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Posted By Ian Brough
Hi All,
We have a problem where one of our employees (shop floor based and weighing around 30 stones or more) is destroying chairs. The process itself requires then to sit, so we cannot remove the problem via this method.
The best chair we can obtain off the shelf is only guaranteed for up to 25 stones and they broke that within 2 weeks of purchasing.
I can obtain chairs for up top 35 stone, but they are officed based and would not be suitable for the processes involved.
Has anyone come across this problem before and if so, what was the solutions?
Any guidance on this issue is gratefully appreciated.
Ian
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Posted By Kieran J Duignan
Ian
By reframing the problem in ergonomic terms, - instead of medical language that could be interpreted as a breach of the Disability Discrimination Act - you can readily invite the manufacturers of non-standard chairs with ergonomic expertise to 'show their calibre'.
Three to consider are: Herman Miller; Orangebox; and Advanced Seating Design.
Make clear the tasks that can't be modified, the height and depth of the working surface, the space available for a chair and the (present) weight, height, seating height, arm lengths and other relevant body dimensions.
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Posted By Anthony Edwards
Tricy one Ian,
I know a dentist who made a secretary buy her own after she broke 3 weighing in at a similar amount.
Is the employer not putting the employee in a place of danger (possible injuries from the chair breaking). If they do not manufacture a suitable chair then the emploee may have to be given another role or as I am sure everybody will be thinking tell the employee he has to loose weight if he wishes to carry on doing that task, (or is that fatist?)!!!!
Nutty
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Posted By Andrew M
Ian,
The chair will come under PUWER and has to be fit for purpose. So the chair will be required to have an adequate safe working load. if this requires, a specialist chair then so be it.
As far as I am aware the person will not be protected by the DDA, unless the weight is a direct result of a permanent medical condition.
However, for a person of that weight, a sedentary postition may well exacerbate the problem...
Maybe you should get her on a chairobics course?
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Posted By Mitch
Andrew,
Why her?
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Posted By GeoffB4
Why Her? Why Her?
Did I Get On Your Nerves?
Did I Give You Too Much That You Couldn't Handle My Love?
Why Her? Why Her?
I didn't know you are a Monica fan.
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Posted By Mitch
Monica Denise Arnold? Ain't Google a wonderful thing, not my cup of tea I'm afraid!! I can't see where these modern warblers get the description R&B from, perhaps I'm just too old
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Posted By Anthony Edwards
Mitch could Geoff be referring to Monica Lewinsky?
Well its nearly Friday and I'm off tomorrow
Nutty
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Posted By Mitch
You've just put me off my cigar!!
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Posted By Tabs
I would have thought this is a job for a small fabrication shop. Square section steel frame and fabric-covered foam seat/back pad. Using a triangular approach to re-enfocement to produce a simple chair.
It is unlikely that you will get a swivel or height adjusting component rated to 30 stone so you will need to get the measurements right first time.
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Posted By Lilian McCartney
In addition to finding a suitable chair and assuming the weight is due to a medical problem not involved with over eating, have you considered assistance to the employee to reduce their weight?
To explain what I mean, if you had an employee who advised you that they were an alcoholic you would make arrangements and agreements for them so why not weight?
Where I used to work we had a young person who was greatly obese and couldn't go up the ladders as their weight broke the rungs. We transferred them for a while on the understanding that they attend the counselling classes we had arranged and took active steps to reduce their weight. They did and it all worked out well - apparently they felt it was the boost they needed to stop eating so much.
I've out the above just as an additional factor
Lilian
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Posted By GeoffB4
"To explain what I mean, if you had an employee who advised you that they were an alcoholic you would make arrangements and agreements for them so why not weight?"
I'm not convinced that's the norm Lillian with employees and alcohol. Alcohol addiction is generally self inflicted and most of the employers I know would soon get rid of the problem especially if it affected the work.
You're possibly right about this though, we don't know the reason for the person being obese and it may not be self inflicted.
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Posted By VJM
Geoff,
I agree with Lilian, if a person in the workplace advises they have a problem with alcohol, the company has a duty of care to offer them support e.g. counselling etc. We caught someone drinking on duty (threw up in front of their manager) and rather than fire them on gross misconduct, offered them counselling. It didn't work as they did it again, but at least we could then defend ourselves when they did get the boot.
We have someone who is the same sort of weight as Ian is describing and we have offered them counselling and it is helping. Thankfully they haven't broken any chairs to date though.
Obesity may be self inflicted by eating too much, but there is usually a reason why they are eating too much, beyond the fact they enjoy a pie or two. This is where the duty of care comes in.
I would contact an ergonomic supplier and get an assessment done on this person at the very least and they can source an appropriate chair, in the long term it will cost less than replacing on every couple of weeks!
VJM
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Posted By GeoffB4
Duty of care - under what legislation do companies have a duty for the welfare of alcoholisicls hic lics?
VJM, I wrote: I'm not convinced that's the norm Lillian with employees and alcohol.
You'll have to convince me otherwise on this one - maybe for the bigger companies but most of my work is in the small sector and I can assure you they get rid.
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