Seating

Is your chair adjusted to fit your body?

Galvins realizes that the challenges of providing proper seating are far different today than they were just a few years ago. It is no longer a matter of buying just a chair.

Currently 80-90% of all work done in the home or commercial office is from a seated position. There are approximately 75 million computer users in the U.S. workplace today and that number is growing.

As a result:

• Aetna Life & Casualty estimates that incorrect seating causes Cumulative Trauma Disorders (C.T.D.s) costing American businesses $10 billion per year in medical cost and lost wage benefits.

• Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 26% growth in C.T.D.s in 1992.

• Stress related workman's compensation claims have tripled since 1980.

• A minor case of C.T.D.s can cost $5,000 to $10,000. Major cases requiring surgery or occupational rehabilitation can cost $100,000 or more. Estimates suggest that if something is not done to stem the tide of C.T.D.s by the turn of the century, one-half of all office workers will suffer symptoms.

Proper backrest position (left). Backrest too high (center). Backrest too low (right).

The Chair becomes the focal point in the analysis of real or potential C.T.D.s causing hazards for the worker.

Make sure your chair fits your body and works for you instead of against you as in this case.

The chair must provide:

• Proper Posture: There is no such thing as GOOD POSTURE! POSTURE IS A PROCESS continually changing throughout the day to distribute forces through our bodies. Mom told you to sit still, don't fidget --- she was wrong!

• Proper Support: Human beings were not created to sit for long periods of time. Our natural lumbar curve is not present when seated, so the chair must induce this curve with proper support. Consideration must be given to buttocks-thigh, pelvic, leg and arm support; etc...

• User Friendliness: The chair should adjust to the individual's anatomy in both the passive and active sitting requirements. The adjustments should not limit or prevent but encourage and promote movement.

Recognizing the importance of proper seating, we have sought the best ergonomic seating options. We're proud to feature three of the world's premier seating lines: Herman Miller, Sitag, and Office Chairs Incorporated. Each one of these manufacturers offers a diverse product line with many ergonomic, styling, and color options.

We feature many chairs from each manufacturer on our sales floor and encourage you to come down so we can help you find the one which best fits you.

*Illustrations on this page are from an excellent resource on ergonomic seating entitled Sitting on the Job: How to Survive the Stresses of Sitting Down To Work, A Practical Handbook by Scott W. Donkin, D.C. Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston, MA. 1989.