The Furniture Industry Research Association's (FIRA) acclaimed ergonomics team is looking for products for its Ergonomics Excellence Award which is given to products meeting stringent criteria.
The ergonomics team is led by furniture industry ergonomist of more than 25 years, Levent Çaglar, he says: "People respond positively to the term 'ergonomically designed’ and manufacturers therefore use the term freely. To establish whether a product merits an Ergonomic Excellence Award, we conduct user trials to ensure it is suitable for over 90% of the population, from the very small to the very tall.”
The Award identifies genuine ergonomic excellence in both domestic and workplace furniture products, clearly distinguishing those that are outstanding from other products in the marketplace.
Levent continued: “We look at safety, user-friendliness and the comfort and wellbeing of the user are considered, as well as whether the product is fit for purpose both structurally and ergonomically. This enables us to gain a full picture of whether a product really is ergonomic and if it passes all of the criteria we can declare it ‘ergonomically excellent’!”
The benefits of ergonomics for workforce health, wellbeing, morale, turnover, attendance and productivity are increasingly clear to employers. Those who grasp the benefits are looking to invest in ergonomically designed workplace furniture and workstations, and they need reassurance that they've made the right decision.
The team are looking for products which exceed the minimum ergonomic requirements of the latest European and British standards and companies which check the quality standards and environmental policies of manufacturers. All items of domestic and workplace furniture and all computer workstations are eligible, provided that they comply with the latest relevant standards, which FIRA's trials will require them to exceed.
Click here to find out more about the Ergonomics Excellence Award including a list of current holders.
To put forward for the FIRA Ergonomics Excellence Award, contact the FIRA Contact Customer Services on 01438 777 700.
