Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Office Signage – Beyond Pointing Folks to the Correct Bathroom.



An office has many instances where signage is necessary to facilitate function and flow.  Obvious things like restrooms and exits need to be clearly identified.  In large office buildings, with multiple tenants, it’s critical to properly guide guests to the correct office space.  However, have you considered how signage can add to your office culture?

The style and colors of office signs such as name plaques on an office cube will add an element to both your brand and also your office culture.  There is a clear difference between what an accounting office may choose as a name plaque versus an advertising agency.  Name plaques, in fact, have a big job to do.  Some of the functions names plaques could have in your office include:

1.      They need to clearly identify the person in the office space.  This helps to add a new person to the team spirit of the organization by allowing others to quickly learn their name. 
2.      Name plaques could also carry an element of recognition.  Try adding years of service as a way to recognize dedication to the company.
3.      Message boards are also helpful for team building and associating them with a person is a good way for others to know what meetings they may be attending for the day, or when that person might be back at their desk.
4.      Name plaques don’t have to been plain anymore.  Add your own company culture to them.  Different styles and colors are all options for you.

The next time you are looking for a way to further build your team, your office culture, and your brand consider how you’re using your office signage.  For more information, contact Great River Office Products at 877-793-1135 or locally at 651-293-1135.

Your Office Chair Has A lot to Answer For.



Is your office chair the culprit in making you uncomfortable at work?  
 
Office workers sit a remarkable number of hours each day with little thought given, in most cases, to how their chair fits them and their desk.  An ill-fitting chair may cause straining or slouching that creates a poor posture situation.  Ergonomically fitting your work space, specifically your chair, can significantly reduce the discomfort you feel each day. 

 The first order of business then is to assess whether or not your chair is performing optimally for you. 
When choosing your chair, there are many factors to consider.  Below is a list and short synopsis of things that make a difference in comfort for traditional office chairs.

1.      Seat height.  Choose a chair that is easy to adjust as you are sitting in it.  The seat height should be 16”-21”.  Be sure that the seat height allows you to place your feet flat on the floor.  If your feet are not able to sit flat on the floor, consider using a foot rest.

2.      Seat width and depth.  A good seat width is 17”-20”.  To see what width is good for you, sit with your back against the chair and note if there is at least 2”-4” between the back of your knees and the edge of the seat.  You’ll also want to look for a chair that has a seat edge that cascades toward the floor.

3.      Lumbar support.  The lumbar spine has an inward curve.  Sitting for a long time with no support can lead to slouching which flattens the curve and puts strain on the spine structure.  Your office chair should have a back rest that is between 12”-19” wide and be adjustable.

4.      Material padding.  While an executive, leather office chair sounds very luxurious, it may not be the best option for you.  Cloth tends to breathe better and is usually more comfortable.  You’ll also want to be sure your chair has an adequate amount of padding for comfort.

5.      Armrests.  Armrests should be adjusted so that your shoulders rest comfortably in a relaxed manner.  The perfect adjustment allows elbows and lower arms to rest lightly while the forearm is not on the rest while typing.  Some chairs come with short armrests that make it easier to get close to your work.

6.      Swivel.  The office chair should rotate easily so you are able to reach other areas of the desk without straining.

Just owning an ergonomic chair is not enough.  Adjusting it to fit you and your needs is as important as the chair itself.  Our office furniture staff members are experts in fitting chairs to our customer’s ergonomic needs. 

No matter what chair you have, remember to take short breaks.  Getting up encourages stronger posture, relieves strain on the eyes, and reduces fatigue.

Other helpful tidbits include moving desk items closer to you so you reduce reaching and straining.  By simply adjusting your most used desk items so they are easily within reach reduces the daily wear and tear on your body.

‘Tis the Season for Germs!


The cold weather, kids in school passing germs back and forth, extra holiday shopping that has many people out and about all adds up to more places for germs to spread

And when a ‘bug’ arrives at the office it is likely to work its way through you and your co-workers.  There are many places for germs to hang out in your workspace.  In fact, the 2004 Porter/Novelli Germ Survey http://uanews.org/pdfs/germsurvey.pdf lists several top spots for germs in the office, but the most notorious place to pick up a bug at the office is via your phone. 

The top four places to pick up germs at the office:
·        The phone
·        Desktops
·        Keyboards
·        Elevator buttons

It makes complete sense, your co-worker sneezes while on the phone, then proceeds to type up an order from the keyboard the next thing you know boom and boom the phone receiver and the keyboard are now both contaminated.  If you have your own workspace, your chances of picking up someone’s cold like this are obviously reduced, but if you share a phone and keyboard with others beware!

Another likely place to pick up an unwanted cold is on the elevator, not because you’re in a small space with many others, but more because you and everyone else will be touching the buttons.  From the hand to the surface germs are transferred and passed along for all to share.

What can you do to stay healthy this season?

·        Listen to your mother.  She was right!  Washing your hands does reduce your chance of getting sick.  Wash your hands and do it often!  Many germs are picked up from touching items that are contaminated and then they are passed to your nose and mouth.  Frequent washing reduces your chances of accidentally helping those germs reach your nose and mouth.

