Where can you buy ergonomic office
                                              Lumbar adjustability and support  chairs in South Africa?
                                               In order of importance, lumbar support   All Office is a leading supplier of reliable,
                                              is a close second when seeking out the   high end and ergonomic office chairs for
                                              perfect office chair for your home office   individuals and businesses across South
                                              or workplace. Lumbar adjustability allows   Africa. We provide excellent customer
                                              you to move the backrest of the chair to   service, paired with expert knowledge, to
                                              ensure you are getting adequate lumbar   build long lasting relationships with our
                                              support, which helps to keep the pressure   clients.
                                              off your lower discs and reduce the risk of   We also supply other types of office
                                              lower back pain.                  furniture  including  desks,  tables,
                                                                                multipurpose chairs, storage for items
                                              Adjustable armrests               and files, and much more.   dw
                                               Adjustable armrests allow you to move
                                              them up and down so they can support   www.iidprofessions.org.za
                                              your  arms  and  reduce  pressure on  your   www.alloffice.co.za
                                              back.

                                              Seat pan
                                               As no two bodies are exactly alike,
                                              we all have different heights and shapes
                                              which need to be accommodated when
                                              seated in an office chair – unfortunately
                                              fixed seating pans tend to overlook this




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