Seating at work. HSE Books

Transcription

1 Health ad Safety Seatig at work This is a free-to-dowload, web-friedly versio of HSG57 (Third editio, reprited with amedmets, published 2002). This versio has bee adapted for olie use from HSE s curret prited versio. You ca buy the book at ad most good bookshops. ISBN Price 7.95 Guidace o how to esure the safety ad suitability of workplace seatig. Addressed to those resposible for health ad safety at work ad useful for employees, maufacturers, desigers, suppliers ad users of idustrial ad office furiture. Icludes good practice workplace examples (featurig checklists ad easy-glace workstatio diagrams). Aspects of seatig desig ad upholstery are explored. The advice covers the rage of typical workplace seatig requiremets such as disability eeds, foldaway chairs, gas lift techology, slidig, wheeled, suspeded or tilted mechaisms. Specifics such as VDU/keyboard or checkout seatig are also covered. HSE Books Page 1 of 22

2 Health ad Safety Crow copyright 1997 First published 1991 Secod editio 1993 Third editio 1997 Reprited with amedmets 2002, 2011 ISBN You may reuse this iformatio (ot icludig logos) free of charge i ay format or medium, uder the terms of the Ope Govermet Licece. To view the licece visit write to the Iformatio Policy Team, The Natioal Archives, Kew, Lodo TW9 4DU, or psi@atioalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. Some images ad illustratios may ot be owed by the Crow so caot be reproduced without permissio of the copyright ower. Equiries should be set to copyright@hse.gsi.gov.uk. This guidace is issued by the Health ad Safety. Followig the guidace is ot compulsory ad you are free to take other actio. But if you do follow the guidace you will ormally be doig eough to comply with the law. Health ad safety ispectors seek to secure compliace with the law ad may refer to this guidace as illustratig good practice. Seatig at work Page 2 of 22

3 Health ad Safety Cotets Itroductio 4 Maagig the health ad safety risks from seatig i the workplace 5 Plaig 5 Orgaisig 5 Cotrollig 5 Moitorig ad reviewig 6 How to do a risk assessmet 6 Assessig whether seatig is suitable ad safe 7 Actio to be take 7 Idividuals with special eeds 8 Good practice 9 Seatig desig 9 Plaig the workstatio 11 Should people sit or stad? 13 Prevetio is better tha cure 14 Selectio of seatig 14 Seatig maiteace 14 Examples of seatig ad workstatio layout 14 Appedix 1: Legislatio 18 Appedix 2: British Stadards relevat to seatig at work 19 Appedix 3: Useful readig 20 Further iformatio 22 Page 3 of 22

4 Health ad Safety Itroductio 1 This guidace gives advice o how to esure that seatig i the workplace is safe ad suitable. It also gives examples of good practice, icludig iformatio o seatig desig ad selectio. It is aimed at those resposible for health ad safety at work. It may also be useful to employees, maufacturers, desigers, suppliers ad users of idustrial ad office furiture. Seatig i vehicles ad mobile plat is ot covered; iformatio o this ca be sought from the HSE booklet I the drivig seat (see Appedix 3). Why is seatig at work importat? 2 Most jobs owadays require people to sit whilst workig. This is partly due to the rapid icrease i iformatio techology ad mechaisatio withi busiess ad idustry. Usuitable seatig ca cause people to adopt awkward postures which ca lead to discomfort, back pai ad upper limb disorders. This may prove costly to employers i the form of staff abseces, potetial civil claims ad lost productio. Idividuals also bear some of the costs i the form of sufferig ad lost icome. Who is resposible for seatig at work? 3 Employers, the self-employed, ad people i cotrol of o-domestic premises used as a workplace have a geeral duty to esure that seatig is safe ad that it does ot pose a health risk to employees, or to others who may use their premises. 4 Employees also have duties; they are required ot to edager their ow or others health ad safety whilst at work. 5 Legal requiremets relevat to seatig at work are listed i Appedix 1. I the mai, employers are required to provide seatig for employees that is suitable ad safe. It should meet the eeds of the idividual, ad the requiremets of the task. Seatig at work Page 4 of 22

