How to buy office furniture that is in line with health and safety standards in the UK

October 24th, 2016

When owning an office, the worst mistake you could possibly ever do is ignore the role that office furniture plays, in terms of productivity and potential. When you add great furniture to an office, you are guaranteed to take the level of productivity to the next stage. Thankfully, a lot of business owners around the world have discovered this fact and have taken it into consideration. This has forced them to spruce up their offices by replacing their old office furniture with newer and more convenient ones.

So if you’re wondering how to buy furniture that will serve your purpose well in the office, this is the ultimate guide for you:

A buyers guide to finding office furniture which conforms to UK health and safety standards

Make sure comfort is reigning supreme in the office

The way you set up your office will determine how much work you will get done in any particular day. Generally, productivity has been shown to increase in an inviting office atmosphere. To make sure that you’re providing what the mind and body needs, invest in furniture that is comfy and cozy for both you and your workers, because this will keep your creative juices flowing all day long.

The furniture shouldn’t be like a couch where you can fall asleep any time. However, you should invest in a nice office chair, or perhaps even a beanbag poof that can help you relax as you brainstorm with your team. Just think outside of the traditional cubicle office design and you will know for sure what furniture to buy.

Look for office furniture with vibrant colours

Human beings show physiological reactions to different colours. But still, it has been shown that the brain takes colour cues everywhere you go. That is, colours can invoke a certain reaction in your brain. For instance, red increases your pulse rate. But this does not mean that you look for red furniture.

Don’t just limit yourself to one colour. Instead, pick cool and vibrant colours, since these colours lift your mood. In fact, if your furniture is vibrantly coloured, you can help alleviate stress and even increase productivity in the process.

Function plays a critical role

A disorganised workspace will deprive you of the enthusiasm and zeal which an office requires in order to get jobs done quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, a neat and well-adjusted office will keep you comfortable, thereby boosting your productivity level at the end of the day. However, this also means investing in functional office furniture that suits the role.

If you you have your eyes on a large and attractive purple lima bean table with bright green chairs, and have just realised that it will end up squishing you into the corner of your office, then you should know that it’s not worth investing in that furniture.

To ultimately avoid this problem, measure your office floor space as well as measure the items which you intend to fit in there. Also, before you purchase any office furniture, mark out your floor space to picture where the desks, tables, cabinets, and chairs will sit on. This way, you can plan the space nicely, which will result in you being appreciative of the fact that your office doesn’t feel claustrophobic.

A standing desk can make you healthier

Sitting for longer hours can reduce your life expectancy. A particular Australian study in 2010 discovered that for every additional hour that participants spent sitting down, they increased their chances of dying by 11% in the next 7 years. Elsewhere, another study reported that if the average American could reduce their sitting time by 3 hours a day, they could increase their life expectancy by another 2 years. To avoid this matter, purchase a standing desk and you could do yourself a favour.

Look for office furniture that helps you keep things handy or within reach

You should purchase furniture that helps you keep things in their rightful place – where they can be accessed easily. Most of the time, employees will postpone work due to items being stored out of reach.Therefore, look for tables with drawers or cabinets that have sufficient space and are well labeled. This way, it will speed up work and also increase productivity in the process.

Avoid traditional furniture like the plague

You don’t want your office to look like a museum. It can irritate you and even make you clumsy when you see the mountain of work that is waiting for you on the desk. In simple form, boring furniture can quickly make you lose interest, and thus productivity will suffer in the process. Because of this, you should avoid purchasing boring furniture like you’d avoid the plague.

Throughout this article, you have been provided with the golden rules to buying office furniture that work the magic. Don’t deviate from this recommended advice, because your productivity will suffer as a result. Studies have already declared the role of furniture in the office. What this means is that you should take it seriously, then wait, and see if change will not come.