At the center of your office chair is the mechanism which interacts with you through different seating functions. Each individual has a unique, optimal comfort level when seated. Chair mechanisms are offered in a variety of designs which all provide a different degree of manual or automatic adjustment. The user should consider a pneumatic cylinder which gives you “finger-tip” seat height adjustment. Your daily work routine will help you to decide which style of mechanism is best suited to your needs.
There are three seating positions in the workplace pertaining to proper ergonomics:
- Forward/Recline Position – Dedicated Tasks
- Upright Position – Dedicated Tasks and Multi-Task
- Backward/Recline Position – Relaxed Position
To Adjust An Ergonomic Chair:
- Stand in front of the chair.
- Adjust the height so the highest point of the seat is just below the knee cap.
- Your thighs should be parallel to the floor, when you sit. This allows you to place your feet on the floor insuring good circulation in the legs.
- Use a footrest if the feet cannot rest flat on the floor or if there is pressure underneath the thighs. The footrest should be adjustable and support the whole foot.
- Sit so that the clearance between the front edge of the seat and the upper part of the legs behind the knee, is at least one finger width.
- Adjust the back height to provide support to the lumbar or lower back area. This will help you to maintain correct posture and reduce back pain.
- Adjust the seat angle by unlocking the mechanism to tilt the seat forward or rearward when working for extended periods of time. This mimimizes pressure on the underside of the thighs and reduces tension on back muscles.
- Adjust the back angle to provide firm support and help reduce back fatigue.
- Adjust the optional armrest height to your comfort.
- If using a fixed height worksurface, raise the chair to obtain the proper arm and upper body position.
- Adjust chair height so elbows are about the same height as the worksurface.