Ergonomics is one of the most important concerns for laboratory safety. With close to a million US employees working in a laboratory environment, the number for work related injuries will continue to increase. OSHA has recognized the threats of hazardous material exposure, lab related accidents, repetitive movement injuries as well as improper seating issues and has diligently worked to create informative documents on prevention of injuries. Our partners at NuAire, with the help of the OSHA guidelines, have been designing and evolving their ergonomic friendly BioSafety Cabinets over the past 40 years.
So, how do you find an ergonomic solution to suit your laboratory’s needs?
Every person that works in your lab will have unique needs. No two people will have the same requirements for comfortability and accessibility. The products you choose should be adaptable for users to maintain correct posture without pain.
With that said, let’s explore the ergonomic features of NuAire’s BioSafety Cabinet’s.
Appropriate Lighting & Expanded Vision Zone
The most important feature of any workstation is to be able to see what you are doing. With cool white fluorescent lighting the NuAire BSC’s work zones provides optimal viewing while decreasing glare. This helps reduce eye fatigue during long work periods. Standard with a frameless polished edge window, Nuaire’s Biological Safety cabinets allow for increased visibility and better sight lines in the work zone area. This helps reduce the need for awkward body positioning, minimizing neck and shoulder strain
Adjustability to User Height
BSC’s generally are shared equipment, and as humans come in all shapes and sizes, heights can vary drastically person to person. Working at a station that is too tall or too short can be a painful task. I could cause you to put added pressure on your back, legs, and wrists all day causing you to waste energy just to keep yourself in an awkward standing position, increasing fatigue and decreasing efficiency. NuAire offers adjustable base stands whether you choose to sit or stand, ultimately improving the user’s ability to maintain a proper posture. This also provides optimal leg and forearm support as well as providing clearance for all user sizes.
Elbow & Forearm Support
OSHA recommendations for work area height be appropriate for each type of work at hand in relation to your elbow placement at the BSC:
- Precision work: Cabinet should be above elbow height
- Light work: Cabinet should be just below elbow height
- Heavy work: Cabinet should be 6 inches below elbow height
However, resting your arms on the cabinets can become painful and could cover your air grill which is a reliability to you as the user and your samples. NuAire’s solution is to provide Biological Safety cabinets optional foam arm and elbow rest pads, increasing comfort while allowing for proper air flow through the grill.
Largest BSC Work Area Available
Being provided with a large workstation space, and to avoid claustrophobia from becoming an issue, NuAire Biological Safety cabinets offer the largest effective work zone area available. The expansive space allows for more accessibility and easier workability with lab samples within the cabinet while allowing forearms to remain rested at the access opening base. If you are looking for extra reach and even more convenience, NuAire has optional stainless-steel turntables that can be added to work zone corners, increasing a user’s reach by up to 12 inches.
Ergonomic Solutions for Extra Support
According to OSHA’s research they identified potential health risks caused by improper sitting positions. For instance, sitting in a seat that is too high will force you to work with your feet unsupported causing you to move forward in the chair to a point where you back is unsupported and loses its proper “S” shape. The best solution is to equip your employee(s) with a chair with an added footrest for extra support of your spine, feet and legs. Even though it may seem like resting your feet on the floor is fine, it in fact adds pressure on your legs and back. BioFit brand seating offers durable, ergonomically designed chairs and stools for working within laboratories. Adaptable in almost every aspect, these chairs offer the great support to give you comfort you can actually feel.
Thanks to their resilience, various features, and ergonomically friendly design, NuAire Biological Safety cabinets have developed into one of the most recommended laboratory work stations on the market. Each piece of equipment is built with convenience and safety in mind ensuring each user experience is enjoyable and safe. LabRepCo has partnered with NuAire for many years to provide the life science and biotechnology industries the highest level of protection in biological safety and laminar flow.
