Office furniture and ergonomics are very closely intertwined.As a matter of fact the word ergonomics comes from two Greek words:ergo,meaning work and nomos,meaning laws.So ergonomic office furniture takes into account how the furniture fits and comfortably supports the people who use it day after day and for long periods of time.
Designers and manufacturers take into account how anthropometry,posture,and repetitive motion affect the user to come up with viable solutions for office furniture design and workspace design.
Anthropometry
Anthropometry is the study of measurements of the proportions,size,and weight of the human body.Since people come in many shapes and sizes,it can help in designing ergonomically suitable products for men,or women,or even school furniture for children.
Posture
It is essential to maintain good posture throughout the day for the health of the spine.While there is an ongoing debate on the correct seated posture everyone agrees that it should not put stress on the user's back,buttocks,arm muscles or feet.
The height,depth,width,and angle of the seat all address that along with back and arm supports.
In addition to the seated posture,good ergonomic design takes into consideration other workplace postures such as standing,reaching and moving.
Repetitive Motion
Repetitive tasks can sometimes lead to injury,so minimizing the number of continuous movements can help reduce that risk.This could possibly be one of the most difficult issues to address,as it is difficult to forecast the number of repetitive movements that a user might have to perform.
One factor in reducing the risk of injury and musculoskeletal disorders is decreasing the amount of force required to perform a task.
In Conclusion
In conclusion,all these factors go into creating an efficiently designed office chair or workstation.Ergonomics has become a very important aspect of office furniture design,and rightly so.Efficient design makes it easy for people to function better and be more productive.Long term damage to the musculoskeletal system and work related injuries can be minimized or avoided.
