Control rooms are the hub of your operations, and within them, operators monitor systems and make decisions that positively or negatively impact your process, profits and human lives. Operators have tremendous responsibility. Their ability to recognize and respond to an event is influenced by their environment.
According to some experts, the most often-mentioned feature in the control room is the operator's chair. Some operators consider the chair to be the holy grail of control room design. With the nature of the environment and work conducted, you can see why.
So, when it comes to control rooms, why is it so difficult to make a seemingly simple purchase? What's all the buzz about ergonomics? How do all the chair features work, and why are they important? Is it possible for a chair to improve the lives of operators?
Let's sort through some of the details and concerns surrounding this multilayered purchasing decision.
What's the intended use?
There is a significant difference between a chair intended to meet the demands of a control room environment and a chair designed to meet the needs of a typical office environment. Sometimes, selecting the right chair can feel overwhelming and confusing with the mountains of information and options available. Assessing the intended use of the chair is an excellent place to start. It's an essential step in the decision-making process that is frequently overlooked.
These questions can help you develop a clear picture of your needs:
- What is the intended use of the chair?
- What kind of environment will the chair be in? Office or control room? Industrial or carpeted environment?
- How many operators will use the chair? What are their unique body types? Petite, big and tall, etc.? What are their body dimensions? Can operators of similar size be assigned to the same chair?
- How many shifts per day will the chair be in use? Three eight-hour shifts? Two 12-hour shifts?
- What are the necessary chair features? Armrests, headrests, adjustable height?
- How long will your ideal chair last? One year? The lifespan of the facility?
- What does your budget look like?
Understanding your environment and needs can help you make informed purchasing decisions and select a chair to withstand the rigorous and intensive use of many control rooms.
Features, flexibility
Product flexibility is essential, and utilization of ergonomic seating is a solution that can support the needs of many. If you share your space with multiple operators, selecting a chair with features to support each unique body size is essential. Solving this issue with a one-size-fits-all solution is difficult to achieve.
Because each body type is different, it's essential to include the operator's body dimensions when selecting a chair. It's important to assess chair features and ensure options are available to meet your operator's needs.
Ergonomics is defined as the study of work and the relationship of that work to the mental and physical capabilities of people. Ergonomics can reduce health issues and lost work time, encourage better decision-making and maximize operator performance. Operators can focus on their jobs, not pain caused by repetitive stress injuries. Without proper ergonomics, the most significant risk is work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as carpal tunnel, tendinitis or rotator cuff injuries. MSDs can be prevented by implementing a practice of ergonomics to help lessen muscle fatigue, increase productivity, and reduce the number and severity of work-related MSDs.
For more information, visit www.evosite.com or call (713) 365-3900.