5 Health ad Safety Maagig the health ad safety risks from seatig i the workplace 6 Uder the Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios 1999 (see Appedix 1), employers are required to assess risks (a) icludig those that arise from seatig at work, ad to have arragemets i place to protect employees health ad safety. The priciples set out i paragraphs 7-12 ca be used to maage health ad safety i the workplace, which icludes seatig. Plaig 7 Plaig allows employers to idetify priorities ad set targets for improvemet. For example, employers will eed to assess whether seatig desig is suitable ad safe for the type of work beig doe. Employers will also eed to cosider ay likely chages i the work coditios as this may require differet seatig desig. The costs ad beefits of differet seatig desig may also eed to be cosidered alogside the suitability of seatig. Orgaisig 8 Orgaisig ivolves providig staff with the ecessary traiig ad equipmet to do their job safely. I practice this meas that staff should be show how to use ad adjust their chairs ad equipmet for maximum safety ad comfort. Staff also eed to be aware of their resposibility towards their ow, ad other people s health ad safety. It is importat that employees otify their employers, or those resposible for health ad safety, if seatig is usuitable, faulty or damaged. 9 Employers eed to iclude staff i the plaig ad promotio of health ad safety, as they are ofte the first to otice ay health ad safety hazards. (b) Keepig staff ivolved will esure that they are committed to improvig health ad safety at work. 10 Employers are required to cosult their employees o health ad safety matters. Where safety represetatives have bee appoited by a recogised trade uio, it is a part of their fuctio to take part i the cosultatio process. Where there are employees ot covered by trade uio appoited safety represetatives, employers ca cosult employees directly or via represetatives elected for this purpose. For more iformatio see Cosultig employees o health ad safety - a guide to the law (see Appedix 3). Cotrollig 11 Cotrollig health ad safety risks icludes settig stadards ad maitaiig them. The stadards set must be realistic ad measurable. For example, those resposible for health ad safety could esure that stadards o seatig desig ad selectio are maitaied by followig the good practice i this guidace. Seatig at work Page 5 of 22

6 Health ad Safety (a) A risk is the chace, great or small that someoe will be harmed by the hazard. (b) A hazard is aythig that may cause harm. Moitorig ad reviewig 12 Moitorig ad reviewig are also importat i esurig proper health ad safety performace. Moitorig ivolves lookig at how far set stadards have bee met. Reviewig ivolves lookig at stadards, plaig, cotrol ad orgaisatio, ad chagig them, where ecessary, to improve health ad safety. Feedback from users is helpful whe decidig whether the seatig meets good practice stadards. How to do a risk assessmet 13 Uder the Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios 1999 (see Appedix 1), employers must assess risks i the workplace, icludig seatig. A risk assessmet ivolves idetifyig hazards ad decidig whether eough has bee doe to prevet harm to people. There are five simple steps that employers ca take to make sure that a proper risk assessmet is doe: Step 1: Look for the hazards It is importat for employers to assess seatig i the workplace to see what may cause harm or ijury. For example, seatig that is ot adjustable may lead to commo complaits, such as back pai. Usually seatig eeds to be looked at as part of a work system. Those resposible for health ad safety i the workplace ca use paragraphs 14 ad 15 as a startig poit whe coductig a risk assessmet o workplace seatig. Step 2: Decide who might be harmed Employers must cosider employees ad others who may use seatig i the workplace. For example, if employees are workig at home, childre s safety may eed to be cosidered. Further guidace o the health ad safety of homeworkers is give i Homeworkig: Guidace for employers ad employees o health ad safety (see Appedix 3). Step 3: Evaluate the risks Employers eed to cosider whether existig seatig poses a health or safety risk to employees. If it does, they must take actio to remove, reduce or cotrol the risk. To help assess the risks see paragraphs 14 ad 15. If there is o risk preset, the o actio eeds to be take. For example, if the seatig is suitable ad safe, it meets the eeds of the user ad is fit for the task at had, the o further actio is eeded. Step 4: Record the fidigs Employers who have five or more employees are required by law to record the sigificat fidigs from a risk assessmet. They also eed to record their health ad safety arragemets so that: people i the workplace are iformed about the hazards ad are better placed to deal with them; safety represetatives ca use this iformatio to carry out their duties; ay actio that is take ca be referred to if, i the future, a similar hazard eeds to be addressed. Seatig at work Page 6 of 22

