I thought it was worth sharing with our Blog readers our team’s response to a question posed of us on Linked In.
….our firm does not represent any lines of equipment and furniture which is a very important question to ask an Ergonomic Consultant you would like to select to work with your firm re Furniture and Seating Standards.
At OPC Inc we have never and we will not represent lines of furniture, equipment, seating or ergonomic tools; as a results we are often requested to provide consulting expertise in order to provide objective, 3rd party reviews of seating products. We will use the correct standards such as the new CSA Standards and/or the new BIFMA ergonomic chair standards.
As a quick response to your question about seating products I am providing you with a very quick list of seating which may meet your requirements; however this requires more thorough review by a qualified Ergonomist to deliver the best response. For example iwe need to know how technology is being used in your office or work setting as well as the configuration of your offices & the anthropometrics, sex an age of the end users. As an example the Steelcase GESTURE, Herman Miller Embody & Haworth ZODY may all be the correct standard of seating in your work setting.
OPC Inc reviewed this chair in the last 2 years; a great fit for at least the 5th percentile female to a 90th percentile male. Result; 9/10.
However, if your workforce has a number of smaller females using the seating there are very few chairs on the market which actually fit the 5th percentile female and smaller; the Gesture is an excellent new product on the market which truly can fit the 5th percentile female and smaller statures; the Embody & the small sized Global Tritek Ergo Select with Hi Performance Armrests will also be able to be fitted for the small stature females in your workplace
If on the other hand your workforce is comprised of large in stature ie. weight and size employee, we just completed a thorough reviewed the Haworth HE XL chair for a client. This chair meets the new BIFMA specifications for Bariatric chair analysis/testing.
It is critical to ask about the job demands, the anthropometrics of your user population; the type of technology being used and how the technology will be used; and the design of the office itself ie. meeting rooms, private work spaces, open office spaces, mobile, home based offices etc etc. These are some of the many questions which need to be quantified to make a truly effective long term decision about seating standards.
When you and your team are ready to commence a review of seating products and your FM team are interesting in finding the best and most cost effective seats for your work environment our design team is ready to assist.
JESleeth Sr Consultant OPC Inc Canada and US since 1991
OPC Inc recently completed a review of the Gesture chair for Mayhew. Result; 9/10