What is ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the science of designing and arranging items and environments to help ensure that people can interact with them safely and efficiently, and it has long been the focus here at BioFit Engineered Products.
As the understanding of ergonomics has evolved, BioFit has recognized that ideally, the best seating solutions will perform three basic tasks. Look for seating that minimizes risk, encourages correct posture, and helps ensure high performance among the people using it.
How are the principles of ergonomics especially beneficial in medical and lab settings?
Proper seating is essential to the healthcare field, where sitting in one place is often a fact of life. From lab workers to patients to staff members plowing through paperwork, proper lumbar support is a key component to helping prevent lower back discomfort and even injury.
There is no single good position to create an ergonomic environment. What is truly important is that people are able to adjust their chair often. In doing so, they are able to be in different positions throughout the day instead of being stuck in a static posture for a long period of time.
What should people look for in ergonomic furnishings?
In addition to adjustability and good lumbar support, an effective ergonomic chair will have a “waterfall seat” design, in which the seat curves downward at the front to reduce leg fatigue by ensuring proper circulation. Specifiers should also consider seating units that provide for forward lean to counterbalance the tendency of users to slouch into poor posture. Other features to look for include a five-star base for stability, a seat that allows for even weight distribution, easy-to use height adjustment, and cushioned, adjustable armrests, when appropriate.
What are the advantages of ergonomics in the workplace?
Ergonomic seating can help maintain user attentiveness, thereby increasing performance. It makes sense—comfortable workers are happier, and happier workers tend to be more productive. Ergonomically correct chairs might not be the least expensive on the market, but the benefits will prove to be of greater value in the long run.
How are BioFit products ideal for healthcare settings?
BioFit has a line of seating solutions that meet the needs of virtually every aspect of the healthcare field, from vinyl and urethane products for use in clinical laboratories to upholstered seating for office applications and much more. BioFit has a seating solution to match almost any spatial configuration and seat height requirement, plus you’ll find the right colors and upholstery to complement just about any décor. From nurses’ stations to surgical units to recovery rooms, BioFit products are proven to maximize comfort and performance.
Many BioFit furnishings are resistant to chemicals and bodily fluids. BioFit’s vacuum-formed seating provides outstanding preventive protection with seamless design that minimizes the risk of bacterial and fluid infiltration, and their ArmorSeat chairs include a UV inhibitor and antimicrobial properties that make them a great fit for any environment where bacteria could cause problems.
In addition, nearly every product in BioFit’s seating line is rated as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) compliant for use in commercial interiors, qualifying specifiers for LEED building credits. Additionally, BioFit’s commitment to quality is guaranteed by an industry-leading 13-year warranty on nearly every product—one of the best in the business—to ensure that customers’ costs remain significantly lower in the long term. In addition, BioFit’s friendly, attentive and highly knowledgeable customer support team is second to none.
For more information about the benefits of ergonomics, visit www.biofit.com.