7 Health ad Safety Step 5: Review the assessmet regularly It is importat for employers to check the risk assessmet from time to time, especially if there are ay chages, for example to work procedures or equipmet. The assessmet eeds to take ito accout ay ew hazards that may cause harm to the health ad safety of employees, or others affected by the chage i workig coditios. A review may fid that the special eeds of a idividual have chaged, as i the case of a pregat worker, ad this may lead to the employer providig more suitable seatig. Assessig whether seatig desig is suitable ad safe 14 Whe choosig or assessig seatig desig employers eed to cosider the eeds of the idividual, the type of work beig carried out ad the dimesios of the workstatio. There are simple basic checks to esure that seatig is safe ad suitable: Is the chair comfortable for the iteded period of use? Is the lower back adequately supported? Is the upholstery sufficietly supportive ad comfortable? Are edges sufficietly padded ad shaped to prevet ucomfortable pressure o the thighs? Does the chair have adequate types ad rages of adjustmet? Is the height adjustable to allow work to be carried out at or below elbow height? Does the backrest adjust sufficietly i height ad depth to allow the user to gai support? Are armrests suitable for the task ad workstatio? Do the armrests allow the user to brig the chair far eough forward? Do the armrests allow adequate arm movemet? Are footrests required ad, if so, are they suitable? Are there special requiremets for a chair at this particular workstatio? Are there special user requiremets? Are there special task requiremets? The above items should be cosidered both whe choosig ew seatig ad whe assessig existig seats. 15 More iformatio o how seatig ca meet the eeds of the task is provided i paragraphs which give examples of seatig ad workstatio layout. Paragraph 16 recommeds the simple steps that ca be take by those resposible for health ad safety i the workplace, whether or ot their risk assessmet shows that further actio is required. Actio to be take 16 Commo sese steps that ca be take to ecourage comfort, suitability ad safety are listed as follows: Follow maufacturers ad suppliers recommedatios. Follow seatig desig ad selectio recommedatios give i paragraphs Trai idividuals o how the seatig should be adjusted to meet their eeds ad task requiremets. Seek advice from safety represetatives ad cosult with employees. Ask idividuals if they have special seatig eeds ad take actio to improve comfort ad safety. Seatig at work Page 7 of 22

8 Health ad Safety Esure chairs are adjusted to suit the users, for example the seat height ad/or backrest positio should allow the user to comfortably ad safely carry out their work. Esure that the backrest is used to support the back ad that the worker is ot perched o the edge of the seat. Supply a footrest if workers feet caot touch the groud. Provide seats with or without armrests, depedig o which optio is more comfortable for the worker. Ecourage workers to take adequate rest breaks or rotate tasks if the seatig or the workstatio does ot allow for movemet. Chage the seatig desig ad/or workstatio if, after a risk assessmet, oe or both are foud to be usuitable or usafe. Maitai seatig so that it is adequately clea, the upholstery is i good coditio ad the adjustmet mechaisms work properly. 17 Maufacturers ad suppliers ca take actio by esurig that they supply seatig ad equipmet that is suitably desiged ad iteded for its purpose. They ca also provide clear, simple istructios o how the seatig ca be adjusted ad maitaied, as well as solutios to commo problems associated with the seatig desig. Idividuals with special eeds 18 The Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios 1992 (see Appedix 1) require employers to take ito accout those employees with special eeds. The aim should be to avoid employee discomfort ad to promote well-beig. For example, pregat workers may require seatig that ca be adjusted without requirig awkward, bet postures. Workers with back problems or other mobility difficulties may have similar eeds. 19 The Disability Discrimiatio Act 1995 places a duty o employers to make reasoable adjustmets to the workplace or employmet arragemets so that a disabled perso is ot at ay substatial disadvatage compared with a odisabled perso. This might iclude cosiderig appropriate seatig provisio for disabled employees where ecessary. Further guidace is give i the DfEE Disability Discrimiatio Act 1995 Code of Practice for the elimiatio of discrimiatio i the field of employmet agaist disabled persos or persos who have had a disability (see Appedix 3). 20 Some people will have particular difficulties i gettig out of a chair, they may eed a higher tha ormal seat, which may result i the work surface eedig to be raised. Armrests ad a forward-tiltig seat ca also make risig easier. 21 Workers usig wheelchairs may eed to have the workstatio access wideed ad the height of their workstatio modified. 22 Workers who suffer from back, shoulder or eck pai may eed a high supportive backrest. Seatig at work Page 8 of 22

9 Health ad Safety Good practice Seatig desig Seat (see figure 1(a)) 23 The seat eeds to adjust i height to meet the eeds of a rage of users. The size of the seat eeds to be wide eough to seat big people comfortably ad deep eough to support the legs of tall people, but ot so deep that shorter workers caot use the backrest. The surface of the seat should ot be hollowed or deeply shaped, as this makes it harder to get up or chage positio. The frot edge of the seat eeds to be rouded-over ad well-padded to prevet it diggig ito the thighs. Backrest 24 The backrest eeds to give firm support to the lower ad the middle part of the back. Height adjustmet is recommeded uless the backrest is high ad provides complete support for the back. There should be adequate space for the buttocks; this is usually achieved by leavig a gap betwee the seat ad the backrest. Backrests which tilt with the worker, or whose agle ca be adjusted, ca improve comfort by providig support for the back i a rage of workig positios. Armrests 25 For most jobs armrests are ot essetial. They ca restrict arm movemet, although for may jobs they ca provide comfort. They should be set back from the frot edge of the seat, or be adjustable to allow the chair to be draw up close to the work surface. The height of armrests should ot be too low or too high (see figure 1(b)) to cause discomfort. Figure 1(a) Recommeded adjustability Figure 1(b) Recommeded chair dimesios Seatig at work Page 9 of 22

