Spring 2017

Editorial
Moving the
Workforce Towards
Sit-stand Solutions
Editorial kindly provided by FIRA
Since the launch of the ‘Get Britain
Standing’ campaign two years ago, it
seems that health benefits of standing
up whilst working is being recognised
by both employers and employees.
People are now more likely to accept
that sitting for extended periods
without moving, may increase the
risk of the onset of cardio vascular
diseases, obesity, diabetes and general
unfitness.
Rapid technology advances, changing
the way we work, is also pushing
people into ever more sedentary life
styles. Long hours, often in seated
postures can not only affect our health
and general well-being, but also our
productivity and efficiency in the
workplace.
This does not mean, however, that we
should switch from prolonged sitting
to prolonged standing. Neither is good
– the human body is not designed
for static postures. Movement is the
key for maintaining a healthy body,
hence alternating between sitting
and standing is the answer. There
are no exact defined time periods of
sitting versus standing. It depends
on the individual and what they are
doing; however as general rule 10
to 15 minutes of standing for every
hour or so of being seated seems to be
beneficial.
Levent Çaglar, Chief Ergonomist
at FIRA, has been warning about
the dangers of prolonged sitting at
workplaces, as well as highlighting
how rapid changes in technology
have pushed people to more sedentary
lifestyles in schools, offices and at
home. Over the past few years he has
been advocating the use of standing
work surfaces in offices and schools
and has been at the forefront of getting
people to alternate between sitting
and standing while they work.
The furniture industry has been
responding by providing new and
innovative sit/stand solutions. These
desks are very popular in Scandinavia,
where it’s been estimated by Get
Britain Standing that over 90% of
office workers enjoy the health and
engagement benefits of being able
to easily switch between sitting and
standing.
Over recent years, as the desks have
grown in popularity, the price point
for a more basic desk has dropped.
There are now many affordable sit/
stand desks, not only electrically
operated, but also operated by various
mechanical mechanisms, even gas
assisted fast crank mechanisms.
It is not just furniture manufacturers
who are finding innovative solutions
to the sit/stand issue. Retro-fit
desk top sit/stand solutions such
as combined keyboard/monitor
arms are now available that fit on a
standard, fixed height, desk, allowing
the user to move easily from sitting
to standing. With such accessories,
it is now possible to transform
existing fixed height desks into sit/
stand workstations very quickly and
economically.
Levent continued: “Standing all day
is not a viable or doable solution as
people get tired. The best solution is to
switch between sitting and standing
by using sit-stand desks or have
alternative work surfaces available.
The option is a must for anyone who
already has back problems, but more
importantly, if you want to prevent
an increased risk of developing back
pain for your staff through prolonged
sitting at workplaces, you should at
least consider providing sit-stand
desks at your next refurbishment or
office relocation.”
For advice on how to achieve good
sit-stand solutions and ergonomics
advice to improve your work
environments and efficiency of your
staff, contact Levent Çaglar, FIRA, on
01438 777 700, or by emailing lcaglar@
fira.co.uk. Find out more about FIRA
Ergonomics visit www.fira.co.uk/
ergonomics.
24 www.ofas.org.uk SPRING 2017