Case Study - Seating comfort at the workplace

Background

In April 1997 an employee of "Healthcare" who was experiencing back pain at work received, from a friend who was using one, a recommendation to try the Bambach Saddle Seat. The employee subsequently ordered one and began using it at work. Her supervisor was impressed by the way the Bambach Saddle Seat improved her ability to work comfortably and efficiently and also noted her improved posture. He suggested that the Bambach Saddle Seat would work well for employees working in the 'clean room', and he arranged a demonstration to be given to the several interested groups within the company, including the Directors, the Occupational Health and Safety Committee and all supervisors. As a result the seat went on trial to see whether it would satisfy the requirements of the industry as well as the needs of the employees themselves.

Requirements for this Industry

The seat had to be suitable for a sterile and corrosive environment. It also had to receive full acceptance by the employees, who were being asked to radically alter the way they had been sitting, virtually all of their lives.

Modifications needed

Seat specifications required:

• a five star base with hooded case and stainless steel pintels;
• a gas lift, with an outer casing in stainless steel with fitted plastic telescopic housing;
• a cradle with stainless steel internal mechanism;
• a seat covered in surgical vinyl sewn with nylon thread and attached with stainless steel staples.

Employee Concerns

Employees wanted information, demonstrations and an undertaking from the company to provide suitable clothing, ie. skirts to be replaced with trousers.

Contact with company

Bambach Saddle Seat personnel visited the company to give demonstrations, answer staff concerns, and to note the special requirements for components.

Literature and videos were left to inform the supervisors, staff, and members of the Occupational Health and Safety Committee. The benefits and all the comments from the staff, positive and negative were discussed.

Result

The benefits of the Bambach Saddle Seat as seen by the staff outweighed the difficulties.

Benefits seen by employees

• Good for your back;
• Provided better position than standing position;
• Compact;
• Easy to reach work area;
• Easy to manoeuvre;
• Good for your neck;
• Comfortable to sit when your feet are on the bar under conveyor belt (which is used if employees legs are too short to reach the ground).

Problems seen by employees

• Unladylike position of the legs;
• Unhygienic;
• Uncomfortable;
• Move too fast on tiled floor;
• Uniform restricts sitting with legs astride for females.

All the negatives were overcome and the strict specifications for the work environment were met.

Ten seats were ordered November 1997; a further five were ordered in November 1998. Two seats were ordered by the pharmacist, whose work is located at a hospital laboratory, followed by more orders for seats used on location at other hospital laboratories.

A follow up call was made in December 1998 to assess differences in the workplace after introducing the Bambach Saddle Seat. The supervisor answered that the seat had made a difference by:

• Providing an alternative to standing to work;
• Employees spent less time standing;
• Employees were able to get closer to their work;
• Workers don't get as tired.

A Comment about Absenteeism

Absenteeism has decreased from an average of 13 days per employee per year to 7 days. It could be other influences, as there has been a lot of meetings with the employees to discuss this, but the (Bambach Seat Seat) may have helped.

At present there are 14 seats in total being used by the "Healthcare" company.

It is anticipated that, as the staff see the benefits of the Bambach Saddle seat, more units will be acquired, The interest that management of the Healthcare Company takes in the welfare of their employees is outstanding.