From the Blog...

Desktop Power

Power supply is an oft-overlooked aspect of home offices. Getting it right can save a lot of stress and keep everything tidy and professional looking, which is more important now that we are on so many video calls.

There are several options available

Desktop power modules – a cost effective solution for keeping multiple devices powered-up and charged. Our modules include USB connection points and we have options with data connection points. These modules attach to your desk with a clamp or adhesive pads.

In-Desk power units – these are a flush and stylish solution. These also have USB connections  makes use of the frequently vacant cable ports within desks.

Under-desk power modules - are an excellent value option. Similar to desktop modules, these units have multiple sockets but they fit onto the underside of the desk, or can be placed in cable trays underneath the desk - leaving your desk clutter-free.

Did you know that in order to keep your electrical equipment at optimum performance you shouldn’t let the battery drop below 30%? This is a challenge if you are using a laptop, screen, phone and tablet all day, not to mention the printer and other equipment you might need to be constantly connected! Integrating our desk power supply options can make sure all your office equipment remains charged, your desk is uncluttered and you present a professional image to your clients.

Desktop Power Modules

Desktop power modules are convenient charging points that sit on your desk. They're one of the quickest ways to make your home-working life easier and one of the most often overlooked home office accessories.

Whether working at the kitchen table or in a beautiful bespoke home office you will want all your equipment charged up and easily accessible at all times, not all over the room at various charging points, precariously places on the floor or on window sills.

More and more of us are using multiple devices at the same time – hosting a zoom call on a phone while working through a co-produced report on the laptop; and nobody wants to miss a client call because of a dead phone.

Easy access to charging points is even more important now, with household competition for those charging points becoming intense with home schooling and university home-study.

The other advantage of desktop power modules is not having to scramble around for floor level sockets.

Desktop power modules are handy units that give you fuss-free access to a power supply for multiple devices, our modules also have 2 USB charging points.

Desktop power modules are easy to set-up, just like an extension cable, the master socket plugs into a wall socket and the power module fits onto your desk with adhesive pads or a G Clamp.

Setting up a home office – top tips

Most of us are now working from home and have been since March last year – almost a year! Have you got it figured out or are you feeling aches and pains and struggling to switch off?

Here are our top tips for setting up a home office

1: Make sure the internet signal is strong enough and if not buy a booster
You don’t want your working day to be longer than it needs to be because you are waiting for uploads and downloads.

2: Invest in a proper ergonomically designed office chair and think about the height you need it to be. Aches and pains are distracting and can lead to permanent (and expensive!) musculoskeletal issues.
Take a look at our wide range of ergonomic office chairs 

3: Ensure that your computer screen is at eye level. Many of us are working on tablets and laptops and so looking down at a screen all day, this is no good for neck and back health. Look at our monitor arms and screen raisers.

4: Get the lighting right, to reduce eye strain and fatigue. In any spot where you’ll be performing tasks like reading, writing, or computer work, you’ll want a good quality task lamp. Task lighting provides you with a bright, focused light that allows you to easily see the details of what you are doing without fatiguing your eyes. 

5: Consider a sit-stand desk – especially with restrictions on out outdoor activity it’s important for the health of our backs, necks and hips that we limit the time spent seated at our desks. Consider a standing desk or a desk that can be quickly adapted from seated to sitting with the push of a button.  

After the recent announcement of a National lockdown we appreciate that many people will be working from home if possible, but what better time than when the office is empty to get it Covid-safe for your staff?

 

Space

Keep your staff spaced out with at least 2 metres between each of them at the very minimum. If you can supply your team with hygiene screens such as a screened desk or a glass divider, then even better! It's also important to remind them to avoid going to the toilet together if it is a communal toilet and the same goes for the kitchen - this also means no tea making duties!

Hygiene

It's more important than ever right now to ensure that your staff are being hygienic. Make sure that they are washing their hands regularly and provide them with plenty of alcohol-based hand sanitiser. It's also a good idea to ramp up your cleaning schedule to keep the office germ free!

Supply

Keep your team well-stocked with their own antibacterial wipes, tissues, hand sanitiser, masks, pens and anything else they may need to avoid anyone sharing items. Maybe even get some vitamins for each desk!

Is it hot in here?

Keep a close eye on your staff and if they could be showing symptoms of the virus. It would be a pretty good idea to buy a thermometer and check each person's temperature before they enter the building. You can never be too safe!

Company Safety Protocols

Create a document that can be shared, specifying the new company procedures and rules to follow to keep everyone safe. Make it a company safety guidebook that your employees can look at when they need to.

 

Wrist care is often overlooked. If you use a mouse for hours each day and experience pain and tension in your wrists, hands and lower arm a wrist support can help.

Sit Stand desks from Lavaro are electric height adjustable desks of exceptional quality. They enable you to vary your working day between sitting and standing, as recommended by many health authorities.

