Basic Requirements for Selection of Control Room Furniture
At first glance, dispatchers work in the same conditions as other office workers. They both sit at a table in front of the monitors. However, this is where the similarities end. The main feature of the dispatcher’s work is to carefully monitor the current situation for many hours, without losing concentration. And when necessary, make the right decisions quickly. Control Room Furniture can help to achieve this task.
What should it be like?
In order for workers not to lose concentration during the shift, they must be in the so-called “posture of constant stress.” To achieve it, a special control room chair is used. It allows, on one hand, not to sit in a relaxed position (which can distract attention), and on the other hand, it does not overload muscles and ligaments. Such chairs have active back support, a headrest and a high backrest with height adjustment. They are upholstered with breathable materials. More advanced models have additional options: adjustable armrests in all directions, adjustable depth of the seat, etc.
Control Room Consoles are also different from ordinary office tables. Their height must be at least 750 mm. This prevents overloading of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and neck during long stay in a stationary position. It is also important to correctly build a wall of monitors. One operator should not have more than 6 screens. The distance between them should be kept to a minimum. This will prevent the scattering of attention when looking from one monitor to another.
The work in the dispatching centers cannot be called easy. Operators manage various tasks, such as fire safety, video surveillance, transport and production processes. Very often it is necessary to be at the workplace for long periods time, practically without getting up from the chair, which in itself is not easy even in physical terms. Therefore, Control Room Furniture is designed and manufactured to ensure not only work efficiency, but also acceptable comfort.
Primary requirements
Ergonomic issues play a huge role in optimizing working conditions. This also applies to furniture for dispatching services, whose operators are often on duty around the clock. In this regard, consoles, chairs and other pieces of furniture should be of the optimal size in any given environment.
Thus, the height of the console should be at least 75 cm, which provides normal conditions for maintaining the necessary concentration and does not cause unnecessary fatigue. This height is most acceptable for people of different heights, it allows both the neck and the shoulder girdle not to experience unnecessary stress. However, dispatchers can have heights and builds that differ significantly from the average, so ideally consoles should have height adjustment mechanisms.
It is equally important to have a comfortable control dispatch chair with:
- high back;
- headrest;
- back support system.
Most fitting chairs are made with “breathable” upholstery. The most comfortable ones also have the ability to adjust not only the overall height, but also the position of the headrest, armrests, depth of back support, etc.
The dispatcher’s workplace should be as comfortable as possible and meet all safety requirements.