Office Chair Castors prove to be a survivor of the fittest!
The simplest and most common castors are fitted to office chairs. These small twin wheeled castors have revolutionised the office environment. For such a simple component its pedigree is rather impressive.
The simplest and most common castors are fitted to office chairs. These small twin wheeled castors have revolutionised the office environment. For such a simple component its pedigree is rather impressive. It has been well reported that Darwin himself was one of the earliest known innovators and scientist to put castors on his chair in his laboratory, in order to get to his specimens more quickly! Darwin’s groundbreaking book, The Origin of Species, was published over 150 years ago, but little did he know it meant the dawn of the office chair mounted on castors!
This unassuming chair with recognisable twin wheel castors has become a symbol for all office workers over the globe! The advent of the industrial revolution and the expansion of traditional family businesses meant an increasing emphasis was placed on administrative tasks. More staff were required to manage the book keeping and clerical duties. Over the years there became more of a focus on staff welfare, cultural focus on office environments and in the 1970’s the emergence of a new buzz word ‘ ergonomics’. This new focus developed the importance of castors attached to the office chairs. The development led to chairs specifically designed for office workers who spend the majority of the day seated.
By no means was the simple office chair on castors an accident. This was a strategic led design. The more comfortable an office worker is on their chair, then the more work an employer can get out of them! Office chairs are defined as being mounted on swivelling castors, and having seat backs and bases that maximise comfort. Swivelling castors enable the chair to move in all directions, allowing the worker to reach a number of locations within their working area whilst remaining seated. Again the simplest of components, such as swivelling castors can aid productivity. The ergonomically designed seat and back rest have been designed for maximum comfort and are often adjustable to suit every shape and size.
According to leading health and safety organisations one of the most important considerations of what makes a chair ‘ergonomic’ is the presence of a five point base mounted on swivelling castors. These twin wheel castors are commonly made of a hard nylon, which is most suitable for carpeted offices. Rubber wheeled castors are available for use on harder floor surfaces and locking castors can be fitted if the chair needs to be stationary for safety. Other factors affecting the comfort of office chairs on castors would be the back rest, armrest, seat base and the ability to tilt and alter the height and angles of the chair.
Who are we to argue with the health and safety experts? The ingenious decision of Charles Darwin to add castors to his laboratory chair has meant office workers all over the world can benefit from the comfort of an office chair mounted on castors. The simple office chair has become a symbol of our modern world. Survival of the fittest not only in nature but also within business!