10 Health ad Safety Footrests 26 Ay worker who caot easily place their feet flat o the groud, whe usig the seat adjusted to the correct workig height, eeds a footrest. This should be large eough to allow for foot movemet. Adjustable footrests of a selectio of heights are preferred. Free-stadig footrests should ot be so light that they move accidetally. Mobility 27 Swivel-actio chairs provide flexibility whe the worker eeds to coduct a variety of tasks ad move from oe locatio to aother. Esure that chairs with castors do ot slide away too easily whe the user gets up or sits dow. This a commo problem whe they are used o hard floors, or with chairs with a high or tiltig seat. Differet types of castors are available for differet floor types, such as hard floors ad carpeted floors. I certai situatios glides are safer to use tha castors. Esure that the correct oes are chose to meet workplace eeds. Some seatig is desiged so that a brake is applied whe the chair is sat o, or whe the user gets up. Adjustability 28 The commoest adjustmets icluded i seatig desig are seat height, backrest height ad tilt. I some chairs the seat ad backrest ca tilt forward together; this feature ca reduce eck discomfort ad also improve the worker s reach over the work surface. Some backrests ca be adjusted backwards ad forwards to chage the depth of the seat to meet idividual eeds. Armrests ca be desiged to be adjustable to aid work that requires a steady arm positio, ad to provide for a better match betwee the eeds of the user, their workstatio ad the task (see figure 2). 29 Adjustmet cotrols should be easy ad coveiet to use from a sittig positio, especially where the workspace is cofied. Cotrols must be sturdy ad reliable. For example, whe adjustmets are made they must be able to withstad the worker s weight to prevet a slip or failure which may lead to a ijury. Mechaisms eed to be desiged to prevet workers from trappig their figers whe makig adjustmets to the seatig. (a) too low (b) too high (c) correct Figure 2 Well ad poorly adjusted seats Seatig at work Page 10 of 22

11 Health ad Safety Gas lift chairs 30 Some pedestal chairs have compressed gas i a cylider uder the seat to eable seat height adjustmet. Care should be take with these chairs. There have bee icidets where the cylider has failed through metal fatigue, causig parts to be forcefully expelled. The followig guidelies apply to all gas pedestal chairs: if the seat wobbles suddely, or tips, do ot examie it or try to fix it. Cotact the supplier or maufacturer immediately to esure that the chair receives expert attetio; obody weighig more tha 100 kg (16 stoe) should use a gas lift chair uless it has bee specially desiged to accommodate heavier people safely; the chair must ot be misused, ad it should be well-maitaied (see paragraphs 44 ad 45 o seatig maiteace); the supplier should be cotacted if ay defect is oticed ad before havig the chair reovated. Upholstery 31 The seat, armrests ad backrests should be well padded to esure that the worker s body does ot press ucomfortably o the frame of the chair. Corers ad edges of chairs should be well padded to reduce the likelihood of damage. Paddig eeds to be firm rather tha soft, ad of good quality to esure that the chair remais comfortable for a reasoable time. If flexible polyurethae foam is used, it should comply with the requiremets i BS 3379, or a equivalet stadard. 32 Chair covers eed to be o-slip, easy to clea or wash, ad of a fabric which breathes (permeable to moisture). Good-quality, durable covers will aid comfort ad prolog the service life of the chair. Moulded armrests ca be a good alterative to the upholstered sort. Chairs with removable covers are useful i dirty ad dusty eviromets because they ca be washed ad cleaed regularly. Alteratively, PVC-covered or moulded plastic chairs ca be used sice they may be easily wiped dow or spot cleaed, although they are less comfortable to sit i for log periods particularly i warm or humid atmospheres, or i very warm or cold coditios. 33 To esure that upholstery does ot preset a uacceptable fire risk, seatig should meet BS 5852: 1990 listed i Appedix 2. Durability 34 Seatig at work eeds to be strog ad stable sice it is used for log periods. It is recommeded that chairs pass the tests laid dow i BS 5459 (see Appedix 2) or a equivalet stadard. This helps elimiate ay desig or maufacturig weakess which may cause failure or possible ijury. Plaig the workstatio 35 Workstatio desig should be based o a careful assessmet of all aspects of the job, ad ay special eeds of the idividual worker. Esure that each task ca be carried out safely, comfortably ad as efficietly as possible. Seatig at work Page 11 of 22

