Ergonomic Seating: Good for the Body and the Wallet – Guest Blog
by Bevco Precision Manufacturing
Our Guest Blog from our friends at Bevco, focuses on the health and financial benefits of providing your employees with quality ergonomic seating.
The statistics are everywhere. For example, a report from the N.C. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health indicates that almost 50% of workers in the industrial sector suffer from back issues. Sitting properly aids the physical well-being of workers and may boost productivity as much as 40 minutes per day. The National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine estimate that nearly 1 million U.S. workers (with an associated $45-$54 billion annual cost) lose time from work each year due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
In the face of the staggering evidence, the solution is clear. Proper seating for employees will not only save money (think lost time and medical expenses), but increase productivity. Who wouldn’t want that? Yet, time after time, the thinking remains “I just need the cheapest chair you have.”
Let’s take a closer look. In our example, a company needs to purchase 100 chairs for their production facility. We’ll estimate that a good ergonomic chair costs around $300 and an inexpensive, non-ergonomic chair costs about $150. The ergonomic solution costs $30,000 and the inexpensive solution cost half that, $15,000. Those big savings seem significant, but remember, looks can be deceiving.
A 2005 U.S. Department of Labor study revealed that there were 4.6 injuries per 100 full-time employees in the workplace. Lower-back disorders accounted for 30% of these injuries. These injured employees required an average of 19 therapy visits (Worker’s Compensation Research Institute). Work-related injuries resulted in an average loss of approximately $38,000 including wages, productivity loss, and medical expenses (National Safety Council, 2005).
Returning to our example, let's say one employee suffered an MSD at an average loss of $38,000. If the facility purchased the inexpensive chair solution, they would have spent $15,000 for the chairs PLUS an additional $38,000 to pay for the cost of the work-related injury (a total of $53,000). Choosing the ergonomic solution would have saved the facility $23,000.
The ergonomic solution makes the most sense and saves the most dollars. Protect your employees' health and your company's bottom line by making the right choice...the ergonomic seating choice.
Q Source would like to thank our friends from Bevco for their Guest Blog. We appreciate your contribution to The Q Source Resource. Visit our Bevco Department to shop their extensive line of ergonomic chairs, stools, and more.
If you have additional questions, or would like to place a large order, you may also contact us via email or phone (800-966-6020). We also offer live chat customer service on our Web site.
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