Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Bottom Line: Office Chairs

By Fabian Toulouse

The development of the modern office chair did not begin, surprisingly, until the beginning of the 1860s. This was when businessmen, as businesses began to consolidate, spent a large amount of time trying to figure out how they could improve these chairs. Their main objective was to improve the efficiency of their office staff. The revolutionary idea of putting casters on the bottom of these chairs allowing the staff to glide from one work station to another. Keeping them in their seats, it was thought, meant keeping them working.

Their next study involved trying to figure out how they could keep them in their seats by making them a little more bearable on the bottom. Sitting in these chairs for hours could take it's toll and the productivity would begin to suffer. As the chair began to improve, the shape began to be more in tune with the human body. These improvements were realized in the 1970's when ergonomics were first brought into the picture. The chairs of today are a result of the early attempts to keep the office workers in their chairs so there would be no decline in the work they performed.

The chairs in use today have never been so adjustable. They can be lowered and reclined, the height adjusted, and the arms likewise raised and lowered. They have cushions and padded arms and padded backs. Despite the improvements that have been made, there are still problems with spending too much time in these chairs. They can put a strain on the neck and back. According to the doctors who treat people for these problems, getting up and stretching at least once every 30 minutes is strongly recommended.

Despite the preferences of early business owners who wanted their workers to stay in the chairs eight to ten hours a day, this is just not probable. In today's society this would be considered above and beyond the call of duty. The chair has come a long way in the last 150 years. The chair is a status symbol. The better chairs with all the latest in comfort and flexibility are the ones the bosses get. They have the high comfortable backs and the arms that are padded and plumped. The chairs with all the comforts of their recliner at home are the ones that are reserved for higher ups within a business or company.

Somehow this just does not seem right. It would stand to reason that the people that spend the most time in the office chairs working should have the most comfortable ones. The emphasis is on working as there are many people who could spend hours a day in these chairs. The only question is are they really as busy as they look. Working 8 and 10 hours a day from these chairs whether it is answering phones, data processing, bookkeeping or whatever job they perform, the comfort level of these workers should be taken into consideration first. The best office chairs should go to those who need them the most. - 15266

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