·        Cleaning your office headset, keyboard, and desktop is another good way to reduce the amount of germs you come in contact with each day.  Desk and office wipes are a great way to keep your phone and desk clean.  Our 3M desk and office wipe product, view here, quickly and easier helps you disinfect and deodorizes your workspace in one easy step.

View product here:


·        Use facial tissue like Kleenex Anti Viral Tissue to kills those little germy critters on contact.  This product kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses.
View product here:

Wash up those hands and wipe down those surfaces out there folks and stay healthy this winter!

For all of your office supply and office cleaning needs call Great River Office at 651-293-1135 or visit us online at www.greatriverofficeproducts.com.

It seems like every year right around the holidays the office is a buzz with sneezes and sniffles.

Stand Up, Sit Down – Yes! Yes! Yes!


I sit too much, you probably sit too much, and in fact most American workers sit too much.  We spend at least 8 hours per day sitting at our office desks.  All of this sitting is not good for your neck, shoulders and back.  The good news is there are things you can do to make the necessity of sitting at your desk more comfortable.

Most of the time, your desk is a stationary, non-adjustable piece of the ergonomic equation.  Instead you’re forced to make ergonomic changes to other things like your chair.  While it’s very important to have an office chair that fits your personal needs, we’re found a wonderful desk that is also adjustable thus opening other options for good ergonomics and better worker productivity.

The Mayline VariTask desk is an adjustable computer work desk that allows you to go from a sit-to-stand position.  It comes in a wide variety of colors and finishes, is easy to assemble, and adjusts to 14” overall from 26” to 40”.  The adjustment is quick and simple too.  A push button electric activation moves the desk to your desired height in just 18 seconds.

Adjusting your desk height helps in finding your neutral body position at your work station.  Neutral body position is attained when the body is naturally aligned and stress and strain on muscles, tendons, and joints is reduced.

The ability to move to a standing position also helps with mid-day sleepiness.  Instead of curling up under your desk for a nap, the VariTask allows you to move into a full standing position thus helping to keep drowsiness to a minimum.

The adjustable desktop makes it easier to attain the best possible height for your computer monitor.  Good monitor height reduces strain on your neck and shoulder muscles.

You also want to consider getting up and moving around with a mini break.  It actually makes you a more productive worker.  A short break wakes you up, helps to minimize eye strain, and gives you a chance to do some helpful stretches.

If you need to be in long telephone conferences, consider getting a wireless headset that allows you to freely walk about your space during the call.

Stand up, sit down, walk about, do some stretches, and keep moving.  You’ll feel better and get more done at the office!

For more tips on office ergonomics, give us a call or visit us at www.greatriverofficeproducts.com.

Standup Desks Revisited



It seems everyone is interested in stand-up desks these days.  Recently, we saw a report on our local news station promoting all the benefits of adjustable work stations.  To this we say, “We know, and we’re happy you’re helping to pique interest in this wonderful innovation in office ergonomics!”

Great River Office Products first blogged about the VariTask stand-up desk in June 2011.  (We’ve re-posted that article here for your convenience.)  Since that post, we’ve found more statistics and fun facts about why stand-up desks are such a great innovative product.  We’ve noted a few below.

  • 82% of workers want flexibility in the desk height
  • Flexibility keeps workers on task longer improving productivity
  • Worker’s compensation costs tend to go down with adjustable work station height
  • An average of 280 more calories are burned per day due to just two more hours of standing


Stand Up, Sit Down Yes, Yes, Yes!
Reprinted from June 21, 2011
Great River Office Products blog

I sit too much, you probably sit too much, and in fact most American workers sit too much.  We spend at least 8 hours per day sitting at our office desks.  All of this sitting is not good for your neck, shoulders and back.  The good news is there are things you can do to make the necessity of sitting at your desk more comfortable.

Most of the time, your desk is a stationary, non-adjustable piece of the ergonomic equation.  Instead you’re forced to make ergonomic changes to other things like your chair.  While it’s very important to have an office chair that fits your personal needs, we’re found a wonderful desk that is also adjustable thus opening other options for good ergonomics and better worker productivity.

The Mayline VariTask desk is an adjustable computer work desk that allows you to go from a sit-to-stand position.  It comes in a wide variety of colors and finishes, is easy to assemble, and adjusts to 14” overall from 26” to 40”.  The adjustment is quick and simple too.  A push button electric activation moves the desk to your desired height in just 18 seconds.

Adjusting your desk height helps in finding your neutral body position at your work station.  Neutral body position is attained when the body is naturally aligned and stress and strain on muscles, tendons, and joints is reduced.

The ability to move to a standing position also helps with mid-day sleepiness.  Instead of curling up under your desk for a nap, the VariTask allows you to move into a full standing position thus helping to keep drowsiness to a minimum.

The adjustable desktop makes it easier to attain the best possible height for your computer monitor.  Good monitor height reduces strain on your neck and shoulder muscles.

You also want to consider getting up and moving around with a mini break.  It actually makes you a more productive worker.  A short break wakes you up, helps to minimize eye strain, and gives you a chance to do some helpful stretches.

If you need to be in long telephone conferences, consider getting a wireless headset that allows you to freely walk about your space during the call.

Stand up, sit down, walk about, do some stretches, and keep moving.  You’ll feel better and get more done at the office!

For more tips on office ergonomics, check out the ergonomics category on our blog.  www.greatriverofficeproducts.net.