When it comes to choosing new office furniture, there is more to getting it right than leafing through the pages of a glossy catalogue and choosing what you want based on price and appearance alone. There are all sorts of Health and Safety considerations to take into account before you go ahead and buy. **

Furniture, and the office environment in general, should be designed to make employees feel comfortable; if they’re comfortable, they’re more productive, simple as that. You’ll also get less incidence of absenteeism.

A well designed desk will reduce the chance of work-related injuries from over reaching, repetitive strain etc. It will also help ensure you comply with Display Screen Regulations for employees who spend a large part of their working day using computer equipment.

We’ve already talked about the importance of getting the right chair for every employee, as ensuring chairs are ergonomically designed can greatly reduce the incidence of back and neck problems and help keep them working efficiently.

Although less obvious, you also need to make sure the office is safe with regard to structural stability, wiring, and fire hazards, as well as considering the impact on the environment.

So, how do you go about choosing the furniture that’s right for you? Here’s our advice;

Is it Compliant?

The first thing you need to check is whether the furniture has been tested and complies with current standards. A list of the main requirements have been listed at the end of this post **. It’s important to ensure each item (chairs, desks, tables, etc.) conforms to the relevant standard.

Is it Stable?

All new furniture needs to be stable and suitable for the activity for which it’s intended. Every new item should be strong, durable and, if required easy to move without strain.

Is it Fire Retardant?

Unlike domestic furniture, there is currently no specific legislation regarding the flammability of office furniture. However, there is a requirement for every employer to carry out a thorough Fire Safety Risk Assessment for the office as a whole and this should include ensuring that all the office furniture, in particular any soft-furnishings, are safe and fire retardant. Depending on the overall risk – “low” in most standard office environments – all the furniture can also be assumed to carry the same risk. Clearly any furniture in commercial premises where there is a greater risk of fire (for example, where flammable materials are regularly handled) the furniture should be carefully chosen to ensure it meets the stricter requirements.

Is there provision for Cabling?

There are very few office desks that don’t have items of electrical equipment placed on them. You must make sure, therefore, that all desks, as well as tables and storage units, have adequate provision for safe routing of any electrical cabling to ensure employees are protected from any harm caused by electricity, tripping, etc.

Is it Ergonomic?

The science of Ergonomics effectively translates as fitting equipment to individuals and tasks and not the other way round. Desks need to be at the correct height, day-to-day working must be possible without awkward movement of over-stretching, chairs need to support the spine and encourage good posture. As this is a whole topic in itself, please refer to our previous articles for more in-depth information, including the benefits of making your employees as comfortable as possible and an ergonomic checklist to help you make the right choices for your staff.

Is it Sustainable?

Although there is no specific legislation currently in force in the UK, EU regulations stipulate that any items made from timber should ensure the materials are of legal origin and obtained from well-managed and sustainable woodlands. All our suppliers conform to this. Many manufacturers are also moving towards more sustainable production and including increasing amounts of recycled materials. If reducing your carbon footprint is important, you should look to suppliers that manage their significant environmental impacts, preferably through the use of management systems such as ISO 14001:2004. Personally, we would always prefer to suppliers that are embracing the wider principles of sustainable development as we pride ourselves on our own “green” credentials.

Taking all the above into account when choosing your new office furniture, will not only make sure it looks good, but also do your office, your staff, and the environment good too.

** Of course all Office Furniture and seating must comply with current Health & Safety Legislation. For advice contact us on richard.clarke@randaoffice.co.uk or go to http://www.hse.gov.uk **

Selecting new furniture for your office may not be the toughest task on your long list of things to do, but if you think it’s just a case of ordering the first things you come across that seem to fit the bill, you may be making a very expensive mistake. The furniture in an office can have a big impact on the way that everyone works and getting it wrong could cause all sorts of problems in the future.

As much as we may hate to admit it, we spend a lot of time in the office. Too many of us suffer in an office environment that is not well designed and we make do with whatever furniture there is. But those in the know are aware that carefully selected office furniture can make all the difference in our productivity and overall effectiveness.

