Care more about your chair

Real Estate Weekly, August 18, 2004 by Mark Benhar

Sitting for long hours in front of a computer has become a way of life for many in the nation's work force.

As a result, backache has become one of the most common reasons cited for short-term absence from work.

Investing in ergonomics, an applied science that coordinates the design of furniture systems, technology and other physical working conditions with the requirements of workers, makes good economic sense.

Musculoskeletal disorders affecting the lower back and upper extremities cost the nation between $45 billion and $54 billion a year, according to a recent study from the National Academies.

Ergonomic furniture, such as Herman Miller's popular Aeron chair and Resolve desking systems, is scientifically designed to maximize productivity while reducing bodily discomfort and fatigue caused by repetitive tasks.

When sitting in a chair for several hours, unequally distributed body weight can increase fatigue and tension in the spine, according to ergonomists at Cornell University. Ergonomic furniture, combined with mini-breaks and posture changes throughout the day, help keep the body injury-free, they add.

The importance of height and placement of a computer monitor can also be a preventive measure, with the optimal position placing the monitor straight in front of the user and adjusting the height so the top of the display is level with the eyes.

Herman Miller's Aeron chair, made popular during the new technology and dot-com explosion of the 1990s, is ergonomically designed to allow its users greater flexibility. The chair maximizes comfort, has breathable material and decreases fatigue in the back and adjoining muscles of the neck and shoulders.

Launched 10 years ago, there are now more than a million Aeron chairs in offices and homes around the world. Guaranteed for 12 years, and available in three sizes to include even those "in a broader range of the anthropometric scale," the chair has been on display at the New York Museum of Modern Art as one of America's designs of the decade.

The Aeron is highly adjustable and highly ergonomic, which means that you have less days off with back pain, according to the manufacturer, which notes that the Aeron is one of only eight chairs in the world that were presented an Ergonomics Excellence Award in 2004 by the Furniture Industry Research Association, which tests furniture and acts as consultant to the industry and its users.

Instead of the usual foam and fabric seat and backrest, the Aeron uses a mesh, originally designed for lifting people in and out of a bath, that doesn't collapse out of shape over time. They create no specific pressure points, and there's this waterfall, curved front that prevents cutting in underneath your legs. The other benefit of the mesh is that you get no heat build up so people don't have to get out of the chair to cool down. And there are no allergic reactions because there is no dust build-up.

The rise in the popularity of the Aeron chair is just one example of how ergonomically designed furniture is both changing the look of the modern workplace and adjusting to the way the modern office worker goes about their job. Herman Miller and other leading manufacturers represented by Benhar Office Interiors are at the forefront of this new wave, which is shaping the office of tomorrow.

At a time when employee productivity and rising insurance costs are key factors in the evolution of successful businesses of all kinds, the long-term benefits of investing in an ergonomic work environment have never been clearer. Add to that the incalculable benefits of increased morale created when your company invests in the comfort and health of employees and it is evident why it pays to care more about your chair.

MARK BENHAR, PRESIDENT

BENHAR OFFICE INTERIORS