10/26/2015 - Dauphin ergonomics 4.0: New media for the prevention of back problems in the workplace

Integrated solutions for ideal ergonomic workstations are the central theme of the Dauphin HumanDesign Group GmbH & Co. KG (DHDG) stand at this year's A+A. The company's integrated approach also includes raising awareness of ergonomics beyond workstation equipment. The DHDG will therefore present contemporary methods for encouraging ergonomic competence and lasting prevention cultures within companies.

Düsseldorf, 27.10.2015 – Ergonomic furniture forms the basis for an ergonomic workstation. At the same time, employees must also be made aware of the issue of ergonomics. After all, workers can only make the most of ergonomic chairs, desks and other equipment if they have the necessary knowledge. More and more employers are realizing this. In light of this fact, they are offering ergonomic workstations and raising awareness of ergonomics in order to prevent the back problems so prevalent in today's society. The Dauphin HumanDesign Group assists companies by offering a wide variety of specialist ergonomics consultancy services. These product-neutral services range from assessing working conditions and professional workplace consultancy to training mentors in companies who help to raise colleagues' awareness of the importance of preventing back problems.

Checking workstations via an app

In order to make it easy for office workers to check their own workplace situation, the DHDG has developed the "90 Second Workstation Check" app and will unveil it to the international specialist audience at the A+A. Users can assess their workstation according to ergonomic criteria and are given helpful tips as to how they can improve their own working habits and working environment. The app is thus an easy and effective way to pass on knowledge regarding the correct use of furniture and working equipment. After all, office workers often do not adjust swivel chairs and desks optimally or arrange their working equipment in a way that quickly results in muscular tension. The app, which is unique to date, provides a contemporary solution and is available free of charge in the app stores for iOS devices. In next to no time, it shows what is most important when adjusting chairs, desks and technical equipment.

The German Design Council is already impressed and has nominated the DHDG app for the German Design Award 2016. Merely being nominated for this prestigious international prize is regarded as an award for design competence.

Ongoing further development

With the "90 Second Workstation Check", the DHDG has further developed its ergonomics media. The new app is an extension of the 60 Second Seat Check that the company has offered online since 2008 and has had more than 18,000 visitors since then. With the test, users of office swivel chairs can check their sitting posture within a minute. With its integrated approach, the Workstation Check not only checks people's sitting habits but also offers tips for correctly adjusting desks and screens, arranging working equipment or planning phases of standing work. The seat check is now even clearer too. If users enter details which indicate that their seated posture or chair settings are not optimal, a video shows them how to improve things in the future.

These brief clips for improving ergonomics in the workplace are excerpts from the new DHDG Ergonomics Tutorials. These educational videos show the optimum settings for chairs, desks and screens as well as the functions offered by popular Dauphin chairs including the successful "Shape" range. The DHDG produced the first tutorial at the request of a major customer who wanted to offer employees operating instructions in video form in order to explain the functions of new chair models quickly and clearly. This then prompted the DHDG to offer further Ergonomics Tutorials for other customers and chair models. Anyone who is interested can watch the video tutorials on the Dauphin website www.dauphin.de.

Whether you choose the app or a video tutorial, the new ergonomics media from the DHDG bring to life theoretical findings relating to healthy sitting and working in a clear, contemporary manner. After all, experience gained within companies repeatedly shows that passing on practical, useful knowledge is a key factor when it comes to encouraging employees to adopt healthy sitting habits in the long term.