To Sit or to Stand at Work?

Height Adjustable Workstations

The height adjustable workstation works hand in hand with the ergonomic chair.

First, you adjust your chair to your physique and comfort.
Second, you pull yourself up to the desk
Then you adjust the desk height to fit you and your chair position.

A common mistake is when someone sets a chair up to fit them perfectly, pull themselves to the desk, then proceeds to use the gas-lift to either drop down or lift them up to the fixed desk height, essentially negating the benefits of your ergonomic chair.

As a business owner it is important to understand the impact office furniture has on your employees. Since we all come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, it’s not a case of ‘one size fits all’. Therefore, most desking manufacturers will offer height adjustment in their desk ranges, so that businesses can provide a suite of matching furniture throughout, whilst still providing individual workstation adjustments for those that need it as detailed by the HSE and DDA regulations.

Small height adjustments on workstations are sometimes known as ‘fix and leave’, meaning that the desk can be set to a specific height at installation, but not easily adjustable by the end user without the aid of tools.

In environments where you have shared workstations, you may want to consider workstations that are easily adjusted by the end user either on a crank mechanism that can change the desk height for the user in a seated position or via an electric motor, enabling the end user to choose to sit or stand at the ease of a button.

Bringing us to that all important question ‘is it worth spending out on an electric sit / stand height adjustable desk?’ I guess the answer is down to the individuals working needs!

What we do know, is that the key to a healthy office is to encourage movement!

Don’t just stand there (or sit there)

Prolonged sitting has been linked to serious health effects such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, but then standing all day at work can also have a toll on your health, leading to painful back problems or permanent muscle damage over time. So whether you have a standing desk or not, it’s important to keep moving and not to remain in the same position for a long period of time.

Check out our top tips for getting the blood pumping in the office.

Ergonomics is far more than simply providing the appropriate furniture and training individuals to sit correctly, it’s about bringing people, processes, connectivity and technology together to find the most appropriate and effective way of working. Commonly referred to as Agile or Activity Based Working.

*Image sources: Furniture manufacturers – Kinnarps, Sagal Group, Gresham