“Following a demo by Neil Hancox, several members of staff have purchased office and laboratory chairs and also high level adjustable foot rests for use in the laboratory.

The combination of wipable vinyl covers and adjustable features satisfied our Health, safety and biosafety requirements and the foot rests have alleviated several posture problems.

The quality and price of the chairs is excellent and we particularly like the range of colours – the yellow and blue ‘minion’ chairs are admired by all!

Thank you so much for all of your help, advice and suggestions.

Head of Research Services.

Neil forwarded a quote in super speedy time and we received the footrest soon after the order was placed.

I was very impressed by the service offered by this company, so much in fact that we are ordering more footrests from them.

Department Administrator

I am a first time purchaser from the company, but Neil and the team did everything I would expect:
– Reasonable ETA on the item which I needed urgently
– The product I was interested in had a video associated to it which gave me full confidence in the item I was purchasing
– The communication of the order from start to finish was perfect – I didn’t need to chase once
– The product has been well received and very easy to assemble

I will 100% recommend – expect future business from us!

Best regards,
Aleem – Laboratory Manager

Neil was very helpful and prompt with any questions I had, and emailing a quote later in the evening.

Once ordered, acknowledgment was made by the company that it had been received and an assembly video was sent via email.

The footrests were delivered quickly and are a very good product, particularly for the laboratory environment. I would definitely recommend this company and would order from them again in the future.

Thank you

Kate Broadhurst

This focuses on the shoulders, back and neck.

Most laboratory benches are 900mm to 950mm high. A lot of people sitting at these benches will use the foot ring on the chair as a footrest. This may cause stiffness in the legs, and so to compensate for this, people then just let their legs dangle.

What is often overlooked is making sure your legs and feet are supported properly. Not supporting your feet and legs can lead to problems with circulation and other health issues.

That’s where having a proper ergonomic footrest comes in. Below are 5 reasons why you should consider having a footrest as part of your overall bench setup.

1. Using a footrest can release pressure on your legs therefore preventing blood clots related to deep vein thrombosis.

2. Footrests help relieve pressure on your lower back.

3. Footrests can help cut down on the discomfort and circulation problems that can crop up when sitting for long periods of time.

4. Footrests help maintain good posture while sitting at your desk.

5. They add comfort.

Work Area’s dual height laboratory footrests are made of solid steel construction and have a two-stage height adjustment. The footrest is controlled by pressing a red button in the centre of the footplate. This can all be done from the comfort of your chair to be able to get it to the right height.

With a height range of 90mm (3.5”) to 130mm (5.1”), or 140mm (5.5”) to 310mm (12.5”), the lab foot rest is suitable for people of all heights.

To view our full range of laboratory footrests click here 

Footrests are an essential part of your office, industrial or laboratory workstation equipment. If you’re sitting working at a desk or a work bench, it’s vital you sit properly. Sitting with your legs crossed or slouching in your chair might seem comfortable and look laid-back, but your body won’t thank you for it – even in the short-term.

It’s not just your back that needs support. If your feet don’t sit flat on the floor when you’re sitting in the correct position, you need a footrest. This will help your circulation and reduce the strain on your lower back, hips and legs.

Footrests are regularly used by those sitting at desks, but their other applications are often forgotten or ignored. Many people spend their working days sitting on higher chairs or even stools, e.g. architects or designers sitting at large drawing boards, or staff in laboratories or in industrial settings working at benches. Dedicated, adjustable high level footrests have dual height features and a push button control. Made from heavy duty solid steel, they are custom-made for the toughest laboratory or industrial applications and will keep you sitting comfortably while you work.

Back pain is the third most common cause of long term sick leave in the UK. Back, neck and muscle pain (musculoskeletal) costs the economy around 30 million days in sick leave each year.

We go to the gym to keep fit, watch our diets and assiduously eat our five a day; we don’t walk out in front of moving cars, so why do we take unnecessary risks when we’re at work?

We’re used to people’s eyes rolling or glazing over in boredom when we bang on about posture and correct seating. But while you might be rolling your eyes today, you could be groaning in pain tomorrow and these are stresses and strains that can easily be avoided and a good supportive footrest is a must – wherever you work!

NB. Tartan blankets are not provided.

How often should you carry out DSE tests?

The Health and Safety Executive advises DSE workstation tests should be carried out when:

• A workstation is set up
• A new person starts to use an existing workstation
• Substantial changes are made to a workstation
• If staff experience pain or injury as a result of using the station

What’s included in a workstation test?

The test should look at the entire workstation and its use. As well as desks, the seating must be assessed, and the position of chairs and footrests considered. The work being carried out at that station should also be included in the assessment. For example, users in an office will have different needs to people in laboratory environments.

The individual needs of each user must be taken into account. Shorter members of staff or lab workers might need footrests to correct their working position and posture.

Check the chair is appropriate to the user and in a good state of repair. Larger employees might need chairs with a greater weight-bearing capacity.

Consider the user’s work load and schedule regular breaks or changes of activity to ensure they don’t spend too long at the work station.

Chairs in the workstation

All workstation seating should be in a good state of repair. Damaged or inadequate seating should be removed and replaced immediately. Chairs should have adjustable height and tilt mechanisms to allow the user to look directly at the screen without leaning forward or back. If the chair has arms, check they don’t interfere with the user’s working position or prevent them getting close enough to the workstation.

The chair should support the lower back allowing the user to sit up straight in the chair with their shoulders relaxed. Feet should be flat on the floor without putting pressure on the back of the user’s legs. If necessary, use an adjustable footrest to achieve the correct position.

According to the Department for Work and Pensions, musculoskeletal problems accounted for the loss of 30.6 million working days in 2013. Well-designed workstations, correct seating and educating staff is essential to keep our work force fit, healthy and working.

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