Similar principle to the sit/stand chairs at various checkouts.

But might need to consider an angled desk for best ergonomic properties.

or adjustable height desk. I'm six foot four and would not like to be leaning over a small desk for any length of time.
I wonder how long before some clever dick employers try to get rid of office chairs to help their staff's health( and save themselves some money).
Note that The Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations 1992 regulation 11-
Workstations and seating-(3):
A suitable seat shall be provided for each person at work in the workplace whose work includes operations of a kind that the work (or a substantial part of it) can or must be done sitting.
Note that is says CAN be done sitting

Have just hung my PC screen from the roof to get the best height to view it. Now how do I climb off this desk?

Have worked a fair bit on HSE in Scandinavia, all desks that i saw were adjustable in height (up/down button) they also had a typical office chair and also most had kneeling chairs. The employees all regularly changed position and were amazed we didnt have same in the UK, they considered it normal and essential. They also had nice liitle break out areas where they met to have a coffee and a chat a couple of times a day and they still got the job done!

What an absolute nonsense. Standing up all day is not what the human body was designed to do and anyone who does have to stand all day will tell you how many aches and pains it gives them. Sitting down is fine so long as breaks are taken. I would suggest taking active breaks (ie walking about insteadof taking another break sitting down somewhere) is far more benefical than standing all day.

As to kneeling chairs, I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.

There is a huge difference between being active on your feet and standing in one position all day. But even those that are in their feet all day need to sit down too and will do.

True Claire, there is, but one of the things about standing rather than sitting is that it encourages movement. I've been standing at my laptop for six months now, and I find I do move (changing position, walking about for a minute or two while I think) a lot more than I did when I used to sit at it, and my posture's better. People will sit when they can, but all the evdence is that too much inactivity is very bad for us; yes, standing makes people tired, but I reckon getting tired isn't always bad, and avoiding effort at all costs isn't good,

John

Yes, one should watch out and be ready to run away from the danger posed by mammoths and tigers in the workplace! Your posts do go off topic a little Graham but, I do enjoy them.

Jim

From the BBC article I gather that two writers - both dead - found it better to stand up to write. It appears this provides the evidence that everybody should. I undertand that there are about 30 million workers in the UK, granted not all of them will be sitting down to do their work.

In the early 1990s the largest and most extensive ergonomic study of checkout operations reviewed 11 different types. Included was one company who had introduced standing checkouts into one of their stores. Despite the employee's union opposing the greater introduction of standing checkouts, the supermarket went ahead and committed itself to £millions. This programme was stopped when the HSE supported research found the standing checkouts to be the most hazardous - by a long way - as regards musculoskeletal disorders of the 11 stations considered.

As the company would not meet the HSE and the trade union together, it was left to the HSE to confirm that if the work could be done sitting down, a suitable chair should be provided.

I don't think anyone would argue about getting up and moving around. Indeed if people generally took more suitable exercise I have no doubt that health and the efficiency of the workforce - and directors, MPs, doctors, investment bankers etc - would improve.

A novel approach might be to ask the workforce whether they would like to stand for at least 3 hours to do their work and see what the replies are. Of course, this might achieve a result contrary to the 'expert's considered opinion' - and two writers, of course. It would be interesting to see the evidence - as always.

I would not dismiss it out of hand but consider what the advantages were when applied to the work that people actually do.

Cheers.

Nigel

Nigel, today's BBC piece appears to be one person's response to a growing body of evidence; here's a BBC article about a review of literature including data from 800,000 people; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19910888

I think the HSE study was probably ill-conceived and on the wrong track; current research isn't about the MSK impact of standing vs sitting, it's about much more serious problems like diabetes, heart disease and so on; and don't forget that weight is likely to bring chronic MSK problems in its train. I don't advocate standing all day; I sit to read articles and sometimes to make phone calls (though I prefer to walk while talking), but I do think that not sitting should be the default position,

John

This is a really interesting discussion. There are two main research arms to the sitting and health outcomes. One is musculoskeletal health, which is I suppose the original and most establish research field, and the other has come from a behavioural epidemiological perspective, and is a lot more recent.

There is now substantial, prospective level evidence to suggest that sitting time is associated with increased mortality, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. This risk is also said to exist for those who are classed as ‘active’ (30 minutes of exercise of 5 or more days per week), suggesting physical activity cannot compensate for the detrimental effects of sitting all day. The strategy to reduce this is the same though regardless of the outcome (MS or epi), and that is postural variation. Our bodies do not cope well with static, whether that is sitting to standing. The key is to change posture frequently - walk more, sit less and exercise.

Now, lets see how possible that is to implement in the workplace - ideas and thoughts.......

Coming from the fitness industry, several years ago we took all our office chairs out and replaced them with swiss balls as these enourage you to sit with good posture and you need to move a little to stay on the the things. It proved popular as was a good way of developing core strength which weakens the longer we sit down. Also the folk that drove alot like them as it gave them a chance to stretch their core and quad muscles which also become tight and limit flexibility over a period of time due to long periods of sitting.

Remember a few meetings sitting on them and you always had to pay attention, you couldnt slouch and switch off and daydream.

None of the research/studies conclude standing all the time and for some with pre-existing conditions, it may not be beneficial.

As stated in one of the articles, "........the watchword among ergonomists these days is “postural rotation”: sit a little, stand a little, then repeat........"