22-12-2012, 04:31 PM
cyber net ic
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Abstract
The chair and table is one of the most important pieces of furniture used in work and home office settings. Many tasks are performed from a seated position – using a computer, typing, writing, and reading are a few that come to mind. Without a properly fitting and supportive chair and table, it can be very uncomfortable to sit and perform those tasks. A person who is not comfortable is easily distracted. Back and neck pain can result. And nothing gets done. This document discusses worker health and safety issues relating to work performed using a computer at a work station. The paper is organised as follows: Section 2.0 highlights literature review on computer tables and chairs in relation to sitting. Section 3.0 contains findings on an ergonomic chair, table as well other related issues of computer chairs and tables. Section 4.0 Deals with possible health issues associated with deficiencies in the old design of computer chairs and tables. In section 5.0 Health issues associated with long use of computer system is dealt with. Section 6.0 presents the future of ergonomics office seating.
Introduction.
As a topic of interest, seating has occupied researchers for centuries. Hundreds of books, research studies, journal articles and symposia have focused on some aspect of humans as they sit and the objects on which they sit. Why so much attention? In part, because there is a Zen-like duality to sitting and seating—simplicity and complexity; moving and staying; comfort and discomfort. Also, effective sitting and seating relate directly to the activities in which a person engages.
Today, one can find a wide array of chairs reflecting the current understanding of ergonomic experts and designers as how to best support traditional office tasks.
But office work is changing. Traditional jobs involving only one primary, forward oriented task are giving way to new approaches to work and a wide variety of task postures and positions.
Literature Review
Herman Miller (1992) started the trend in ergonomic office chairs. Though the hugely successful Herman Miller Aeron chair is still considered prestigious and stylish, it's not the only ergonomic office chair out there anymore. Other manufactures have incorporated and even improved on some of the Aeron's features, like its mesh seatback and adjustability.
A few newer ergonomic chairs have won design competitions as well as praise from experts. Experts note a trend toward what one calls "less is more" design. Manual controls (levers and dials) are replaced by materials and structural elements that enable a chair to adapt to the user's weight and movements. Designers and makers also are becoming more environmentally conscious; many use recycled (and recyclable) materials. They've also come down in price; even the Aeron chair (a bare-bones version) is available for less than $650 (N98800.00).
For reviews of newly introduced office chairs we looked at articles about the winners of annual design awards bestowed by Interior Design magazine and Red Dot, a European organization that holds a worldwide design competition. Bloomberg Business week, CNNMoney.com, About.com and Contract magazine review office chairs and recommend specific models, as do blogs like FourHourWeek.com and retailer TheHumanSolution.com. Wired magazine, Slate.com and Unplggd.com also offer reviews of high-end office chairs, though some of the reviews are older and don't include the newest models.
Reviewers universally emphasize the importance of testing a chair for an extensive period of time before committing to a purchase. Ergonomic chairs come in a variety of designs and sizes, and as one reviewer noted, "The right size is critical to comfort." It is therefore important to check on the retailer's return policies in the event that you need to exchange one chair for another.
In addition to comfort, reviewers and users also discuss cost. How necessary is it to spend upwards of $900 (N136800.00) for a quality ergonomic chair? Retailer TheHumanSolution.com addresses this question on its website, outlining the key functions of a true ergonomic chair (adjustability, lumbar support, etc.) and offering recommendations for $500(N 76000) chairs that meet these criteria.