Ever Heard of ‘Sitting Disease’? May 18th, 2017

How does your organization decide who gets a standing desk and who doesn’t? I bet, if you are like most companies, the employee has to prove (with a letter from their doctor) that they need a standing desk as a result of a poor medical condition they have, like a back or neck problem or some other musculoskeletal (MSD) illness. Well, here’s something for you to think about.

Do you remember the Irish army deafness saga that cost the state well over €300 million in compensation and legal fees? Members of the Irish Defence forces successfully claimed that their employer did not enforce the proper procedures in order to prevent their deafness. It would seem waiting until the soldier could prove his deafness before giving him a pair of ear-muffs was not the smart approach to take.

But it would seem many organizations are still following a similar approach. When it comes to construction, manual handling, or even military action for that matter, employees and employers have become well aware of best-practice in terms of health and safety. For the office worker, however, there is room for much improvement.

Work-related MSD illnesses are rising and, in 55% of cases, account for 15.9 days absent per year (ESRI, 2016). Not only does this lead to significant costs on a annual basis for your organization, but if employees can prove the cause of their condition was the working environment their employer provided for them, there may be potential compensation claims coming down the track.

It has been proven that sitting for long periods of time can lead to MSD illnesses. But you might also be shocked to know that "for people who sit most of the day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking”, according to Martha Grogan, Cardiologist at Mayo Clinic.

The obvious remedy to what has been termed ‘sitting disease’ is standing while you work. Standing is like walking; it increases energy, burns extra calories, tones muscles, improves posture, increases blood flow and ramps up your metabolism.

And here’s the sales pitch; we have a simple and cost effective solution. We can provide you with our ergonomic, height-adjustable standing desk that is designed to be placed directly on existing office desks, with a spring assisted lift-mechanism that lets you switch easily between sitting and standing in just a few seconds. It is steady and solid at any of its 10 different height settings.

Since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2005, employers are obliged to provide their employees with safe working equipment, including equipment to protect them from suffering any injuries in the workplace.

Surely prevention is better than cure here? And, in the long run, it’s probably a hell of a lot cheaper too.

(If you would like more information on our height-adjustable standing desk, or would like to arrange an onsite demonstration, e-mail hello@thehealthyfox.ie or call +353 (1) 526 6900.)