So whether you’re refurbishing an entire office or just looking for a few items that will improve your working environment; what should you be thinking about? **

Have a clear plan

Given how expensive new furniture can be, deciding to make the investment is not something that should be done without thorough planning. Carefully consider the needs of every employee and how each new piece of furniture will be utilised; involving your employees in the whole purchasing process is useful for helping to ensure you get exactly what’s needed.

Practicality over Style

It may look stylish and “cutting edge” but will it stand the test of time? Is it actually functional?

The general rule is that furniture with a classic, timeless appeal will give the best long-term value. This also applies to whether the furniture is actually comfortable to use. You may not think it, but office furniture can have a great impact on the productivity of your staff. Not just because uncomfortable furniture will mean they are less likely to be able to concentrate but there are also issues of practicality. Therefore, it’s a good idea to consider such things as contoured chairs, adjustable seats and general ergonomic design, to ensure that you maximise comfort and minimise work-related injuries. It’s also important to think about productivity when selecting storage options. If it’s easy to store things and access them when needed, then less time will be wasted searching through cupboards and cabinets to find what you are looking for.

Finally, spend some time on selecting finishes and fabrics. If cleanliness is paramount, wipe clean surfaces are probably the best choice. It almost goes without saying that fabrics that are easy to clean are more hygienic and are best suited to high use items.

Forward Planning

Whether you’re starting a new business or adding furniture due to expansion, you should take into account how every piece will fit into your current and future environment.

You should also ensure that the range you choose from is not due to be discontinued or phased out. Even if you can only afford a few chairs and desks or aren’t ready to buy a big conference table just yet, at least you can be confident that you can add the relevant items you need at a later date.

You also need to consider how adaptable your new furniture is. Desks need to have enough space to accommodate laptops, monitors, printers, PDAs, mobile phone chargers, lighting, etc. So when making your purchase, it’s important to think about what space and storage you may need a few years from now, i.e. Does the furniture have the ability to hide cords? Will your conference room have a big enough table?

Flexibility is often Key

It’s a good idea to select furniture that can be easily moved and reconfigured as new needs arise. This will give you the flexibility to change your floor plan as necessary.

Some table design can be adjustable for height or can have more than one level. Some can be folded or expanded as the need arises. With wireless networks and technology becoming more popular, employees may not even need specific workspaces. In some offices, employers are electing to put wheels on desks with power outlets on the floor. This encourages employees to move their desks around in the general space, depending on whether they’re working alone, or as part of a team.

Is it up to the task?

If everyone had the same build or body type, buying new office furniture would be a whole lot easier. But that’s not the real world. Instead, you need to be able to comfortably accommodate individuals of all shapes and sizes. For example, a desk chair that’s only rated for use by individuals weighing up to 250 pounds can lead to problems if you have employees who weigh more than that. Choosing an incorrectly rated item can result in costly damage to the chair, and more importantly, injury to the person sitting in it. Any savings you would realise by purchasing a lower-rated chair would be far exceeded by the cost of your liability to the person who was injured.

Choosing Value over Price

Everyone loves a bargain, but the cheapest is definitely not always the best. Price be should not be your only guide when buying furniture. A piece of new office furniture may look good, but if it’s poor quality, it won’t last very long and will soon need replacement, incurring unnecessary costs. You should always consider the cost of purchase over the expected life of the furniture. For example, a chair that’s designed for occasional use will generally cost less than one that’s designed to withstand

heavy wear and tear. While it may be tempting to purchase the lower-priced chair, that would be a mistake if the chair will receive heavy use. Repairs and replacements could easily outweigh any initial savings and could even make the product more expensive in the long run. There may be an occasion, however, when you have to buy and inexpensive item to “make do” in an emergency. In that case, you should always consider this to be short-term measure and factor in the cost of a more suitable purchase at a later date.

