Office Chairs - Save Your Employees' Backs

By Author: Larry Tang
Total Articles: 512
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Office Chair; Most employees in today's computerized office spend the bulk of their day sitting. While sitting takes less energy to hold the torso erect and balanced, it also introduces certain disadvantages to the body. For instance, the natural curve of the lumbar flattens in a sitting position, which increases disk pressure. Chairs can also apply pressure to the back of the legs, cutting off blood flow to the muscles. These are all contributing factors in producing lower back pain, which statistics show account for more lost work time than the common cold.

In today's work environments, the comfort of the office chair becomes increasingly important. A chair that is well-designed and appropriately adjusted is an essential element in a safe and productive workstation. A good chair provides necessary support to the back, legs, buttocks, and arms, while reducing exposures to awkward postures, contact stress, and forceful exertions.

At MAiSPACE, our goal is to increase performance and productivity by making every employee comfortable, safe and productive at work. We are highly concerned with ergonomics and we constantly ...
... apply the principles of good ergonomic design to make every workstation ergonomically correct. As an office furniture manufacturer, our role is not that of the ergonomist, however, but that of solution provider. Of primary importance in purchasing ergonomic office furniture is to identify the ergonomic risk factors that exist in your facility. As such, at MAiSPACE, we work closely with our clients to identify those ergonomic risk factors that can be reduced or eliminated with proper office furniture. As a research driven company, we are constantly evaluating and updating product options to accommodate changes in technology.

MAiSPACE's innovative products meet ergonomics codes and industry standards. These ergonomic products are the essential elements of a work space that encourages productivity and ensures comfort with equal effect. MAiCHAIR, MAiSPACE's revolutionary ergonomic office chair, integrates comfort, support, style and technology at a reasonable price. MAiSPACE's ergo chair, MAiCHAIR comes in a variety of colors, styles, and fabrics. It's designed to adapt to your motion and easy to adjust with one easy adjustment mechanism. It will help you to find the most comfortable position by conforming to the spine and providing critical support in the lumbar region.

The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends trying out different office chairs before purchasing one to ensure the adequate support you need. It is also important to think about alternatives if the chair has multiple users. OSHA recently issued a set of guidelines on how to select and arrange specific workstation components. It identified the following parts of an office chair as important elements to consider in creating a safe and productive workstation and avoiding ergonomic related injuries in the work place:

Backrest
A backrest that is easily adjustable and able to support the back in a variety of seated postures. As such, a backrest should have 1) a lumbar support that is height adjustable, 2) an adjustment that allows the user to recline at least 15 degrees from the vertical, and 3) a device enabling it to move forward and backward.

Headrest
A supportive headrest that prevents static loading of the neck and shoulder muscles, which can lead to headaches and even back pain.

Seat
A seat pan that is adjustable and large enough to provide support in a variety of seated postures. The seat should be comfortable and allow your feet to rest flat on the floor or footrest. Thighs and hips should be supported by a well-padded seat and generally parallel to the floor.

Armrest
Armrests, if provided, should be soft, allow your shoulders to relax and your elbows to stay close to your body.

Base
According to OSHA, an ergonomic office chair should have a five-leg base with casters that allow easy movement along the floor.

MAiCHAIR, MAiSPACE's fully ergonomic seating line combines all these requirements in one revolutionary chair. MAiCHAIR's engineered, flexible plastic backrest conforms to the natural curvature of the spine and provides critical support in the lumbar region. A lumbar support that is height adjustable is critical so it can be appropriately placed to fit and conform to the lower back. MAiCHAIR's uniquely contoured seat pan improves blood flow and reduces discomfort by distributing weight more evenly.

MAiCHAIR's other adjustable features include a 5-position headrest, adjustable arms, and a lightweight five-star base. The state of the art syncro-tilt provides adjustable tension resistance, pneumatic seat height adjustment and multi position tilt-lock control in one easy to adjust mechanism. Unique to this dynamic, cost effective chair, is that the seat and back cushions are designed with special fasteners that allow for quick and easy removal permitting replacement without tools. The contoured seat cushion and rounded waterfall edge improves blood flow, and the syncro-tilt mechanism helps maintain the correct posture through a full range of motion.

Choosing the right chair can change your life dramatically; it will enable you to work in neutral body positions, help you perform more efficiently, and work more comfortably. Maichair is certainly the must have product of today's and tomorrow's office. It represents a milestone in ergonomic and sustainable design.