12 Health ad Safety Figure 3 Dimesios of ad relatioship betwee chair ad worksurface 36 A well-desiged workstatio allows the worker to be seated at a comfortable height ad positio i relatio to the work (see figure 3). Recommeded dimesios for seat height are i this guidace (see figure 1(a)). Work ad equipmet that is used frequetly eeds to be placed withi easy reach to prevet awkward stretchig ad twistig which could lead to back pai or ijury (see figures 4 ad 5). The height of the workstatio ad seat should esure that had work ca ormally be doe at elbow level or below to prevet tiredess from costat raisig of the forearm. Some high-precisio tasks which require close had-eye coordiatio will require a higher had positio: if such work is carried out for ay legth of time special arragemets to support the arms may also be ecessary. 37 If ay liftig is required, the equipmet ad workstatio should be arraged to allow the object to be kept close to the body, ad to keep twistig or stretchig to a miimum. Liftig eve fairly light objects whe seated should be kept to a miimum as this ca place a strai o the back. Further guidelies for liftig loads are covered by the Maual Hadlig Regulatios 1992 (see Appedix 1). 38 Work surface thickess should be the miimum ecessary to provide adequate stregth. A typical maximum is 30 mm. Surfaces thicker tha this ted to restrict the umber of people who ca sit comfortably at the workstatio because it does ot provide sufficiet clearace for the thighs while allowig the hads to be at aroud elbow height. The workstatio also eeds to be sufficietly sized to allow the work equipmet to be used safely. For istace, there should be eough space to place equipmet such as visual display uits at the appropriate distace, whilst still allowig room for usig hads. 39 Lightig i the workplace also eeds to be suitably positioed ad sufficiet for the task to prevet workers from takig up awkward postures i order to see properly. Further guidace o lightig ca be foud i HSE s booklet Lightig at work (see Appedix 3) zoe of coveiet reach ormal workig area edge of worksurface all dimesios i millimetres Figure 4 Reach i the horizotal plae. (The distaces show ca be reached by 95% of wome) Seatig at work Page 12 of 22

13 Health ad Safety Figure 5 A potetially usafe bed ad twist positio Should people sit or stad? 40 People fid it more comfortable to sit rather tha stad whilst workig, uless the type of work requires costat stretchig or twistig to reach or lift objects (see figure 6). Employers therefore eed to esure that work is orgaised to allow people to be seated wherever possible. I circumstaces where sittig is ot possible, for istace where work has to be doe over a large area or where costat hadlig of heavy objects caot be avoided, stadig may be preferable. I this case, employers eed to esure that workers take adequate rest breaks ad that suitable comfortable seatig is provided durig those breaks. Seatig at work Page 13 of 22

14 Health ad Safety 41 Stadig or sittig for log periods ca lead to discomfort ad may result i log-term health problems, so it is importat that workers have the opportuity to chage positio, stad up ad move aroud. If possible the workstatio ad seatig desig should allow for free movemet. If this is ot possible, a employer ca provide opportuities for movemet by givig employees a variety of tasks or itroducig task rotatio, or by esurig that employees take adequate rest breaks away from the workstatio. Prevetio is better tha cure 42 Employers eed to be able to spot the sigs that suggest seatig is ucomfortable. For example, people may use cushios of their ow or makeshift footrests. Simply askig employees if their seat is comfortable is sometimes eough to assess whether a problem exists. It is better for employers to take the iitiative i providig suitable seatig, ad ot wait util complaits are received or util workers take time off with back pai. Employees also eed to play their part by tellig their employers, or those resposible for health ad safety, if seatig is usuitable or usafe. Selectio of seatig 43 Paragraphs 14 ad 15 cover the steps that a employer ca take whe selectig seatig. This ca ivolve carryig out user trials. For example, people of differet shapes ad sizes could try out a sample seat for a period. Some suppliers may be willig to supply seatig o approval. Nevertheless, it is recommeded that employees ad safety represetatives are cosulted o ay chages to be made to the workplace or workstatio, ad this icludes seatig. Seatig maiteace 44 To esure that seatig is safe ad has a good service life, it must be treated properly. It is bad practice to put udue pressure o the armrests by sittig o them, or leaig too heavily over them. Rockig backwards ad forwards may cause damage or cause the seat to become usafe, as may stadig o it to move furiture or equipmet. 45 Employers eed to esure that seatig remais i a clea, safe coditio. It is good practice to check seatig regularly for sigs of damage or excessive wear. Particular attetio should be paid to the adjustmet mechaisms, which should be serviced or repaired as ecessary. Usafe seatig should be removed or made safe. Examples of seatig ad workstatio layout Machiery work 46 Where employees are operatig or moitorig machiery it may ot always be possible to provide a stadard chair. Wherever possible employers eed to provide some form of suitable ad safe seatig. Several desigs may be suitable (see the followig paragraphs). Chairs will eed to meet the safety requiremets of the task at had. For example, chairs will eed to be adjustable or of the correct height for the task to prevet workers from over-reachig, stretchig ad twistig. It ca sometimes be advatageous for the workstatio to be arraged to allow workers to sit or stad alterately. Had cotrols should be withi easy reach ad ergoomically desiged. Sufficiet room eeds to be provided for kees ad legs. Seatig at work Page 14 of 22

