There are a lot of studies showing that working sitting all day is bad for health. Some of the risks of sedentary work can be found back pain, diabetes and heart disease, derived from the relationship maintaining a static posture for a long time. Moreover, to long hours of static work it must be added that in many cases the office equipment is not optimal; since the chair is not adequate as the back does not have adequate support or the visualization of the different screens does not allow optimal posture of the neck and cervicals; and neither the furniture makes it easy to vary the posture by not offering enough space to correctly position the lower limbs, causing circulatory and musculoskeletal problems.
Therefore, and especially in 24/7 high throughput environments, it is essential to have the optimal ergonomic furniture to minimize these potential problems, investing in ergonomica chairs and technical furniture that help to avoid any type of physical disorders, both short and long term.
Many companies in Silicon Valley already adopted ergonomic solutions adapted to the needs of workers, and the results were not long in coming, showing more comfortable and more energic employees, resulting in increased of productivity. And if operational continuity is of great importance in office environments, in control rooms and any other critical environment it must be the prior and main axis on which the solution is designed.
One of the most important recommendations to take care of the health of operators in 24/7 critical environments is to have sit & stand control consoles that allow alternate sitting and standing work control, avoiding muscular pains, as well as other disease already mentioned. For this reason, any console with height adjustment must be designed under the highest quality and safety standards, in addition to the quality of the components and materials must respond effectively in any situation without interruption for long periods of time.
Regardless of the task performed in the workplace, the important thing is to change the position, avoiding been immobile for too long and in the same posture to keep the mind active and a healthy body: sit, stand, walk and avoid a sedentary lifestyle avoiding the sedentary lifestyle.
Thus, a study compared people who worked in height-adjustable jobs with another group with traditional fixed positions. After a period of 12 months, this research concluded that 65% of people with adjustable height positions were related to higher productivity, better concentration and an improvement in the general health of employees, saying they feel more active, awake, agile and energetic. This research is especially relevant and pioneering due to its long duration, as well as the inclusion of complementary qualitative data.
Other recent research about work environment shows that height adjustable work positions help reduce sedentary behavioural habits and improve health even outside the work environment.
Another investigation show similar data and conclusions, reinforcing the position of GESAB in sit & stand heigh-adjustable control consoles design, since they contribute to improving the health of people and activity levels by reducing sedentary time at work. between 66 to 143 minutes a day. Working standing at different times of the day, during a period of less than 45 minutes, has proven benefits:
- Improving health: be sitting too long and, therefore, in a constant physical inactivity can cause overweight, heart problems, diabetes, back pain, etc.
- Improved productivity: simply standing amends the attitude to the task have to be done, since it gives a sense of urgency and increased sense of energy, the perceived comfort, creating lower levels of stress and anxiety.
- Improving appearance: as staying too long sitting accelerates aging. Improving the appearance directly affects on self-esteem, mood and, therefore, the perception others have improving both social and professional life.
Innovations carried out at GESAB such as the AW (Adaptative Workspace) of the Actea Max, control console series, where the inclination of the work surface can be adjusted, or the clear commitment to ergonomics of the Advantis and Actea, console families, where all versions and models are convertible to sit & stand versions, they demonstrate the company’s commitment and commitment to the health and ergonomics of the operators.
Despite the recommendations not to stay for hours in a row sitting in the same position and to intersperse the posture with moments of standing work, it should not be forgotten that it is not advisable to remain standing for a long time either, as it can be counterproductive and generate circulatory problems, lumbar overload and knee or foot pain among others, problems that are aggravated if you are not in good physical condition.
So, the best option is to allow you to alternate the sitting and standing work and be able to adapt the position of each operator to different circumstances. The goal is to work in a more rapid, more effective, more fun and smarter way.