It has been found that spending too many hours sitting has negative health consequences, and many of us who work at desks much of the day experience back pain, knee pain, hip pain and neck pain. However standing all day at a desk can be fatiguing and can be associated with poor postural habits.

As with anything – we need a balanced variety of sitting and standing and changes of posture throughout the day. This is where Lavaro Sit Stand desks come in because the height can be adjusted at the touch of a button.

The London Spine Clinic recommend sit stand desks stating:- “they have been designed in a way which makes working comfortable whether you’re stood up of sat down. It gives you the ability to vary your posture and combat the health risks which are associated with sitting too much.”

Home-Offices
The problems of prolonged sitting have been exacerbated by the increase in home based desk work. Where we may have walked to the end of the office for a printer, down a corridor to make a cup of tea or upstairs to chat to a colleague, now we are all just steps away from everything we need and we have to communicate with colleagues via video calls. No wonder there has been an increase in reported back pain, brain fog and fatigue amongst home-based office workers.

The Science
A study to determine if standing desks could reduce back pain found a 32% improvement in lower back pain after several weeks of using standing desks. Another study published by the CDC found that use of a sit-stand desk reduced upper back and neck pain by 54% after just 4 weeks. Removal of the sit-stand desks reversed some of those improvements within a 2-week period.

If you plan to start using a standing desk, it’s recommended you split your time 50-50 between standing and sitting.

Key features of a Lavaro Sit Stand Desk
Lavaro sit stand height adjustable desks are electric, which enables you to vary between sitting and standing during the day at the touch of a button.

You may want to start the day sitting and then stand before lunch if your mind is getting tired, as it’s been shown that our energy and productivity increases when we stand. You may want to stand after lunch as that’s been found to help to reduce blood sugar spikes. You might then want to sit again for the last hour of the day if you are fatigued.

The Lavaro desk height is adjustable from 640mm to 1300mm allowing you to find the perfect height for your shoulders and back. See our below guide to selecting the correct height for you.

Another key consideration when choosing a height adjustable desk, especially if you are setting up a home office, is the look of the desk. Lavaro desks are available in 12 different finishes!

You can choose from  single worker desks, double depth bench desks for teams or Executive corner desks with space for printers and other equipment. 

The double depth desks have two controls so that each desk side can be set at a different height. 

Lavaro desks are available in several lengths from 12000 to 1800mm and from 700mm to 1800 depth.

The desks are built in Europe to an incredibly high standard from high quality components and have a 5 year guarantee.

Setting The Height of Your Lavaro Desk
To decide the sitting and standing heights of the desk:-

Relax your shoulders and create a 90-degree angle with your elbows and bring the desk height to just below the forearm with wrists in line with your forearms.

You should be able to work with your head upright and your eyes in line with the top one third of the screen you are working on.

When sitting your thighs should be parallel to the floor and your feet should be firmly on the floor.

Your rib cage should be above your hips, meaning you are not leaning forwards or backwards.

When seated your knees should be straight but not locked.

If you have any questions about Lavaro Desks get in touch

Teknik office chairs are ergonomically designed to be comfortable over long periods, supporting the body and improving posture to help prevent sitting related muscoskeletal aches and pains. As a leader in ergonomic office chairs they have led innovation to support back, shoulder and neck health.

What is a Monitor Arm?

For those of you who don’t know what a monitor arm is, it is an ergonomic solution aimed at replacing an existing monitor stand. They are now considered an integral part of the workspace environment in an ever health conscious industry. As well as the numerous health benefits presented by a desk mounted monitor arm they are also an excellent aid in reclaiming your desk space and freeing up important work space real estate. So if you are looking to kit out your new office, wanting to upgrade your working environment or health conscious about your employees then simply check out the endless list of advantages of monitor arms

Health Benefits

As with all ergonomic solutions their main goal is to improve the health of our workforce. The emphasis on this has never been greater in 2014/15. Not only are employees more “clued up” on office ergonomics, employers are more ergonomically conscious than ever. The fact that our employees are working longer just highlights the importance of good workspace posture. The aim of any monitor arm is to reduce the risk of injury within the office and it’s safe to say the monitor arms on the market at the moment achieve this superbly. It’s very important staff are safe, happy and comfortable at work, after all happy staff are productive staff.

Monitor arms gives the user freedom, freedom to ensure there monitor can be placed and positioned exactly where they require it. Essentially they can customize their workspace to ensure they are as comfortable as possible. Gas arms can give you 360 rotation with pivots, twists, turns and tilts to ensure you are working at the perfect angles for your own unique requirements. Things like this allow you to set height and depth to whatever the end user likes, but we will come to how that can help later.