15 Health ad Safety If material eeds to be fed ito a machie, bedig ca be avoided by havig the material at waist height o a rack, which ca be raised as the pile of material reduces. Foot pedals eed to be arraged at the same level as ay footrests to prevet costat bedig or liftig ad lowerig of the legs. Basic iformatio o ergoomics ca be sought from the HSE leaflet If the task fits: Ergoomics at work (see Appedix 3). Lea-o or sit-stad seats (see figure 7(a)) 47 These seats are suitable oly whe it is impracticable to use covetioal seatig, ad whe machiery ad the workstatio does ot allow for kee space. Such seats should still be adjustable i height ad arraged to take part of the body s weight. Particular attetio should be paid to esurig such seats are stable ad comfortable uder the coditios of use. (a) sit-stad seat (a) sit-stad seat (b) suspeded seat (b) suspeded seat (c) foldaway seat (c) foldaway seat Figure 7 some special types of seatig Wheeled, slidig or suspeded seats (see figure 7(b)) 48 These ca be useful whe employees eed to move frequetly from oe machie or locatio to aother. Fixed, foldaway seats (see figure 7(c)) 49 These may be more appropriate where space does ot allow for commo chair dimesios. The desig ca be swig-out or flap-dow ad ca be tucked away whe out of use. Seatig at work Page 15 of 22

16 Health ad Safety Process work (see figures 8 ad 9) 50 If a job ivolves a series of tasks, the work ca be arraged i a semicircle aroud the worker rather tha i a straight lie. A swivel chair ca be provided so that all poits o the semicircle ca be reached from a sittig positio. It is easier ad quicker for the work to be at close had; turtables, jigs ad holders ca all be used to esure this. Chairs with a forward-tiltig seat ad backrest ca provide support if the task requires reachig. Usig a slightly slopig work surface or slopig compoet trays ca also provide support as well as added comfort. Precisio work 51 Workers o precisio work which requires a great deal of cocetratio ted to lea forward ad adopt a tese posture (also see figure 9). Chairs with a forwardtiltig seat ad backrest, ad/or a work surface which slopes towards the worker help to avoid this problem ad are recommeded for this type of work. Keyboard work/visual display uit (VDU) work 52 Paragraphs 14 ad 15 ca be followed to check that seatig for keyboard or VDU work is suitable. The Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios 1992 (see Appedix 1) ad associated guidace provide further iformatio. I geeral: seatig should be adjustable to allow the hads to work at elbow height. There should be room for the legs to fit comfortably uder the desk (see figure 10); armrests should ot prevet the user from gettig close to the workstatio whe usig a keyboard or other iput device (eg mouse); it should be possible to place the feet flat ad comfortably o the floor, otherwise a footrest should be provided; the backrest should be adjustable ad provide adequate support for the user. The small of the back should be supported by the chair ad the shoulders should be relaxed. Figure 8 Workstatio where a series of tasks ca be arraged i a semicircle Figure 9 Tiltig seat - show here with slopig worktop - to improve comfort ad reach Seatig at work Page 16 of 22

