The task chair is one of the most important elements in a critical environment, such as a control room, and can have a negative effect on the health of users if it is not chosen correctly.
A good choice of a tast chair will be directly reflected in the productivity of the workers and, consequently, in the final results of the organization.
Next, we analyze in depth various factors that make the choice of ergonomic task chairs in control centers a priority aspect to take into account.
Ergonomics
Human beings are different from each other, we have different measurements, weights and physical and mental health circumstances. For this reason, it is very important that the work tools closest to the users in control rooms and critical spaces, such as consoles, monitors and work chairs, have the possibility of being adjusted to achieve freedom of movement and a high level of comfort adapted to the characteristics and needs of each user.
“Eyes drive posture“
The need for operators to view different information on their personal screens and on video walls causes their posture to change depending on how close or far the screens are placed, as well as the distance to the mouse and keyboard to be able to manipulate them.
The combination of the monitor supports adjustable in depth and height, the freedom of position of the keyboard and the mouse, plus the adjustments to be made in the work chairs will allow the operator to adopt a more ergonomic and healthy position.
The introduction of elements that favor visual ergonomics such as large-format screens and high image quality that can be managed through an IP KVM display platform such as DeskWall have led to progress in this regard by giving the operator the freedom to digitally position the most used application at the desired height and position.
Pathologies to avoid
Musculoskeletal disorders and mental health problems are the leading causes of lost productivity and absenteeism due to illness, early retirement and years of disability among computer users in Europe and the US. One of the main causes of these symptoms is fatigue, which has a considerable impact on life’s quality.
The use of the correct ergonomic elements in the control room, such as ergonomic chairs, help considerably to avoid this type of problem.
Spontaneous posture change due to effortless movement
An ergonomic chair is designed in such a way that its operation can promote the user’s natural change in posture, leading to an increase in blood flow and, consequently, to a healthier situation.
Amount of adjustments
In work areas such as control rooms and operations centers that have constant activity with jobs that are carried out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it is of great importance that the shift change between the operator who leaves and the arriving operator, is carried out as quickly and easily as possible.
The work chairs that are usually requested for this type of position require extreme adjustment in all its elements to achieve maximum comfort and adaptability to the different bodies of the users. To solve this need, most chair manufacturers have chosen to add complex mechanisms that less than 2% of people know or have time to adjust.
Our recommendation in this point is to opt for a chair that, through its engineering, design and construction, manages to avoid this large number of mechanisms, giving the operator the possibility of using automatic adjustments and only some manual adjustments.
Durability of materials
An essential point in a critical environment of constant use 24/7 is the durability and quality of the materials, especially in the elements with which users have more direct contact, such as ergonomic chairs.
The correct choice of upholstery, padding for the armrests, headrests and seats is of great importance if it is intended to have an operational control room for a long period of time. Adding factors such as fabrics made from recycled materials, fireproof or highly resistant to fire as well as antistatic are a plus to take into account.
Modernity and design
A control room is usually the most important letter of introduction for large companies or entities that intend to show their corporate image, tools, processes and management capacity.
It is for this reason that the aesthetic aspect is essential and the design of work chairs is of great importance.
In addition, a tidy and aesthetically pleasing workplace is also good for users’ mental health.
International and specific regulations
As for the control consoles, there are specific international standards such as BS5459-2:2000+A2:2008 related to work chairs that regulate all the important technical elements that must be met.
