What are the regulations to be observed for office chairs?

The purchase of an office chair must be based on models that fully comply with the characteristics indicated by the regulations: in particular, it is necessary to use office chairs in accordance with law 8108, the Single text relating to Safety in the Workplace, which dictates to manufacturers the compulsory indications for the manufacture of office chairs. The characteristics with which companies must comply are those relative to the European legislation on the subject, which dictates all the requirements that an office chair must have (in terms of size and resistance, for example) in order to be considered one of the uni en 1335 office chairs, i.e. a chair that complies with the uni en 1335 European legislation.

Characteristics of office chairs according to law 8108

So let's look at the characteristics we have to look for in our office chair: we should always look for office chair models that meet this characteristic both for the respect of the rules (in case of non-compliance there is the risk of incurring penalties) and to offer us and our employees a working environment that is at the maximum safe and comfortable, where they can carry out their tasks in the best way, always maintaining high productivity.

European standard for office chairs UNI EN 1335

The basis from which to start is the single text 8108, which has transposed the European guidelines for office chairs. It should be borne in mind that this legislation (which replaced the one dating back to 1994) has the primary objective of protecting the health of workers in the workplace and in the performance of their duties. But health protection goes hand in hand with increased productivity, because a worker who has problems at work, even if he has to use an uncomfortable chair or who has health problems in the long run, will never be 100% productive. A simple practical test is enough: let's try sitting for a few hours in a classic fixed chair working on the PC. At the end of the day we will all feel sore from having to maintain an unnatural and uncomfortable position. And in the long run we may also have health problems, more or less serious.

Precisely for this reason the regulation provides some basic characteristics for the office chair, which in the first place must be:

• comfortable
• stable and therefore safe
• able to allow the worker to move freely

In particular, the chairs must be at risk of slipping forward and dangerous situations arising. The presence of armrests is not obligatory, which if provided must in any case be shockproof, the chairs must be equipped with a mechanism that allows the height of the seat to be adjusted to different heights, regardless of the backrest. The backrest itself must be made in such a way as to provide adequate support for the back: it is not compulsory, although it may be useful, to provide additional support for the lumbar-sacral area. The chair must also be equipped with a swivel mechanism, which allows maximum freedom of movement but at the same time guarantees maximum safety from the risk of slipping.

The office chair must have rounded edges, to avoid the risk of accidents and the ends of the hollow edges must always be plugged. Office chairs can also be equipped with footrests, which is not a legal requirement, but can be useful because it improves the ergonomics of the chair itself, making the working position more comfortable and lowering the risk of discomfort due to incorrect posture.

Office chairs in compliance with standards for materials and chair sizes

As far as materials are concerned, office chairs must be made of materials that are waterproof and easy to clean. Obviously, they must also be made of materials with the right resistance, in order to avoid breakage when using the chair. Also to be considered is the fact that the pieces of which the chair is composed must all be removable and possibly replaceable as part of a normal maintenance activity.

As far as the dimensions are concerned, European regulations divide office chairs into three classes:

• Class A: this includes those chairs that have dimensions suitable for the majority of the population, which can therefore be suitable for 95% of people. These chairs are deemed to comply;
• Class B: these types of office chairs have intermediate dimensional characteristics between class A and class C models;
• Class C: these chairs have only the basic functions and therefore cannot be considered in conformity with European laws.

Certified ergonomic office chairs

When buying an office chair the best choice is to rely on a certified ergonomic chair: it is in fact a type of chair that complies with all regulatory requirements, proving to be a safe and comfortable product for the worker. But what are the specific characteristics of the 8108 ergonomic chair? Let's take a look at it together and explain what is meant by an ergonomic chair.

The fact that a chair is ergonomic means that it is designed and manufactured to best adapt to the physique of the people who use it, guaranteeing that they can always maintain a position that is best suited to the health of their spine and legs during their stay in the chair. Considering that a worker can even spend eight hours sitting in an office chair, if this chair is not ergonomic and therefore does not allow to maintain a correct posture, various problems can occur, both in short and long periods of time (the most common are those related to sciatica, cervical or poor circulation in the lower limbs).

The first feature of an ergonomic chair is to be equipped with a stable five-spoke base: this is an important feature to meet the legal safety requirement, because this type of structure greatly reduces the risk of accidental slipping and tipping of the chair.

The second characteristic is that of being equipped with adjustment mechanisms that allow the chair to be adapted to the physicality of the worker: first of all the possibility of adjusting the height of the seat, the inclination and height of the backrest, the height of any headrest and the height of the armrests.

The third characteristic is the presence of a rotation system on its own axis, which allows the worker to turn 360° without having to stand up.

The fourth characteristic is the presence of wheels, which allow the worker to move around the office space without necessarily having to stand up.

As far as the models of certified ergonomic office chairs are concerned, it is possible to choose according to one's own tastes and the style of the office: it is possible, for example, to orient oneself like the Adrian Chair, complete with all adjustment systems and available in various modern colours, at a very convenient price, or to orientate oneself on a top-of-the-range model like the Harper Executive Chair, also available in leather for executive offices, absolutely perfect at a technical level and with an innate elegance, perfect for spending office hours in a comfortable way.