Interview: "The workplace of the future is a place of opportunity" - Working healthily with laboratory chairs from bimos

Healthy and ergonomic seating in the workplace is the name of the game these days. Whether in the office or in the laboratory, sitting or standing for hours on end can have a major impact on the health and performance of your employees. Because if you sit healthily, you feel good and at the same time have more energy for important tasks. We spoke to Harald Morgenstern. He is sales manager at chair manufacturer bimos and knows exactly what is important in a healthy workplace of the future.

Mr. Morgenstern, what are the basic requirements for a healthy workplace?

Work puts a strain on the body. A workplace should therefore be designed in such a way that the strain is as low as possible. There are many aspects to consider here. We usually start with an analysis of the work situation:

• Does work have to be done standing up?
• Is there frequent switching between workstations?
• What is the distance between eyes and hands when working?
• Are all work materials within easy reach? 

Depending on the situation, standing aids, high lab chairs or even stools for short-term sitting can be useful in addition to classic lab chairs. It is important that movements are not restricted. At the same time, care must be taken to ensure that the body receives maximum support in every posture.

Depending on the predominant posture, there are, for example, different chair mechanisms for this purpose. It is also important to look at the workplace as a whole. How are the work materials arranged? Is there enough shadow and glare-free light? And above all: Can the work be organized in such a way that regular breaks for movement are possible?

The topic of ergonomics in the workplace: How do you think employers can support here?

First and foremost, employers should not cut corners when it comes to ergonomics. Illnesses that can be traced back to incorrect posture are among the most frequent reasons for sick leave. If an employee is absent for just one day a year, the investment in ideal workplace equipment would already have more than paid for itself. In addition to economic considerations, every employer should of course also bear social responsibility for its employees. A very good work chair can be had for as little as EUR 500. There is no argument for putting the health of employees at risk by compromising solutions.

In your opinion, what are the 5 most important aspects of healthy sitting? What should be taken into account here?

The most important points can be summarized with the 5 terms people, task, environment, requirement and interruption. A chair must adapt to the person and not vice versa. It must therefore have appropriate adjustment options or - even better - adjust automatically. The task at hand plays a decisive role. For example, if someone has to pipette while leaning forward for a long period of time, they need different back support than someone who reaches around to carry things together.

Especially in laboratories, there are often unusual working environments. For example, if a work surface or machine is high, the employee also needs a high seating solution. In addition to ergonomics, it is also important to consider work-specific requirements. In the medical sector, for example, it is essential that chairs can be easily cleaned and disinfected with the appropriate disinfectant. This also protects the health of employees. And last but not least, health protection when sitting always includes taking a break or a change from sitting. It is important to get up from time to time, to move around, or even to switch to a different form of seating - e.g., a stool or a standing aid.

You offer seating for a wide variety of applications. To which employee would you recommend which seating? 

Easy-to-clean and disinfectable chairs are necessary for all employees in the laboratory or in the medical field. So first and foremost, it's necessary to use a real lab chair and not some other seating solution that is alien to the purpose. Good laboratory chairs are always available in different heights - depending on the workplace requirements. Those who have to work for long periods of time with little hand-eye distance should use a chair with a seat that leans forward and a backrest that provides good support even when leaning forward.

Those who have to work standing up need a standing aid that transfers the weight of the body downward as an extension of the spine and relieves pressure on the legs. And those who move a lot and work actively need a chair that opens up maximum gripping space and where the back of the chair moves with the body. In general, it can also be said that comfort plays an important role. For this reason, Bimos offers two types of seat upholstery for the medical sector and laboratories: Integral foam, which is maximally robust, and leatherette upholstery, which is soft and comfortable, yet effortless to clean.

How often should lab chairs be serviced or replaced, if necessary?

We offer a 10-year warranty on all of our chairs. This is important to us, because if you rely on ergonomic quality, you must also be able to rely on the investment paying off again and again over many years. If chairs are subject to a lot of wear and tear, or if there are changing users, seating solutions with replaceable cushions are an option. This way, when the chair wears out, only one cushion needs to be replaced, not the entire chair.

In itself, our chairs are maintenance-free. However, as a chair is relevant to health and safety, it should be visually inspected from time to time. Spare parts - such as new gas springs - are also available for Bimos chairs at any time. However, these should only be replaced by qualified personnel.

Apart from healthy seating. What additional tricks can employees who, for example, have to sit or stand for very long periods of time use to do something for their health or against back pain at work?

Breaks from work and movement are the be-all and end-all. The human body is basically not made for long periods of sitting or for rigid forced postures. It is important to integrate movement into everyday life. Allow yourself to walk to the printer instead of printing right within reach. Visit your colleague instead of calling. And change your posture as often as possible, even when sitting. Here, for example, it can be useful to never do the same thing for too long. Break large tasks into smaller packages and alternate them. And be sure not to sit for 5 minutes at least once an hour.

What do you think the workplace of the future will look like when we consider the aspects of health and ergonomics

The workplace of the future is a place of possibilities. There are many different ways of organizing work here: Sitting, standing, at different stations and with different seating solutions - from stools to chairs of various heights to standing aids. In the workplace of the future, there will be variety instead of monotony. And in the workplace of the future, work adapts to people, not people to work.

Thank you very much for the detailed interview, Mr. Morgenstern.

   

  

  

Do you have any questions about our topics or would you like to find out more about our laboratory equipment and the laboratory chairs from bimos? Our experts are at your disposal around the clock. Feel free to contact us by phone at +49 30 2096579 00 or send us an email at info@medsolut.com.