The main 3 complaints from office workers are neck, back and eye pain. These are all areas a gas or pole arm aim to reduce. Rising the monitor above your working environment ensures high user comfort, in order to maximize this we recommend your screen is set at the correct height and distance from your eye level. We recommend you have your monitor somewhere between 15-25 inch from your eyes and your adjustable monitor arm set so the top of your screen is around or just below eye level. This set up, coupled with a comfortable and supported seat and correct workspace posture will ensure a happy, comfortable and productive work force.

In recent years a lot has been written and shared regarding correct seating, posture and technique when it comes to working within an office however what many people fail to realise is a lot of this can be hindered when done without a monitor arm. Millions has been spent on research into more ergo friendly keyboards, posture improving seating, and even foot stools for increased circulation. However these ergonomic tools need to be used alongside a adjustable arm, I mean think about it what’s the point in ensuring your wrists are safe with an expensive keyboard, while sitting on the latest ergo chair, if you neck is burning because you’re having to strain down to look at a monitor? These solutions work together harmoniously to ensure the perfect workspace for a healthy working experience.

Productivity Benefits

How can monitor arms increase my productivity I hear you ask? Simple, Flexibility. Simply mounting your screens on an arm ensures you free up all the previously unused space underneath theses monitors. Office spaces in the 21st century are often full of clutter, paper, pens, planners, diaries, phones, keys, lamps, books, print outs, the list goes on. Having your monitor mounted above this madness will ensure for productive and comfortable viewing.  By doing these simple actions you can almost double your work space surface area which perfectly ties into our next benefit.

Multitasking. Yes you may not have considered this before but having an articulated arm at drastically increase your employees ability to multi task. In the economic climate we have been working many employees now have staff with multiple job roles, meaning one person maybe doing 3 or 4 job roles. Ok so how does a monitor arm help that? Easy, with a monitor arm that employee can do all their work from the same desk. Where one job may require said employee to type out something the next may require something handwritten or read. Simple adjust your monitor arm out of your way and put your keyboard away and you have a completely free desk. No need to move, no need to waste time unplugging a monitor to move it out your way. This is particularly helpful and is being used by a lot of product designers, graphic designer and architects where they require desktop computer aided design for one project but then the trusty old pen and paper for the next. They can transform their workspace in seconds.

Many offices in this day in age require users to share desks, this practice is extremely common in places such as call centres where “hot desking” is common place. For those of you unfamiliar with the term hot desking, it refers to employees sitting wherever is free when their shift starts. Having a monitor arm on a hot desk ensures than each user can position their screen to suit their own personally needs with relative ease in minimal time. This benefits the employee by ensuring they are comfortable for the duration of their shift, while the employee ensures that minimal time is wasted by their staff “getting comfy” or adjusting their workspace. This will result in a great input and greater return on investment.

What other benefits will a Monitor Arm give me?

Using monitor arms in the ergonomic optimisation process has a few added other benefits that many people don’t take into account but we feel they shouldn’t be missed as many include things I do day to day and to be fair, take for granted but wouldn’t be able to do if it wasn’t for my monitor arm.

One major benefit a pole or gas arm will give you is the ability to use it as a presentation tool. Whether you are showcasing something to a potential client or an audience it means you can adjust it to exactly where it is needed. You can easily twist from landscape to portrait, spin around to show your colleague or adjust to protect your own privacy. In the now “paperless” environment it means you can transform your monitor into a real time tool for presenting ideas.

The final benefit from monitor arms are related to something known as multi-monitor capacity. In layman’s terms in means how easily they can accommodate a number of screens. Multiple monitors are common practice in the financial sector as well as healthcare. Any multi task environment can benefit from one of these ergo tools. Having two monitors mounted on arms can ensure the space on your desk is utilized correctly, whilst allows the user to align these correctly with minimal effort. Taking this route ensures you have an increased viewing area, while reducing worker error as they can have two applications open, one on each screen. This is particularly good when copying across information, but overall will again ensure a higher output from staff with a marked increase in productivity.

Overview

Hopefully you are now a little more clued up on the benefits of using a monitor arm to aid you in the workplace, below I have highlighted what I believe are the main benefits to take away from this post.

• Reduces risk of neck, back and eye injury
• Increased employee comfort
• Monitor arms can easily satisfy multi-user requirements
• Assists an ageing workforce
• Increased ease of multi-tasking
• Gives you more usable office space
• Increased employee productivity
• Workstations with monitor arms better integrate other ergonomic solutions.

Source: Matt Owen at CMD News https://www.cmd-ltd.com

Following these tips for how to set up your remote working from furniture will help you to enjoy a healthy posture without aches and pains while also enjoying the benefits of remote working from home.

Available in a plethora of size and colour combinations, our sit stand workstations are built to fit seamlessly into any home office or workplace.

STANDIVARIUS ERGOSAFE LAPTOP KIT Includes: Folding, height adjustable aluminium laptop stand Compact USB UK keyboard USB optical mouse

Convert any Horizontal Surface into a Standing Desk