17 Health ad Safety Figure 10 VDU workstatio Figure 11 A example of a good checkout chair Checkout work 53 This type of workstatio ca vary i desig. Commo problems iclude limited space for movemet ad the user havig to deal with a variety of tasks. Choosig a fairly compact seatig desig with easily accessible adjustmet cotrols for the seat ad backrest ca be a solutio (see figure 11). Certai desig features are importat for checkout work: upholstery eeds to be comfortable, durable ad easy to clea; the seat should swivel, adjust i height, be well-padded, ad preferably be forward-tiltig; the backrest should be adjustable i height, depth ad tilt; a adjustable footrest will be ecessary as the chair is likely to be used by a variety of people. 54 The workig area eeds to be desiged so that all frequet tasks are kept withi easy reach (approximately 400 mm of the worker), ad to allow the worker to sit close to the task without havig aythig pressig o the legs. Chairs should allow the worker to reach everythig without strai ad without havig to perch o the edge of the seat. If foldaway chairs are used it is importat to esure that they are tightly secured, flexible ad adjustable. Seatig at work Page 17 of 22

18 Health ad Safety Appedix 1: Legislatio 1 Legislatio relatig to seatig at work icludes the: Health ad Safety at Work etc Act 1974; Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios 1999; Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios 1992; Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios 1992; Maual Hadlig Operatios Regulatios 1992; Provisio ad Use of Work Equipmet Regulatios 1998; Health ad Safety (Cosultatio with Employees) Regulatios The Health ad Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) places a duty o employers to esure the health ad safety of employees ad others who may be affected by their work activities. I practice this meas that seatig should ot edager the health ad safety of people at work. The HSWA also places a geeral duty o seatig maufacturers ad suppliers to make sure that their seatig is safe ad does ot preset a risk to health ad safety. This resposibility icludes providig istructios o usig ad maitaiig seatig. 3 The Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios 1999 place a duty o employers ad self-employed people to assess risks to health ad safety from their udertakig. This will iclude risks from seatig. The duty holder must also idetify what measures are eeded to comply with health ad safety requiremets ad make arragemets to maage these measures effectively. 4 The Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios 1992: regulatio 11 requires a suitable seat to be provided for each perso i the workplace whose work icludes operatios of a kid that the work (or a substatial part of it) ca or must be doe sittig. The seat should be suitable to meet the eeds of the idividual ad the task at had. A suitable footrest must also be provided where ecessary. 5 The Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios 1992 seek to reduce the health ad safety risks from usig visual display uits (VDUs) i the workplace. These set out miimum requiremets for workstatios, icludig seatig. VDUs A easy guide to the regulatios (see Appedix 3) summarises the possible risks to health that are associated with display scree equipmet work, icludig poor seatig. The Maual Hadlig Operatios Regulatios 1992 seek to reduce the health ad safety risks to employees from hadlig ad liftig loads. They give advice o how to hadle ad move loads to prevet poor posture or ijury, icludig hadlig whilst seated. 6 The Provisio ad Use of Work Equipmet Regulatios 1998 require employers to esure that work equipmet provided is maitaied i a efficiet state, i efficiet workig order ad i good repair. The Regulatios regard seatig as work equipmet. 7 The Health ad Safety (Cosultatio with Employees) Regulatios 1996 require employers to cosult their employees, or elected represetatives, o matters that affect their health ad safety. These Regulatios apply eve whe employees are ot represeted by recogised trade uios. Seatig at work Page 18 of 22

19 Health ad Safety Appedix 2: British Stadards relevat to seatig at work British Stadards are available from BSI, 389 Chiswick High Road, Lodo W4 4AL Tel: Fax: Website: BS 2543: 1995 BS 3044: 1990 BS 3379: 1991 (amed 2) BS 4875: 2001 BS 5459: 2000 (amed 2) BS 5852: 1990 (amed 2) BS 5940: 1990 Wove ad kitted fabrics for upholstery Ergoomics priciples i the desig ad selectio of office furiture Flexible polyurethae cellular materials for loadbearig applicatios Stregth ad stability of furiture: Requiremets for the stregth ad durability of the structure of domestic ad cotract seatig Performace requiremets ad tests for office furiture: Office pedestal seatig for use by persos weighig up to 150 kg ad for use up to 24 hours a day, icludig type - approval tests for idividual compoets Methods of test for assessmet of the igitability of upholstered seatig by smoulderig ad flamig igitio sources Office furiture: Specificatio for desig ad dimesios of office work statios, desks, tables ad chairs Ergoomic requiremets for office work with visual BS EN ISO 9241: 1999 display termials (VDTs) Part 5: Workstatio layout ad postural requiremets Seatig at work Page 19 of 22

