Ergonomics 2015

Trends in office furnishings… Ergonomics and open workspaces!

Two trends that keep circulating around our industry are office ergonomics and open/collaborative workspaces. Lately, many of us are becoming more and more health conscious – we credit it to the start of a new year with resolution making. Office furniture can play a key role in your health, so while you’re resolving to get healthier, start resolving to get a better office chair (for one). If you’re resolving to improve communication in the office, following the trend of having an open/collaborative workspace can help!

Ergonomics

The word “Ergonomics” comes from two Greek words — “ergon,” meaning work, and “nomos” meaning “laws.” Today, however, the word is used to describe the science of “designing the job to fit the worker, not forcing the worker to fit the job.” Ergonomics covers all aspects of a job. There are physical stresses: stress on joints, muscles, nerves, and bones. Then, there are environmental factors: anything that can affect hearing, vision, and general comfort and health. Office furniture plays key roles in both.

What can ergonomic office furniture do for you? In addition to keeping you comfortable, it can improve your productivity and help improve posture. Back and wrist pain are bummers. We offer a wide variety of ergonomic furniture and office products including but not limited to:

	Extended Keyboard Wrist Rest – Ergonomically designed for long typing sessions using a keyboard and mouse at the same time.
	Half-Cylinder Padded Foot Cushion – Cushion allows you to put your feet up for the ultimate positioning for comfort and to help distribute your weight evenly.
	Ergonomic-Split-Design-Keyboard w/ Antimicrobial Protection – Split key design conforms to your natural arm and hand positioning featuring Microban® antimicrobial protection.
	EQ Series Ergonomic Chair – High-tech chair with premium ergonomic features.
	3800 Series Desk-Shell – Laminate top is scratch and stain resistant. Great for completing a open workspace concept (which we discuss below).

Open / Collaborative Workspaces and Environments

Another design trend we continue to hear more about is the open workspace plan/collaborative workspace. In this type of space plan and office design, employees are situated close enough to each other, making collaboration easy. Quiet spaces still need to be available but by setting up your office in a more open layout helps get employees’ creative juices flowing.