First Impressions

Your type of business will also play a large part in determining the style and type of new furniture you decide to buy. For example, more traditional designs are generally more suited to financial and legal offices. Creative professions tend to go for something more modern or minimalist. It’s also a question of what your clients expect to see when they come to your offices. Your office furniture should be a reflection of your brand and you should choose your style accordingly.

In short, the furniture you pick for your enterprise must match the business, your own style and should suit the function for which it is acquired. By shopping carefully and wisely, you can get the right furniture at the right price. We understand that it’s not always an easy task, which is why we pride ourselves on offering a bespoke service to all our clients, using our skill and expertise to ensure they all get exactly what’s right for them, helping them create a space that’s great to work in.

Buying office furniture requires practical considerations that go far beyond aesthetics. The comfort and safety of your employees must be factored into every decision and by avoiding a few common blunders, we can ensure that the furniture you select will be one of the best investments your business makes, leading to improved employee satisfaction, productivity and, therefore, profit for your business

** Of course all Office Furniture and seating must comply with current Health & Safety Legislation. For advice contact

us on richard.clarke@randaoffice.co.uk or go to www.hse.gov.uk   **

Office workers spend approximately 7.9 hours a day sitting at their desks. We’ve already talked about the importance of an Ergonomic Chair but, for total comfort, you need to ensure it fits the individual as best as possible.

Most offices have standard furniture, with uniform desks and chairs, etc, but correct ergonomic set-up is all about adjusting work areas to suit the individual. Firstly, it’s important to recognise that common ‘ergonomic problems’ – e.g. neck, shoulder, elbow or wrist pain – are not usually the result of any specific or significant injury, but usually arise as a result of furniture, particularly chairs, being badly adjusted or particular tasks being performed incorrectly over a long period of time. Similarly, small adjustments to the way your employees sit and work at their desks which will help prevent development of these types of aches and pains.

To get you started, we’ve put together some advice to help you assess whether you’re the chairs in your office are helping, or hindering your employees when it comes to sitting comfortably.

First and foremost, it is essential to have the correct type of chair. Regardless of finish or design, your chairs needs to have these basic features:

• both the back rest and seat height should be adjustable
• they should have a well-padded seat
• hey should have a 5-point base with castors (providing floor is carpeted);
  • Adjust the seat height so that your wrists (when resting on the desktop) are at the same height as, or slightly below, your elbows (i.e., elbows at 90 angle).
• When seated, your hips should be at right angles
• Are your feet flat on the floor? If not, it’s time to get a footrest.
• Adjust the angle of the backrest: generally it is best to have the backrest at a 90 degree angle to encourage you to sit upright.
• Adjust the height of the backrest. Modern office chairs have an outward curve in the lower part of the backrest that is designed to mould into the inner curve each of us has in our lower back. If the backrest is too high or too low, this outward curve of the chair will feel as though it is digging in to your back. If the backrest is at the right height, you should be able to slide your hand behind your back and not notice any gaps.
• Chair backrests come in different heights. Ideally the backrest should come to a height just under your shoulder blades. Those with taller frames may need a chair with a higher backrest than someone who is shorter.
• When sitting your back should rest against the back rest with your backside right back into the chair. Sitting on the edge of the chair causes greater strain to your back muscles. Don’t slouch forward – this works against your back’s natural curves.
• Make sure that your chair moves easily over the floor when moving away from the desk. If your floor is carpeted, you may need to look at using a plastic floor mat.

But this is just the start. It’s also imperative to ensure you are sitting correctly, by adjusting the chair accordingly. As most of us sit at non-adjustable desks, making sure the chair is adjusted correctly is the first thing you should look at. The following adjustments are recommended to keep everyone sitting in the best position to minimise aches and strains.

So, if you want to keep your employees comfortable and reduce the incidence of work-related repetitive strain injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders, we suggest you work through the checklist above and follow the advice to make the necessary adjustments to your chairs.

