Posted By David Bramall
Derrick

It sounds like a red herring to me also. If the chairs need moved frequently, then either a set of castors or very light chairs may be the answer. If, depending on what substances are being used, a risk of splashes of "nasty" stuff is possible, then the chair would have to be steady. Another option may be to have chairs at each work station so they don't need moved.

I think overall, it sounds like a cost cutting exercise; chairs on castors are probably more expensive than chairs on legs.

As far as legislation goes, I havn't come across anything that says castors are prohibited in laboratories. I think a specific risk assessment needs to be carried out to determine the safest option; i.e. moving chairs constantly (manual handling), spashes from chemicals (COSHH), etc. etc.

DrB

Posted By Ali
I can empathise as I used to be a Microbiologist many years ago. Although, there may not be any specific piece of legislation it is probably the risk assessment process that is determining this cause of action. After all, I used to handle Cat A pathogens and the last thing I wanted was the chair / stool to move without warning ! Think of the possible consequences and ,yes, our chairs / stools had no wheels or castors.

Posted By DYNAMO
Me also. Although the most dangerous bacteria I met at work walked in with me.

Now histopathology, there was an interesting two months in a lab.
Held a brain.
Helped disect a leg looking for carcinomas.
Gross disection of a fibroid cyst as big as a grapefruit.
Played so much poker.
Back when work experience meant something.

Derrick

We had some cheap stools that were dead light,easily dragged about with one hand, no wheels. And in other labs there were stools suitable for Jim'l'Fixit in their complexity, weight and solidity, again no wheels but a nuisance to move.

I have never seen the kick stool variety that your wife describes where the wheels lock when you sit down. Sounds too well thought out to be anything other than Scandanavian in origin.

Anyway I would concur with the guys, sans wheels is the way to be in the lab on vinyl floors ( I doubt there in a carpeted lab unless your wife works for Axminster R&D but I will qualify the flooring any how)

My sister works for an evil tobacco multinational, they have the best of stuff in their labs I'll give her a call and see what she says.

Kind regards

Jeff

Posted By Blaise
I still work in a lab, and the benching is usually higher than a standard office desk, as such a higher chair/stool is required. If you put wheels on a such a stool it becomes unstable due to the height, so as such lab chairs tend to be of the variety without wheels.

We found a supplier that provided a similar product to a office swivel chair but on a higher unwheeled base, the covering was a spill resistant PVC/leatherette type material rather than fabric.

We still use a wheeled chair at write up desk but have had to make staff aware that the do wheel away easily on a vinyl floor, and to take care when sitting down and standing up from such a chair.

Blaise