Mar 29, 2011
MOM, about that $575 chair...
I AM puzzled and perturbed by Friday's report ("MOM staff to get ergonomic chairs") in which a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) spokeman rationalised the $271,400 allocation for 472 Herman Miller chairs (at $575 each) for its staff.
Unless MOM staff are suffering from a work-related medical condition, what is wrong with the present chairs? And if the chair does protect the user's back, why hasn't it been recommended to all civil servants labouring under similar conditions?
Notwithstanding its durability and long warranty period, are these chairs' ergonomic features significantly better than one that costs half as much?
Some office chairs can cost as much as $1,000 to $2,000, but it does not mean that they are better for users. Other factors like sitting posture matter just as much as the quality of the chair.
But if the present chairs need replacing, shouldn't replacing them with the usual office chairs suffice?
Lee Seck Kay
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_650330.html
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Mar 29, 2011
Chair purchase was imprudent
THE Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) decision to spend more than a quarter of a million dollars on chairs for staff was imprudent ("MOM staff to get ergonomic chairs"; last Friday).
Are ergonomic designer chairs a justifiable expense of taxpayers' funds?
Was there a human factor specialist in the tender evaluation committee or just a lay person?
One type of chair would not fit everyone. The users' body dimensions must be considered when selecting a chair so that it does not strain one part of the body while fitting another.
Of greater importance than the chair is a person's sitting posture, which depends largely on an individual's personal habits.
The chair is only one of the components to be considered in workstation design. Other elements like work surface, document holders and task lighting need to incorporate flexibility and adjustability.
Were these evaluated and considered as well before the decision was taken to buy the chairs?
It would be more cost effective to educate staff on sitting habits rather than to buy expensive chairs.
Steven Thng
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_650331.html
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Note: The MOM response to the first post is at [link]
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