The most important thing, however, is to ensure employees work in a relaxed, neutral and supported position. Avoid static shoulder elevation while at your desk by regularly “shrugging” your shoulders to relieve muscles and avoid prolonged periods sitting in one position or performing the same task. Breaks from your desk are important to ensure variety between the muscles and joints being used and the muscles and joints being rested. Try ways to break up your sitting and add in more standing or walking where possible. For example, try standing up while on the phone or have a stand-up meeting. Take regular breaks away from your desk, even walking from office to office can help.

Finally, it goes without saying (although we will anyway!) that it’s just as important to spend less time sitting outside of work. The average adult sits for 90% of their leisure time, so it seems there is some room for improvement. You don’t have to stand or walk for 100% of your leisure time of course, as sitting is very comfortable. But try to find a healthy balance between sitting and other physical activities. Your body will thank you for it.

If you wanted a great holiday, would you book a hotel with grey walls, no furniture and bright fluorescent lighting? Of course you wouldn’t. Why? Because it wouldn’t exactly be a great environment to be in.

We know offices are for working rather than relaxing, but if you want to keep your staff happy, you have to consider how working in the space you provide is going to make them feel. If you want them to be productive, creative and happy, there’s a few things to bear in mind when it comes to deciding what your offices look like.

The Personal Touch
Allowing your staff to bring in personal items, family photos or pictures costs you nothing and can instantly make them feel more relaxed and in tune with their surroundings. People always work better when they feel comfortable and it’s worthwhile letting your staff personalise their space if this helps them be more productive.

Let People Choose How to Be Creative
Everyone is inspired in a different way, so if you want to cater to the needs of all your employees, you need to provide all sorts of tools to help them do what they do best. For example, some people work better on whiteboards and it can be useful to have a number on easily accessible walls around the offices. Low tables in breakout areas with paper, pens and even coloured pencils can all help promote creativity and help staff express ideas.

Forget One Person Equals One Desk
The old thinking was that you needed a desk for every employee. Now, with the increase in remote working and flexible hours, staff can often reduce the number of desks you need, leaving more space for open, flexible areas where staff can meet, sit and, most importantly, think.

Adopt a Zoning Approach
Be like an urban planner and think of your offices in terms of different zones. By this we mean places to work independently, or a space to work together, places to congregate and chat and, most importantly, spaces in which to sit quietly and just think. This will give employees the flexibility to move around the office depending on what they’re trying to achieve and can often lead to much better motivation and productivity.

Create a Buzz
When you go into a shop or a restaurant, don’t you usually prefer to see lots of people milling around? The same applies to offices. Clearly, you have to take care not to let them get too noisy, but creating a lively “buzz” in your offices can often lead to employees feeling more inspired and keen to get on with the job. Also, a certain level of noise can reduce inhibitions and enable staff to communicate freely. Whereas quiet spaces have their place, no-one wants to be in a library-type environment all the time. Whispering is not a good form of communication.

Allocate Specific Work Spaces
It’s all very well having a warm, open, welcoming environment with lots of activity and noise, but what about those staff that really just need some peace and quiet to focus on a deadline or particularly tricky task? You need to ensure you provide adequate space to enable individuals to have some “quiet time” and it may be useful to set aside a particular area of the office specifically for this purpose. Again, it’s best to equip this with a range of different types of furniture – a desk or meeting table, a sofa, some comfortable chairs and a low table – to accommodate various different working styles.

Take it Slowly
Often, the first offices of a company are put together on a very tight budget which doesn’t necessarily lend itself to all of the above ideas. Our advice would be to initially buy good value second-hand pieces of furniture which say something about the style or image you’re trying to create. You can then use these items to build a bigger, more relvant environment further down the line when funds are not so tight. Many firms start on this basis and, even when they’ve grown beyond all recognition, they still keep at least one piece of the original furniture stock just to remind themselves how far they’ve come.

