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Design shapes

Crescent desks come in sizes 1400mm, 1600mm and 1880mm in length. The main desk depth is 800mm on one side and 600mm on the return side.

The position of the pedestal determines the depth of the pedestal required. Return desks are 600mm deep.

Radial desks are symmetrical diagonally, and 800mm deep on both edges. Sizes range from 1200mm, 1400mm, 1600mm and 1800mm. Not all ranges of furniture manufacture radials. Some desk manufacturers make radials 600mm deep.

Note: mobile pedestal will not work with 600mm deep radials.

Designing your office

When planning a new office design, start by creating a flow chart of departments/offices as per the example below, showing the number of people that need to be accommodated in each area, and which departments need easy access to each other.

Now you have a frame to work with.

By working with the individual departments, a decision can be made on the size of desks and types of filing that are to be utilised in each area ie box files, lever arch or suspension files. A filing survey will determine the quantities of files used, from which you can ascertain the amount of storage that is required and whether bookcases, filing cabinets or multi-funtional storage will provide the solution.

Chairs are the most important item you will purchase for your workforce and adding colours will brighten up the environment. A good quality chair will have good foams and fabrics and a multi-action adjustment. Chairs can offer numerous adjustments; gas height adjustment, angle back adjustment, forward tilt (allowing the user to lean forward whilst keeping thighs at 90 degrees to the spine), sliding seat (giving deeper support to the legs), pump up lumbar to adjust the shape of the chair back and ratchet back height adjustment which adjusts the back height separately to the seat. Adjustable arms are also now common, which allow the user to adjust the height of the arms to help support arm height to the keyboard.

Incorporating desktop screens will reduce noise pollution, add colour and most of all remove items from desktops ie telephone lists, notices and quick reference guides.

The latest desktop screens also have tool bars that will accept pen pots, paper trays and telephone holders, thus helping to keep desktops clear and organised.

Adding curved shapes for your design, for example meeting tables or curved bookcases will soften the overall look.

In terms of health and safety issues, the office layout must provide quick and easy access to fire escapes, and walkways are an important factor in the design process. Walkway widths need to be carefully assessed; a general rule to follow is to measure the fire escapes and space walkways at least the same width of your doorways. You can always contact your local fire officer who will assess the office size and give you guidance and advice based on his experience.

If you do not feel sufficiently confident in designing your own office layout, you can always call in the professionals who will do all of the above on your behalf, and often give you more than one suitable design to choose from. Professional companies will carry out worktop and filing surveys on your behalf and determine how much desk and storage space is required to be both cost effective and space efficient.

Some companies can provide 2D CAD drawings that will show how your office will work. There are now suppliers that can even provide 3D and reality walk throughs. These can be very important tools when trying to motivate staff into embracing a new and more efficient layout; showing them how their new office will look will make the transition easier for managers and team leaders alike.

Wave desks are generally 1200mm, 1400mm, 1600mm and 1800mm in length.

The wave desk extends from 800mm to 1000mm.Wave returns are available in some ranges. The depth range from 600mm to 800mm.

Note: mobile pedestal will not work with wave returns.

Workstations are generally available in 800mm, 1000mm, 1200mm, 1400mm, 1600mm and 1800mm in length, and all 800mm deep. Workstations will work with mobile pedestals.

120 degree radials, being radials they are symmetrical.

Receiving delivery of office furniture

This information is provided to give our customers some pointers as to how to prepare their room so installation can be done with the minimum of disruption.

1. Check door clearances and corridors widths and turns for access (some furniture comes pre-assembled).
2. Plan a day that is convenient for all parties.
3. Plan a large as possible time window for the furniture to arrive as the drivers have more than your furniture to deliver and there are many instances where delays can occur, even the traffic can cause a major problem.
4. Make arrangments for unloading and parking while the fitters are assembling furniture.
5. Empty all paperwork from old furniture.
6. IT equipment should be unplugged and placed in a safe location away from the furniture assembly area.
7. Remove old furniture.
8. Hoover. This must be done prior to fitters arriving. While the area is clear it is a good idea to hoover those hard to reach places. This also ensures a clean environment where the furniture can be assembled and damage can be eliminated.
9. Set aside an area for furniture to be stacked which is not the assembly area.
10. Fitters require a flat clean floor surface to assemble furniture.
11. Fitter require room to turn furniture over.
12. Internal moving of furniture can be done only if an on site survey is done and this is arranged at time of ordering furniture. (If internal moving of furniture is arranged make sure surfaces are cleared, drawers are empty and all IT equipment is unplugged and moved).

Guidelines for VDU operators

Full use should be made of the adjustment facilities for your VDU and work environment to get the best from them and avoid potential health problems. The following guidelines are to help you make your working environment as comfortable as possible.

• Adjust your chair and VDU to find the most comfortable position for your work. As a rough guide, your arms should be approximately horizontal to the keyboard and your eyes at the same height as the top of the VDU casing.
• Make sure there is enough space underneath your desk to move your legs freely. Move any obstacles such as boxes or equipment.
• Avoid excess pressure on the backs of your legs and knees. A footrest particularly for smaller users, may be helpful.
• Do not sit in the same position for long periods. Make sure you change your posture as often as possible. Some movement is necessary, but avoid repeat stretching movements.
• Adjust your keyboard and screen to get a comfortable viewing position. A space in front of the keyboard is some times helpful for resting hands and wrists when not typing.
• Do not bend your hands up at the wrist when typing. Try to keep a soft touch on the keys and don’t overstretch your fingers. Good keyboard technique is important.
• Try different layouts of keyboards, screen and document holder to find the best arrangement for you.
• Make sure you have enough work space to take whatever documents you need. A document holder may help you to avoid awkward neck movements.
• Arrange your desk and screens so that bright lights are not reflected in the screen. You should not be directly facing windows or bright lights. Adjust curtains or blinds to prevent unwanted light.
• Make sure the characters on your screen are sharply focused and can be read easily. They should not flicker or move.
• Make sure there are no layers of dirt, grime or finger marks on the screen.
• Use the brightness control on the screen to suit the lighting conditions in the room.
• If your job involves constant VDU use you should take short frequent breaks, time recommendation for this as a rough guide is 5 minutes per hour.
• If you find you have visual problems which may be related to work with VDUs, please let your management or safety representative know so that an appropriate eye test can be arranged.

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