20 Health ad Safety Appedix 3: Useful readig Health ad Safety publicatios available from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2WA. Tel: ; Fax: I the drivig seat Leaflet INDG242 HSE Books 1997 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 10 ISBN ) Maagemet of health ad safety at work Maagemet of Health ad Safety at Work Regulatios 1999 Approved Code of Practice ad guidace L21 (Secod editio) HSE Books 2000 ISBN Workplace health, safety ad welfare. Workplace (Health, Safety ad Welfare) Regulatios Approved Code of Practice L24 HSE Books 1992 ISBN VDUs: A easy guide to the regulatios HSG90 HSE Books 1994 ISBN Display scree equipmet work. Health ad Safety (Display Scree Equipmet) Regulatios Guidace o Regulatios L26 HSE Books 1992 ISBN Maual hadlig. Maual Hadlig Operatios Regulatios Guidace o Regulatios L23 (Secod editio) HSE Books 1998 ISBN A pai i your workplace? Ergoomic problems ad solutios HSG121 HSE Books 1994 ISBN Lightig at work HSG38 (Secod editio) HSE Books 1997 ISBN Gettig to grips with maual hadlig INDG143 HSE Books 2000 ISBN New ad expectat mothers at work: A guide for employers HSG122 HSE Books 1994 ISBN Maagig health ad safety: Five steps to success Leaflet INDG275 HSE Books 1998 (sigle copy free) Essetials of health ad safety at work (Third editio) HSE Books 1994 ISBN X Five steps to risk assessmet Leaflet INDG163(rev1) HSE Books 1998 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 15 ISBN ) Homeworkig: Guidace for employers ad employees o health ad safety Leaflet INDG226 HSE Books 1996 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 15 ISBN X) Cosultig employees o health ad safety: A guide to the law Leaflet INDG232 HSE Books 1996 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 15 ISBN ) A guide to the Health ad Safety (Cosultatio with Employees) Regulatios Guidace o Regulatios L95 HSE Books 1996 ISBN Seatig at work Page 20 of 22

21 Health ad Safety Safety represetatives ad safety committees L87 (Third editio) HSE Books 1996 ISBN Reducig error ad ifluecig behaviour HSG48 (Secod editio) HSE Books 1999 ISBN If the task fits: Ergoomics at work Leaflet INDG90 HSE Books 1994 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 10 ISBN ) Workig with VDUs Leaflet INDG36(rev1) HSE Books 1998 (sigle copy free or priced packs of 10 ISBN ) Disability Discrimiatio Act 1995 Code of Practice for the elimiatio of discrimiatio i the field of employmet agaist disabled persos or persos who have had a disability HMSO 1996 ISBN The Statioery Office Tel: Fax: Websites: Also available from local TSO shops Literature relevat to seatig at work Brato P Seatig i idustry Applied Ergoomics 1(3) Clark TS ad Corlett EN The ergoomics of workspaces ad machies A desig maual Taylor ad Fracis 1995 ISBN Busiess equipmet ad iformatio techology associatio Modificatio of gas-lift pedestal chairs A BEITA Code of Practice BEITA 1987 Doki, S W (DC) Sittig o the job 1989 ISBN Fraser TM The worker at work A textbook cocered with me ad wome i the workplace (chapter 11, ) Taylor ad Fracis 1989 ISBN Gradjea E Ergoomics i computerised offices Taylor ad Fracis 1987 ISBN Kroemer KHE (ed) Fittig the task to the huma A textbook of occupatioal ergoomics, (5th ed) Taylor ad Fracis 1997 ISBN Grey SM, Norris BJ et al Ergoomics i the electroic retail eviromet Iteratioal Computers Ltd 1987 Madal AC The seated ma (homo sedes) The seated work positio Theory ad practice Applied Ergoomics 12(1) Pheasat S T Bodyspace - athropometry, ergoomics ad the desig (2d ed) Taylor ad Fracis 1996 ISBN Leuder R ad Noro K Hard facts about soft machie The ergoomics of seatig Taylor ad Fracis 1994 ISBN Sellers D 25 Steps to safe computig 1995 ISBN X Sweeey G M ad Clarke A K Office seatig for people with rheumatoid arthritis, akylosig spodylitis, ad low back pai Physiotherapy 1990 Seatig at work Page 21 of 22

22 Health ad Safety Further iformatio For iformatio about health ad safety, or to report icosistecies or iaccuracies i this guidace, visit You ca view HSE guidace olie ad order priced publicatios from the website. HSE priced publicatios are also available from bookshops. British Stadards ca be obtaied i PDF or hard copy formats from BSI: or by cotactig BSI Customer Services for hard copies oly Tel: cservices@bsigroup.com. The Statioery Office publicatios are available from The Statioery Office, PO Box 29, Norwich NR3 1GN Tel: Fax: customer.services@tso.co.uk Website: (They are also available from bookshops.) Statutory Istrumets ca be viewed free of charge at Published by HSE 06/11 Page 22 of 22