Involve Everyone
It’s easy to have an opinion on how your offices should look and how you think they will work best, but the only people who really know the answers are the ones who use the space every day. In short, before making any changes, ask your staff what they want or need to help them work better and be more productive and creative. At the very least, spend a day sitting in the space your staff use and observe what they do. Where do they congregate, which areas do they never seem to use, and why? It could be an eye-opening experience and save you a great deal of time and money into the bargain.

No matter how well your business is doing and how happy your employees appear, most businesses could be doing more to get the most out of both their office space and the people who work in it every day. Making even some of the changes we’ve suggested above takes time and, perhaps more importantly, money, but we think the results will prove the investment of both more than worthwhile.

Whether you’re relocating or simply upgrading, you may be tempted to put off buying new office furniture. Why? Because although browsing through catalogues and choosing the right items might seem like fun, you’re actually making a substantial capital investment and that needs to be taken very seriously indeed.

So before you start spending that hard-earned cash, here’s our advice on what to consider before taking the plunge and the common mistakes you need to avoid if you want to get it right.

Don’t choose looks over comfort

There are plenty of chairs that look great, but if they’re not comfortable, buying them will be a total waste of time. You need to consider whether or not your employees are going to want to sit in them for most of their working day, so it’s very important to actually try before you buy. In other words, ask for a sample and give it the “sit test”.

The same applies to any other seating – for reception, for example. Are your clients and visitors going to feel comfortable if you have to keep them waiting?

Always test your furniture

The saying “try before you buy” holds true for office furniture. Go to the supplier, sit in different chairs and look at different desks. Ensure that the chairs that you have chosen actually fit under the desks that you need. Make sure the chairs you want for more casual seating work with other pieces, such as tables or low level storage. A boardroom table may look quite small in the wide open space of a showroom, but actually dominate the space you intended it for. When it’s installed, will there still be room for people to sit around it?

Always ask your Employees opinion

You may have a vision for your offices and choose furniture on that basis. However, your employees are the ones who will have to sit at the desks and use the shelving and storage, so it’s very important to ask them what they think of your plans. When it comes to chairs, in particular, all employees are different and may will need an individual approach to ensure they are all seated correctly. This is where an ergonomic assessment is useful; it can identify individual needs of staff and help you ensure that you provide the correct workstation set-up. The bottom line? Your employees are going to be using the furniture every day, so it’s important that what you buy works for them, too.

Always have a plan

For most, buying new office furniture represents spending a significant amount of money. Therefore if you don’t give it enough thought or plan the purchase carefully, you could end up regretting your decisions at a later date. The most important thing as far as we’re concerned is to look at the long term and ensure your purchases will be useful for years to come. Quality furniture is built to last, so if you want to get the maximum return on your investment, you need to look ahead.

Evaluate what you already have, then cast your mind forward and consider the future needs of your business so you can invest in the appropriate pieces and, most importantly, try not to be too influenced by current trends; what looks very “trendy” now, may not look so good in five years’ time.

Never choose price over quality

Lower-priced furniture may seem like a good idea, but then spending less will most certainly get you a lower quality product. And that isn’t a great idea in the long run; it’ll need to be replaced in a few years’ time and you’ll have to go through the whole process all over again. Quality costs, simple as that, and if you want to make a worthwhile investment, always buy the highest standard you can afford. I years to come, you’ll be glad you did

Make sure it all matches

Most people like to match their furnishings, particularly fabric seating, screens etc., to their corporate colours. Clearly, it’s not always possible to get an exact match and so you may want to go for a contrasting colour as an alternative. Whatever you finally settle on, make sure you buy all your pieces from the same place. Office furniture manufacturers may have the same name for a colour, but the actual shades and tones may be considerably different. By all means buy from different sources if you want a wider range of colours, but we would always recommend looking carefully at samples to ensure everything co-ordinates well and there are no obvious clashes of colour.

All the above seem like obvious things to consider, but we’re often surprised at how little thought people put into what could possibly be one of the largest investments a business makes and we’re always happy to lend our many years of expertise to help with the process. After all, as with any big investment, it’s always a good idea to ask an expert.